shorter logic-第39部分

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a　ray　of　light　in　a　straight　line　impinging　upon　the　surface　of　a　mirror　is　thrown　back　from　it。　In　this
phenomenon　we　have　two　things　…　first　an　immediate　fact　which　is；　and　secondly　the　deputed；
derivated；　or　transmitted　phase　of　the　same。　Something　of　this　sort　takes　place　when　we　reflect；　or
think　upon　an　object：　for　here　we　want　to　know　the　object；　not　in　its　immediacy；　but　as　derivative
or　mediated。　The　problem　or　aim　of　philosophy　is　often　represented　as　the　ascertainment　of　the
essence　of　things：　a　phrase　which　only　means　that　things；　instead　of　being　left　in　their　immediacy；
must　be　shown　to　be　mediated　by；　or　based　upon；　something　else。　The　immediate　Being　of　things
is　thus　conceived　under　the　image　of　a　rind　or　curtain　behind　which　the　Essence　is　hidden。　
？

Everything；　it　is　said；　has　an　Essence；　that　is；　things　really　are　not　what　they　immediately　show
themselves。　There　is　something　more　to　be　done　than　merely　rove　from　one　quality　to　another；　and
merely　to　advance　from　qualitative　to　quantitative；　and　vice　versa：　there　is　a　permanence　in　things；
and　that　permanence　is　in　the　first　instance　their　Essence。　

With　respect　to　other　meanings　and　uses　of　the　category　of　Essence；　we　may　note　that　in　the
German　auxiliary　verb；　sein　（to　be）；　the　past　tense　is　expressed　by　the　term　for　Essence　（wesen）：
we　designate　past　being　as　gewesen。　This　anomaly　of　language　implies　to　some　extent　a　correct
perception　of　the　relation　between　Being　and　Essence。　Essence　we　may　certainly　regard　as　past
Being；　remembering　however　meanwhile　that　the　past　is　not　utterly　denied；　but　only　laid　aside　and
thus　at　the　same　time　preserved。　

。。。　the　category　of　Essence　is　often　liable　to　an　abstract　use；　by　which；　in　the　study　of　anything；　its
Essence　is　held　to　be　something　unaffected　by；　and　subsisting　in　independence　of；　its　definite
phenomenal　embodiment。　Thus　we　say；　for　example；　of　people；　that　the　great　thing　is　not　what
they　do　or　how　they　behave；　but　what　they　are。　This　is　correct；　if　it　means　that　a　man's　conduct
should　be　looked　at；　not　in　its　immediacy；　but　only　as　it　is　explained　by　his　inner　self；　and　as　a
relevation　of　that　inner　self。　Still　it　should　be　remembered　that　the　only　means　by　which　the
Essence　and　the　inner　self　can　be　verified　is　their　appearance　in　outward　reality；　whereas　the
appeal　which　men　make　to　the　essential　life；　as　distinct　from　the　material　facts　of　conduct；　is
generally　prompted　by　a　desire　to　assert　their　own　subjectivity　and　to　elude　an　absolute　and
objective　judgement。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　113
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Identity

Self…relation　in　Essence　is　the　form　of　Identity　or　of　reflection…into…self；　which
has　here　taken　the　place　of　the　immediacy　of　Being。　They　are　both　the　same
abstraction　…　self…relation。　

The　unintelligence　of　sense；　to　take　everything　limited　and　finite　for　Being；　passes
into　the　obstinacy　of　understanding；　which　views　the　finite　as　self…identical；　not
inherently　self…contradictory。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Unessential
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　114
This　identity；　as　it　descended　from　Being；　appears　in　the　first　place　only　charged
with　the　characteristics　of　Being；　and　referred　to　Being　as　to　something　external。
This　external　Being；　if　taken　in　separation　from　the　true　Being　（of　Essence）；　is
called　the　Unessential。　But　that　turns　out　to　be　a　mistake。　Because　Essence　is
Being…in…self；　it　is　essential　only　to　the　extent　that　it　has　in　itself　its　negative；　i。e。
reference　to　another；　or　mediation。　Consequently；　it　has　the　unessential　as　its　own
proper　seeming　（reflection）　in　itself。　But　in　seeming　or　mediation　there　is
distinction　involved：　and　since　what　is　distinguished　（as　distinguished　from　identity
out　of　which　it　arises；　and　in　which　it　is　not；　or　lies　as　seeming）　receives　itself　the
form　of　identity；　the　semblance　is　still　not　in　the　mode　of　Being；　or　of　self…related
immediacy。　

The　sphere　of　Essence　thus　turns　out　to　be　a　still　imperfect　combination　of
immediacy　and　mediation。　In　it　every　term　is　expressly　invested　with　the
character　of　self…relatedness；　while　yet　at　the　same　time　one　is　forced　beyond　it。　It
has　Being　…　reflected　being；　a　being　in　which　another　shows；　and　which　shows　in
another。　And　so　it　is　also　the　sphere　in　which　the　contradiction；　still　implicit　in　the
sphere　of　Being；　is　made　explicit。　

As　this　one　notion　is　the　common　principle　underlying　all　logic；　there　appear　in　the
development　of　Essence　the　same　attributes　or　terms　as　in　the　development　of
Being；　but　in　reflex　form。　Instead　of　Being　and　Nought　we　have　now　the　forms　of
Positive　and　Negative；　the　former　at　first　as　Identity　corresponding　to　pure　and
uncontrasted　Being；　the　latter　developed　（showing　in　itself）　as　Difference。　So　also；
we　have　Being　represented　by　the　Ground　of　determinate　Being：　which　shows
itself；　when　reflected　upon　the　Ground；　as　Existence。　

The　theory　of　Essence　is　the　most　difficult　branch　of　Logic。　It　includes　the
categories　of　metaphysic　and　of　the　sciences　in　general。　These　are　the　products　of
reflective　understanding；　which；　while　it　assumes　the　differences　to　possess　a
footing　of　their　own；　and　at　the　same　time　also　expressly　affirms　their　relativity；
still　combines　the　two　statements；　side　by　side；　or　one　after　the　other；　by　an　'also'；
without　bringing　these　thoughts　into　one；　or　unifying　them　into　the　notion。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Development　of　Reflection
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GROUND　…　EXISTENCE　…　THE　THING



　　　　A。　ESSENCE　AS　GROUND　OF　EXISTENCE
　　　　　　　　　　　　　（a）　The　pure　principle　or　categories　of　Reflection　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（i）　Identity
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　115
The　Essence　lights　up　in　itself　or　is　mere　reflection：　and　therefore　is　only
self…relation；　not　as　immediate　but　as　reflected。　And　that　reflex　relation　is　This
identity　becomes　an　Identity；　in　form　only；　or　of　the　understanding；　if　it　be　held
hard　and　fast；　quite　aloof　from　difference。　Or；　rather；　abstraction　is　the　imposition
of　this　Identity　of　form；　the　transformation　of　something　inherently　concrete　into
this　form　of　elementary　simplicity。　And　this　may　be　done　in　two　ways。　Either　we
may　neglect　a　part　of　the　multiple　features　which　are　found　in　the　concrete　thing
（by　what　is　called　analysis）　and　select　only　one　of　them；　or；　neglecting　their
variety；　we　may　concentrate　the　multiple　character　into　one。　

If　we　associate　Identity　with　the　Absolute；　making　the　Absolute　the　subject　of　a
proposition；　we　get：　The　Absolute　is　what　is　identical　with　itself。　However；　true
this　proposition　may　be；　it　is　doubtful　whether　it　be　meant　in　its　truth：　and
therefore　it　is　at　least　imperfect　in　the　expression。　For　it　is　left　undecided；　whether
it　means　the　abstract　Identity　of　understanding…　abstract。　that　is；　because
contrasted　with　the　other　characteristics　of　Essence　…　or　the　Identity　which　is
inherently　concrete。　In　the　latter　case；　as　will　be　seen；　true　identity　is　first
discoverable　in　the　Ground；　and；　with　a　higher　truth；　in　the　Notion。　Even　the
word　Absolute　is　often　used　to　mean　more　than　'abstract'。　Absolute　space　and
absolute　time；　for　example；　is　another　way　of　saying　abstract　space　and　abstract
time。　

When　the　principles　of　Essence　are　taken　as　essential　principles　of　thought　they
become　predicates　of　a　presupposed　subject；　which；　because　they　are　essential；　is
'everything'。　The　propositions　thus　arising　have　been　stated　as　universal　Laws　of
Thought。　Thus　the　first　of　them；　the　maxim　of　Identity；　reads：　Everything　is
identical　with　itself；　A　=　A：　and　negatively；　A　cannot　at　the　same　time　be　A　and
Not…A。　This　maxim；　instead　of　being　a　true　law　of　thought；　is　nothing　but　the　law
of　abstract　understanding。　The　propositional　form　itself　contradicts　it：　for　a
proposition　always　promises　a　distinction　between　subject　and　predicate；　while
the　present　one　does　not　fulfil　what　its　form　requires。　But　the　Law　is　particularly
set　aside　by　the　following　so…called　Laws　of　Thought；　which　make　laws　out　of　its
opposite。　It　is　asserted　that　the　maxim　of　Identity；　though　it　cannot　be　proved；
regulates　the　procedure　of　every　consciousness；　and　that　experience　shows　it　to
be　accepted　as　soon　as　its　terms　are　apprehended。　To　this　alleged　experience　of
the　logic　books　may　be　opposed　the　universal　experience　that　no　mind　thinks　or
forms　conceptions　or　speaks　in　accordance　with　this　law；　and　that　no　existence　of
any　kind　whatever　conforms　to　it。　

Utterances　after　the　fashion　of　this　pretended　law　（A　planet　is　a　planet；　Magnetism　is　magnetism；
Mind　is　Mind）　are；　as　they　deserve　to　be；　reputed　silly。　That　is　certainly　a　matter　of　general
experience。　The　logic　which　seriously　propounds　such　laws　and　the　scholastic　world　in　which
alone　they　are　valid　have　long　been　discredited　with　practical　common　sense　as　well　as　with　the
philosophy　of　reason。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　115n

Identity　is；　in　the　first　place；　the　repetition　of　what　we　had　earlier　as　Being；　but　as　become；　through
supersession　of　its　character　of　immediateness。　It　is　therefore　Being　as　Ideality。　It　is　important　to
come　to　a　proper　understanding　on　the　true　meaning　of　Identity；　and；　for　that　purpose；　we　must
especially　guard　against　taking　it　as　abstract　identity；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　Difference。　That　is　the
touchstone　for　distinguishing　all　bad　philosophy　from　what　alone　deserves　the　name　of　philosophy。
Identity　in　its　truth；　as　an　Ideality　of　what　immediately　is；　is　a　high　category　for　our　religious　modes
of　mind　as　well　as　all　other　forms　of　thought　and　mental　activity。　The　true　knowledge　of　God；　it
may　be　said；　begins　when　we　know　him　as　identity　…　as　absolute　identity。　To　know　so　much　is　to
see　all　the　power　and　glory　of　the　world　sinks　into　nothing　in　God's　presence；　and　subsists　only　as
the　reflection　of　his　power　and　his　glory。　In　the　same　way；　Identity；　as　self…consciousness；　is　what
distinguishes　man　from　nature；　particularly　from　the　brutes　which　never　reach　the　point　of
comprehending　themselves　as　'I'；　that　is；　pure　self…contained　unity。　So　again；　in　connection　with
thought；　the　main　thing　is　not　to　confuse　the　true　Identity；　whic