philosophy of nature-第10章

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general　relations　to　the　central　body；　ceases　to　be　the　uniform　filling　of　space；　and　opposes　a
specific　being　in　itself　to　an　abstract　being　apart　from　itself　

The　varying　density　of　matter　is　often　explained　by　the　assumption　of　pores；　…　though　〃to　explain〃
means　in　general　to　refer　a　phenomenon　back　to　the　accepted；　familiar　determinations　of　the
understanding；　and　no　conceptions　are　more　familiar　than　those　of　〃composition；〃　〃pieces　and　their
details；〃　and　〃emptiness。〃　Therefore　nothing　is　clearer　than　to　use　the　imaginative　invention　of　pores
to　comprehend　the　densification　of　matter。　These　would　be　empty　interstices；　though　physics　does
not　demonstrate　them；　despite　its　attempt　to　speak　of　them　as　at　hand　and　its　claim　to　be　based　on
experience　and　observation。　What　is　beyond　these　and　is　merely　assumed　is　the　matter　of　thought。
It　does　not　occur　to　physics；　however；　that　it　has　thoughts；　which　is　true　in　at　least　two　senses　and
here　in　a　third　sense：　the　pores　are　only　imaginative　inventions。　

An　immediate　example　of　the　peculiar　specification　of　gravity　offered　by　physics　is　furnished　by　the
phenomenon　that；　when　a　bar　of　iron；　evenly　balanced　on　its　fulcrum；　is　magnetised；　it　loses　its
equilibrium　and　shows　itself　to　be　heavier　at　one　pole　than　at　the　other。…The　axioms　presupposed
by　physics　in　its　mode　of　representing　density　are：　（1）　that　equal　amounts　of　equally　large　material
parts　weigh　the　same；…in　this　way　the　formal　identity　of　gravity　remains　consistent…（2）　the　measure
of　the　number　of　parts　is　the　amount　of　weight；　but　（3）　also　of　space；　so　that　bodies　of　equal
weight　occupy　equal　amounts　of　space；　（4）　consequently；　when　equal　weights　are　found　in
different　volumes；　the　equality　of　the　spaces　is　preserved　by　the　assumption　of　pores　which　fill　the
space。　

Kant　has　already　contrasted　intensity　to　the　quantitative　determination　of　the　amount；　and；　instead
of　positing　that　the　heavier　body　contains　more　particles　in　a　certain　space；　he　has　assumed　that　in
the　heavier　body　the　same　number　of　particles　fill　space　to　a　greater　degree。　In　this　way　he　created
〃dynamic　physics。〃　At　least　the　determination　of　the　intensive　quantum　would　be　just　as　correct　as
that　of　an　extensive　quantum；　but　this　distinction　（cf　§　56）　is　empty　and　in　itself　nothing。　Here　the
intensive　determination　of　size；　however；　has　this　advantage：　that　it　points　to　the　category　of
measure　and　indicates　initially　a　being　in　itself　which　as　a　conceptual　determination　is　an　immanent
determinacy　of　form；　and　only　existent　as　quantum。　But　to　distinguish　between　extensive　or
intensive　quantum　differences；　…　and　dynamic　physics　goes　no　further　than　this…does　not　express
any　reality。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　237。

Density　is　at　first　only　a　simple　determinacy。　The　simple　determinacy　is；　however；　essentially　a
determination　of　form　as　a　unity　split　apart　from　itself。　Thus　it　constitutes　the　principle　of
brittleness；　the　shaping　relation　of　its　consistently　maintained　points。　

The　previously　mentioned　particles；　molecules　of　matter；　are　an　external　determination　of
reflection。　The　real　significance　of　the　determination　of　the　unit　is　that　it　is　the　immanent　form　of
shaping。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　238。

The　brittle　is　the　subjective　entity　existing　for　itself　but　it　must　deploy　the　difference　of　the　concept。
The　point　becomes　the　line　and　posits　itself　as　an　opposed　extreme　to　the　line；　the　two　are　held　by
their　middle　term　and　point　of　indifference　in　their　antithesis。　This　syllogism　constitutes　the　principle
of　shaping　in　its　developed　determinacy；　and　is；　in　this　abstract　rigour；　magnetism。　

Magnetism　is　one　of　the　determinations　which　inevitably　became　prominent　when　thought　began　to
recognise　itself　in　determinate　nature　and　grasped　the　idea　of　a　philosophy　of　nature。　For　the
magnet　exhibits　in　a　simple；　naive　way　the　nature　of　the　concept。　The　poles　are　not　particular
things；　they　do　not　possess　sensory；　mechanical　reality；　but　rather　an　ideal　reality；　the　point　of
indifference；　in　which　they　have　their　substance；　is　the　unity　in　which　they　exist　only　as
determinations　of　the　concept；　and　the　polarity　is　an　opposition　of　only　such　moments。　The
phenomena　revealed　by　magnetism　as　merely　particular　are　merely　and　repeatedly　the　same
determinations；　and　not　diverse　features　which　could　add　data　to　a　description。　That　the　individual
magnetic　needle　points　to　the　north；　and　thus　to　the　south　as　well；　is　a　manifestation　of　general
terrestrial　magnetism：　in　two　such　empirical　magnets　the　poles　named　similarly　repel　each　other；
whereas　the　poles　named　differently　attract。　And　precisely　this　is　magnetism；　namely；　that　the　same
or　indifferent　will　split　apart　and　oppose　each　other　in　the　extreme；　and　the　dissimilar　or　different
will　posit　its　indifference。　The　differently　named　poles　have　even　been　called　friendly；　and　the
similarly　named　poles　have　been　called　hostile。　

The　statement；　however；　that　all　bodies　are　magnetic　has　an　unfortunate　double　meaning。　The
correct　meaning　is　that　all　real；　and　not　merely　brittle；　figures　contain　this　concept；　but　the　incorrect
meaning　is　that　all　bodies　also　have　this　principle　implicitly　in　its　rigorous　abstraction；　as　magnetism。
It　would　be　an　unphilosophical　thought　to　want　to　show　that　a　form　of　the　concept　is　at　hand　in
nature；　and　that　it　exists　universally　in　its　determinacy　as　an　abstraction。　For　nature　is　rather　the
idea　in　the　element　of　being　apart　from　itself　so　that；　like　the　understanding；　it　retains　the　moments
of　the　concept　as　dispersed　and　depicts　them　so　in　reality；　but　in　the　higher　organic　things　the
differentiated　forms　of　the　concept　are　unified　as　the　highest　concretion。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　239。

At　the　opposite　end　from　magnetism；　which　as　linear　spatiality　and　the　ideal　contrast　of　extremes　is
the　abstract　concept　of　the　shape；　stands　its　abstract　totality　the　sphere；　the　shape　of　the　real
absence　of　shape；　of　fluid　indeterminacy；　and　of　the　indifferent　elasticity　of　the　parts。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　240。

Between　the　two　actually　shapeless　extremes　contained　within　magnetism　as　the　abstract　concept
of　the　figure　there　appears；　as　an　immanent　form　of　juxtaposition　distinct　from　that　determined　by
gravity；　a　kind　of　magnetism　transformed　into　total　corporeality；　cohesion。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　241。

The　common　understanding　of　cohesion　merely　refers　to　the　individual　moment　of　quantitative
strength　of　the　connection　between　the　parts　of　a　body。　Concrete　cohesion　is　the　immanent　form
and　determinacy　of　this　connection；　and　comprehends　both　external　crystallisations　and　the
fragmentary　shapes　or　central　shapes；　crystallisation　which　displays　itself　inwardly　in　transparent
movement。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　242。

Through　external　crystallisation　the　individual　body　is　sealed　off　as　an　individual　against　others；　and
capable　of　a　mechanical　process　with　them。　As　an　inwardly　formed　entity　the　body　specifies　this
process　in　terms　of　its　behaviour　as　a　merely　general　mass。　In　terms　of　its　elasticity；　hardness；
softness；　viscosity；　and　abilities　to　extend　or　to　burst；　the　body　retains　its　individual　determinacy　in
resistance　to　external　force。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　243。

As　density；　however；　is　at　first　only　simple　determinacy　by　virtue　of　the　relation　of　volume　to　mass；
cohesion　is　this　simplicity　as　the　selfhood　of　individuality。　The　self…preservation　of　the　body　during
the　vibration　from　a　mechanical　force　is；　therefore；　also　an　emergence　of　its　individual；　pure
ideality；　its　characteristic　motion　in　itself　through　its　whole　cohesion。　It　is　the　specific　determination
of　its　ideal　externality　in　itself　through　its　self…identified　time。　In　this　vibration；　the　product　of　real
force　and　external　pressure　which　the　body　survives　in　the　form　of　its　specified　ideality；　this　simple
form　achieves　independent　existence。　

But　entities　without　cohesion　—　which　are　inflexible　and　fluid　are　without　resonance　and　in　their
resistance；　which　is　merely　an　external　vibration；　make　only　a　noise。