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science of logic-第32部分

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which is the universal。 Thus the universal is also the substance of its determinations; but in such
wise that what was a contingency for substance; is the Notion's own self…mediation; its own
immanent reflection。 But this mediation which; in the first instance; raises contingency to
necessity; is the manifested relation; the Notion is not the abyss of formless substance; or
necessity as the inner identity of things or states distinct from; and limiting; one another; on the
contrary; as absolute negativity; it is the shaper and creator; and because the determination is not a
limitation but is just as much utterly sublated; or posited; the illusory being is now manifestation; the
manifestation of the identical。

The universal is therefore free power; it is itself and takes its other within its embrace; but without
doing violence to it; on the contrary; the universal is; in its other; in peaceful communion with
itself。 We have called it free power; but it could also be called free love and boundless
blessedness; for it bears itself towards its other as towards its own self; in it; it has returned to
itself。

We have just mentioned determinateness; although the Notion; being as yet only the universal
and only self…identical; has not yet advanced to that stage。 However; we cannot speak of the
universal apart from determinateness which to be more precise is particularity and individuality; for
the universal; in its absolute negativity; contains determinateness in and for itself。 The
determinateness; therefore; is not introduced from outside when we speak of it in connection with
the universal。 As negativity in general or in accordance with the first; immediate negation; the
universal contains determinateness generally as particularity; as the second negation; that is; as
negation of the negation; it is absolute determinateness or individuality and concreteness。 The
universal is thus the totality of the Notion; it is a concrete; and far from being empty; it has through
its Notion a content; and a content in which it not only maintains itself but one which is its own
and immanent in it。 We can; indeed; abstract from the content: but in that case we do not obtain
the universal of the Notion but only the abstract universal; which is an isolated; imperfect moment
of the Notion and has no truth。

More precisely; the universal shows itself as this totality as follows。 In so far as it contains
determinateness; it is not merely the first negation; but also the reflection of this negation into itself。
Taken expressly with this first negation; it is a particular; and it is as such that we are soon to
consider it; but in this determinateness it is essentially still a universal; this side we have here still to
consider。 For determinateness; being in the Notion; is the total reflection; the two…fold illusory
being which on the one hand has an illusory reference outwards; the reflection…into…other; and on
the other hand has an illusory reference inwards; the reflection…into…self。 The former reflection
involves distinction from an other; from this standpoint; the universal possesses a particularity
which has its resolution in a higher universal。 Now even though it is merely a relative universal; it
does not lose its character of universal; it preserves itself in its determinateness; not merely as
though in its connection with the determinateness it remained indifferent to it…for then it would be
merely compounded with it but so that it is what we have just called the illusory reference
inwards。 The determinateness; as determinate Notion; is bent back into itself out of the
externality; it is the Notion's own immanent character; which is an essential character by virtue
of the fact that; in being taken up into the universality and pervaded by it; it equally pervades the
universality; being of like compass and identical with it; it is the character that belongs to the genus
as the determinateness that is not separated from the universal。 Accordingly; the limitation is not
outward…going but positive; for the Notion; through its universality; stands in free relation to itself。
Thus even the determinate Notion remains within itself infinitely free Notion。

But in regard to the other side; in which the genus is limited by its specific character; it has been
observed that this; as a lower genus; has its resolution in a higher universal。 The latter; in its turn;
can also be grasped as genus but as a more abstract one; but it always pertains only to that side of
the determinate Notion which has a reference outwards。 The truly higher universal is that in which
this outward…going side is taken back into the universal; the second negation; in which the
determinateness is present simply as posited or as illusory being。 Life; ego; spirit; absolute Notion;
are not universals merely in the sense of higher genera; but are concretes whose
determinatenesses; too; are not species or lower genera but genera which; in their reality; are
absolutely self…contained and self…fulfilled。 In so far as life; ego; finite spirit are; as they certainly
are; also only determinate Notions; their absolute resolution is in that universal which as truly
absolute Notion is to be grasped as the Idea of infinite spirit; whose posited being is infinite;
transparent reality wherein it contemplates its creation; and in this creation its own self。

The true; infinite universal which; in itself; is as much particularity as individuality; we have next to
consider as particularity。 It determines itself freely; the process by which it makes itself finite is
not a transition; for this occurs only in the sphere of being; it is creative power as the absolute
negativity which relates itself to its own self。 As such; it differentiates itself internally; and this is a
determining; because the differentiation is one with the universality。 Accordingly; the universal is a
process in which it posits the differences themselves as universal and self…related。 They thereby
become fixed; isolated differences。 The isolated subsistence of the finite which earlier was
determined as its being…for…self; and also as thinghood; as substance; is; in its truth universality; the
form with which the infinite Notion clothes its differences — a form that is; in fact; one of its own
differences。 Herein consists the creative power of the Notion; a power which is to be
comprehended only in this; the Notion's innermost core。

B The Particular Notion 

We have seen that the determinateness of the particular is simple as principle; but it is also
simple as moment of the totality … as a determinateness opposed to the other determinateness。
The Notion; in determining or distinguishing itself; is negatively directed against its unity and gives
itself the form of one of its ideal moments; that of being: as a determinate Notion; it has a
determinate Being in general。 But this Being no longer signifies bare immediacy but Universality …
immediacy which through absolute mediation is equal to itself and equally contains the other
moment; essential being or reflection。 This Universality with which the determinate moment is
clothed is abstract Universality。 The particular has Universality within it as its essential being; but;
in so far as the determinateness of the difference is posited; and thereby has Being; Universality is
a form assumed by the difference; and the determinateness as such is the content。 The
Universality becomes form in so far as the difference is present as the essential moment; just as; on
the contrary; in the purely universal it is present only as absolute negativity; not as difference which
posited as such。 

Connected with the above is the reason why latterly the Understanding has been so lightly
esteemed and ranked as inferior to Reason; it is the fixity which it imparts to the
determinatenesses; and hence to finite determinations。 This fixity consists in the form of abstract
Universality which has just been considered: through it they become immutable。 For qualitative
determinateness; and also determinations of reflection; are essentially limited; and; through their
limitation; have a relation to their other; hence the necessity of transition and passing away。 But
universality which they possess in the understanding gives them the form of reflection…into…self by
which they are freed from the relation…to…other and have become imperishable。 Now though in
the pure Notion this eternity belongs to its nature; yet its abstract determinations are eternal
essentialities only in respect of their form; but their content is at variance with this form; therefore
they are not truth; or imperishable。 Their content is at variance with the form; because it is not
determinateness itself as universal; that is; it is not totality of the Notion's difference; or not itself
the whole form; but the form of the limited understanding is itself the imperfect form; namely;
abstract universality。 But further; we must recognise the infinite force of the understanding in
splitting the concrete into abstract determinatenesses and plumbing the depth of difference; the
force that at the same time is alone the power that effects their transition。 

Since; therefore; understanding exhibits the infinite force which determines the universal; or
conversely; imparts through the form of Universality a fixity and subsistence to the determinateness
that is in and for itself transitory; then it is not the fault of understanding if no further progress is
made beyond this point。 It is a subjective impotence of reason which adopts these
determinatenesses in their fixity; and which is unable to bring them back to their unity through the
dialectical force opposed to this abstract universality; in other words; through their own peculiar
nature or through their Notion。 The understanding does indeed give them; so to speak; a rigidity of
being such as they do not possess in the sphere of quality and the sphere of reflection; but at the
same time it spiritually impregnates them and so sharpens them; that just at this extreme point
alone they acquire the capability to dissolve themselves and pass over into their opposite。 The
highest maturity; the highest stage; whic

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