science of logic-第12部分

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　　　　　（b）　Determination；　Constitution　and　Limit

　　　　　（c）　Finitude

＇a＇　The　Immediacy　of　Finitude

＇b＇　Limitation　and　the　Ought

Remark：　The　Ought

The　ought　has　recently　played　a　great　part　in　philosophy；　especially　in　connection　with　morality
and　also　in　metaphysics　generally；　as　the　ultimate　and　absolute　concept　of　the　identity　of　the
in…itself　or　self…relation；　and　of　the　determinateness　or　limit。

'You　can；　because　you　ought'　…　this　expression；　which　is　supposed　to　mean　a　great　deal；　is　implied
in　the　notion　of　ought。　For　the　ought　implies　that　one　is　superior　to　the　limitation；　in　it　the　limit　is
sublated　and　the　in…itself　of　the　ought　is　thus　an　identical　self…relation；　and　hence　the　abstraction　of
'can'。　But　conversely；　it　is　equally　correct　that：　'you　cannot；　just　because　you　ought。'　For　in　the
ought；　the　limitation　as　limitation　is　equally　implied；　the　said　formalism　of　possibility　has；　in　the
limitation；　a　reality；　a　qualitative　otherness　opposed　to　it　and　the　relation　of　each　to　the　other　is　a
contradiction；　and　thus　a　'cannot'；　or　rather　an　impossibility。

In　the　Ought　the　transcendence　of　finitude；　that　is；　infinity；　begins。　The　ought　is　that　which；　in　the
further　development；　exhibits　itself　in　accordance　with　the　said　impossibility　as　the　infinity。

With　respect　to　the　form　of　the　limitation　and　the　ought；　two　prejudices　can　be　criticised　in　more
detail。　First　of　all；　great　stress　is　laid　on　the　limitations　of　thought；　of　reason；　and　so　on；　and　it　is
asserted　that　the　limitation　cannot　be　transcended。　To　make　such　as　assertion　is　to　be　unaware
that　the　very　fact　that　something　is　determined　as　a　limitation　implies　that　the　limitation　is　already
transcended。　For　a　determinateness；　a　limit；　is　determined　as　a　limitation　only　in　opposition　to　its
other　in　general；　that　is；　in　opposition　to　that　which　is　free　from　the　limitation；　the　other　of　a
limitation　is　precisely　the　being　beyond　it。　Stone　and　metal　do　not　transcend　their　limitation
because　this　is　not　a　limitation　for　them。　If；　however；　in　the　case　of　such　general　propositions
framed　by　the　understanding；　such　as　that　limitation　cannot　be　transcended；　thought　will　not　apply
itself　to　finding　out　what　is　implied　in　the　Notion；　then　it　can　be　directed　to　the　world　of　actuality
where　such　proportions　show　themselves　to　be　completely　unreal。　just　because　thought　is
supposed　to　be　superior　to　actuality；　to　dwell　apart　from　it　in　higher　regions　and　therefore　to　be
itself　determined　as　an　ought…to…be；　on　the　one　hand；　it　does　not　advance　to　the　Notion；　and；　on
the　other　hand；　it　stands　in　just　as　untrue　a　relation　to　actuality　as　it　does　to　the　Notion。

Because　the　stone　does　not　think；　does　not　even　feel；　its　limitedness　is　not　a　limitation　for　it；　that
is；　is　not　a　negation　in　it　for　sensation；　imagination；　thought；　etc。；　which　it　does　not　possess。　But
even　the　stone；　as　a　something；　contains　the　distinction　of　its　determination　or　in…itself　and　its
determinate　being；　and　to　that　extent　it；　too；　transcends　its　limitation；　the　Notion　which　is　implicit　in
it　contains　the　identity　of　the　stone　with　its　other。　If　it　is　a　base　capable　of　being　acted　on　by　an
acid；　then　it　can　be　oxidised；　and　neutralised；　and　so　on。　In　oxidation；　neutralisation　and　so　on；　it
overcomes　its　limitation　of　existing　only　as　a　base；　it　transcends　it；　and　similarly　the　acid　overcomes
its　limitation　of　being　an　acid。　This　ought；　the　obligation　to　transcend　limitations；　is　present　in　both
acid　and　caustic　base　in　such　a　degree　that　it　is　only　by　force　that　they　can　be　kept　fixed　as
（waterless；　that　is；　purely　non…neutral）　acid　and　caustic　base。

If；　however；　an　existence　contains　the　Notion　not　merely　as　an　abstract　in…itself；　but　as　an　explicit；
self…determined　totality；　as　instinct；　life；　ideation；　etc。；　then　in　its　own　strength　it　overcomes　the
limitation　and　attains　a　being　beyond　it。　The　plant　transcends　the　limitation　of　being　a　seed；
similarly；　of　being　blossom；　fruit；　leaf；　the　seed　becomes　the　developed　plant；　the　blossom　fades
away；　and　so　on。　The　sentient　creature；　in　the　limitation　of　hunger；　thirst；　etc。；　is　the　urge　to
overcome　this　limitation　and　it　does　overcome　it。　It　feels　pain；　and　it　is　the　privilege　of　the　sentient
nature　to　feel　pain；　it　is　a　negation　in　its　self；　and　the　negation　is　determined　as　a　limitation　in　its
feeling；　just　because　the　sentient　creature　has　the　feeling　of　its　self；　which　is　the　totality　that
transcends　this　determinateness。　If　it　were　not　above　and　beyond　the　determinateness；　it　would　not
feel　it　as　its　negation　and　would　feel　no　pain。

But　it　is　reason；　thought；　which　is　supposed　to　be　unable　to　transcend　limitation　…　reason；　which　is
the　universal　explicitly　beyond　particularity　as　such　（that　is；　all　particularity）；　which　is　nothing　but
the　overcoming　of　limitation！　Granted；　not　every　instance　of　transcending　and　being　beyond
limitation　is　a　genuine　liberation　from　it；　a　veritable　affirmation；　even　the　ought　itself；　and
abstraction　in　general；　is　in　imperfect　transcending。　However；　the　reference　to　the　wholly　abstract
universal　is　a　sufficient　reply　to　the　equally　abstract　assertion　that　limitation　cannot　be　transcended；
or；　again；　even　the　reference　to　the　infinite　in　general　is　a　sufficient　refutation　of　the　assertion　that
the　finite　cannot　be　transcended。

In　this　connection　we　may　mention　a　seemingly　ingenious　fancy　of　Leibniz：　that　if　a　magnet
possessed　consciousness　it　would　regard　its　pointing　to　the　north　as　a　determination　of　its　will；　as　a
law　of　its　freedom。　On　the　contrary；　if　it　possessed　consciousness　and　consequently　will　and
freedom；　it　would　be　a　thinking　being。　Consequently；　space　for　it　would　be　universal；　embracing
every　direction；　so　that　the　single　direction　to　the　north　would　be　rather　a　limitation　on　its　freedom；
just　as　much　as　being　fixed　to　one　spot　would　be　a　limitation　for　a　man　although　not　for　a　plant。

On　the　other　hand；　the　ought　is　the　transcending；　but　still　only　finite　transcending；　of　the
limitation。　Therefore；　it　has　its　place　and　its　validity　in　the　sphere　of　finitude　where　it　holds　fast　to
being…in…itself　in　opposition　to　limitedness；　declaring　the　former　to　be　the　regulative　and　essential
factor　relatively　to　what　is　null。　Duty　is　an　ought　directed　against　the　particular　will；　against
self…seeking　desire　and　capricious　interest　and　it　is　held　up　as　an　ought　to　the　will　in　so　far　as　this
has　the　capacity　to　isolate　itself　from　the　true。　Those　who　attach　such　importance　to　the　ought　of
morality　and　fancy　that　morality　is　destroyed　if　the　ought　is　not　recognized　as　ultimate　truth；　and
those　too　who；　reasoning　from　the　level　of　the　understanding；　derive　a　perpetual　satisfaction　from
being　able　to　confront　everything　there　is　with　an　ought；　that　is；　with　a　'knowing　better'…and　for　that
very　reason　are　just　as　loath　to　be　robbed　of　the　ought…do　not　see　that　as　regards　the　finitude　of
their　sphere　the　ought　receives　full　recognition。　But　in　the　world　of　actuality　itself；　Reason　and　Law
are　not　in　such　a　bad　way　that　they　only　ought　to　be…it　is　only　the　abstraction　of　the　in…itself　that
stops　at　this…any　more　than　the　ought　is　in　its　own　self　perennial　and；　what　is　the　same　thing；　that
finitude　is　absolute。　The　philosophy　of　Kant　and　Fichte　sets　up　the　ought　as　the　highest　point　of　the
resolution　of　the　contradictions　of　Reason；　but　the　truth　is　that　the　ought　is　only　the　standpoint
which　clings　to　finitude　and　thus　to　contradiction。

＇c＇　Transition　of　the　Finite　into　the　Infinite

C　Infinity

　　　　　（a）　The　Infinite　in　General

　　　　　（b）　Alternating　Determination　of　the　Finite　and　the　Infinite

　　　　　（c）　Affirmative　Infinity

Transition

Remark　1：　The　Infinite　Progress

Remark　2：　Idealism

The　proposition　that　the　finite　is　ideal　＇ideell＇　constitutes　idealism。　The　idealism　of　philosophy
consists　in　nothing　else　than　in　recognising　that　the　finite　has　no　veritable　being。　Every　philosophy　is
essentially　an　idealism　or　at　least　has　idealism　for　its　principle；　and　the　question　then　is　only　how　far
this　principle　is　actually　carried　out。　This　is　as　true　of　philosophy　as　of　religion；　for　religion　equally
does　not　recognise　finitude　as　a　veritable　being；　as　something　ultimate　and　absolute　or　as
something　underived；　uncreated；　eternal。　Consequently　the　opposition　of　idealistic　and　realistic
philosophy　has　no　significance。　A　philosophy　which　ascribed　veritable；　ultimate；　absolute　being　to
finite　existence　as　such；　would　not　deserve　the　name　of　philosophy；　the　principles　of　ancient　or
modern　philosophies；　water；　or　matter；　or　atoms　are　thoughts；　universals；　ideal　entities；　not　things
as　they　immediately　present　themselves　to　us；　that　is；　in　their　sensuous　individuality　…　not　even　the
water　of　Thales。　For　although　this　is　also　empirical　water；　it　is　at　the　same　time　also　the　in…itself　or
essence　of　all　other　things；　too；　and　these　other　things　are　not　self…subsistent　or　grounded　in
themselves；　but　are　posited　by；　are　derived　from；　an　other；　from　water；　that　is　they　are　ideal
entities。　Now　above　we　have　named　the　principle　or　the　universal　the　ideal　（and　still　more　must
the　Notion；　the　Idea；　spirit　be　so　named）；　and　then　again　we　have　described　individual；　sensuous
things　as　ideal　in　principle；　or　in　their　Notion；　still　more　in　spirit；　that　is；　as　sublated；　here　we　must
note；　in　passing；　this　twofold　aspect　which　showed　itself　in　connection　with　the　infinite；　namely　that
on　the　one　hand　the　ideal　is　concrete；　veritable　being；　and　on　the　other　hand　the　moments　of　this
concrete　being　are　no　less　ideal　…　are　sublated　in　it；　but　in　fact　what　is；　is　only　the　one　concrete
whole　from　which　the　moments　are　inseparable。

By　the　ideal　＇dem　Ideellen＇　is　meant　chiefly　the　form　of　figurate　conception　and　imagination；　and
what　is　simply　in　my　conception；　or　in　the　Notion；　or　in　the　idea；　in　imagination；　and　so　on；　is
called　ideal；　so　that　even　fancies　are　counted　as　ideals　…　conceptions　which　are　not　only　distinct
from　the　real　world；　but　are　supposed　to　be　essentially　not　real。　In　point　of　fact；　the　spirit　is　the
idealist　proper；　in　spirit；　even　as　feeling；　imagination　and　still　more　as　thinking　and　comprehending；
the　cont