shorter logic-第47章

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cart…wheel。　The　same　vagueness　of　measure　appears　in　several　plants；　which　stand　on　a　low　level
of　organic　development　…　for　instance　ferns。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§108

In　so　far　as　in　Measure　quality　and　quantity　are　only　in　immediate　unity；　to　that
extent　their　difference　presents　itself　in　a　manner　equally　immediate。　Two　cases
are　then　possible。　Either　the　specific　quantum　or　measure　is　a　bare　quantum；　and
the　definite　being　（there…and…then）　is　capable　of　an　increase　or　a　diminution；
without　Measure　（which　to　that　extent　is　a　Rule）　being　thereby　set　completely
aside。　Or　the　alteration　of　the　quantum　is　also　an　alteration　of　the　quality。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　108n
The　identity　between　quantity　and　quality；　which　is　found　in　Measure；　is　at　first　only　implicit；　and
not　yet　explicitly　realised。　In　other　words；　these　two　categories；　which　unite　in　Measure；　each
claim　an　independent　authority。　On　the　one　hand；　the　quantitative　features　of　existence　may　be
altered；　without　affecting　its　quality。　On　the　other　hand；　this　increase　and　diminution；　immaterial
though　it　be；　has　its　limit；　by　exceeding　which　the　quality　suffers　change。　Thus　the　temperature　of
water　is；　in　the　first　place；　a　point　of　no　consequence　in　respect　of　its　liquidity：　still　with　the　increase
of　diminution　of　the　temperature　of　the　liquid　water；　there　comes　a　point　where　this　state　of
cohesion　suffers　a　qualitative　change；　and　the　water　is　converted　into　steam　or　ice。　A　quantitative
change　takes　place；　apparently　without　any　further　significance：　but　there　is　something　lurking
behind；　and　a　seemingly　innocent　change　of　quantity　acts　as　a　kind　of　snare；　to　catch　hold　of　the
quality。　The　antinomy　of　Measure　which　this　implies　was　exemplified　under　more　than　one　garb
among　the　Greeks。　It　was　asked；　for　example；　whether　a　single　grain　makes　a　heap　of　wheat；　or
whether　it　makes　a　bald…tail　to　tear　out　a　single　hair　from　the　horse's　tail。　At　first；　no　doubt；　looking
at　the　nature　of　quantity　as　an　indifferent　and　external　character　of　being；　we　are　disposed　to
answer　these　questions　in　the　negative。　And　yet；　as　we　must　admit；　this　indifferent　increase　and
diminution　has　its　limit：　a　point　is　finally　reached；　where　a　single　additional　grain　makes　a　heap　of
wheat；　and　the　bald…tail　is　produced；　if　we　continue　plucking　out　single　hairs。　These　examples　find
a　parallel　in　the　story　of　the　peasant　who；　as　his　ass　trudged　cheerfully　along；　went　on　adding
ounce　after　ounce　to　its　load；　till　at　length　it　sunk　under　the　unendurable　burden。　It　would　be　a
mistake　to　treat　these　examples　as　pedantic　futility；　they　really　turn　on　thoughts；　an　acquaintance
with　which　is　of　great　importance　in　practical　life；　especially　in　ethics。　Thus　in　the　matter　of
expenditure；　there　is　a　certain　latitude　within　which　a　more　or　less　does　not　matter；　but　when　the
Measure；　imposed　by　the　individual　circumstances　of　the　special　case；　is　exceeded　on　the　one　side
or　the　other；　the　qualitative　nature　of　Measure　（as　in　the　above　examples　of　the　different
temperature　of　water）　makes　itself　felt；　and　a　course；　which　a　moment　before　was　held　good
economy；　turns　into　avarice　or　prodigality。　The　same　principles　may　be　applied　in　politics；　when
the　constitution　of　a　state　has　to　be　looked　at　as　independent　of；　no　less　than　as　dependent　on；　the
extent　of　its　territory；　the　number　of　its　inhabitants；　and　other　quantitative　points　of　the　same　kind。
If　we　look；　e。g。　at　a　state　with　a　territory　of　ten　thousand　square　miles　and　a　population　of　four
millions　we　should；　without　hesitation；　admit　that　a　few　square　miles　of　land　or　a　few　thousand
inhabitants　more　or　less　could　exercise　no　essential　influence　on　the　character　of　its　constitution。
But　on　the　other　hand；　we　must　not　forget　that　by　the　continual　increase　or　diminishing　of　a　state；
we　finally　get　to　a　point　where；　apart　from　all　other　circumstances；　this　quantitative　alteration　alone
necessarily　draws　with　it　an　alteration　in　the　quality　of　the　constitution。　The　constitution　of　a　little
Swiss　canton　does　not　suit　a　great　kingdom；　and；　similarly；　the　constitution　of　the　Roman　republic
was　unsuitable　when　transferred　to　the　small　imperial　towns　of　Germany。　
？



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§109

In　this　case；　when　a　measure　through　its　quantitative　nature　has　gone　in　excess　of
its　qualitative　character；　we　meet　what　is　at　first　an　absence　of　measure；　the
Measureless。　But　seeing　that　the　second　quantitative　ratio；　which　in　comparison
with　the　first　is　measureless；　is　none　the　less　qualitative；　the　measureless　is　also　a
measure。　These　two　transitions；　from　quality　to　quantum；　and　from　the　latter
back　again　to　quality；　may　be　represented　under　the　image　of　an　infinite
progression…as　the　self…abrogation　and　restoration　of　measure　in　the　measureless。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§109n

Quantity；　as　we　have　seen；　is　not　only　capable　of　alteration；　i。e。　of　increase　or　diminution：　it　is
naturally　and　necessarily　a　tendency　to　exceed　itself。　This　tendency　is　maintained　even　in　measure。
But　if　the　quantity　present　in　measure　exceeds　a　certain　limit；　the　quality　corresponding　to　it　is　also
put　in　abeyance。　This　however　is　not　a　negation　of　quality　altogether；　but　only　of　this　definite
quality；　the　place　of　which　is　at　once　occupied　by　another。　This　process　of　measure；　which
appears　alternately　as　a　mere　change　in　quantity；　and　then　as　a　sudden　revulsion　of　quantity　into
quality；　may　be　envisaged　under　the　figure　of　a　nodal　（knotted）　line。　Such　lines　we　find　in　Nature
under　a　variety　of　forms。　We　have　already　referred　to　the　qualitatively　different　states　of
aggregation　water　exhibits　under　increase　or　diminution　of　temperature。　The　same　phenomenon　is
presented　by　the　different　degrees　in　the　oxidation　of　metals。　Even　the　difference　of　musical　notes
may　be　regarded　as　an　example　of　what　takes　place　in　the　process　of　measure　the　revulsion　from
what　is　at　first　merely　quantitative　into　qualitative　alteration。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§110

What　really　takes　place　here　is　that　the　immediacy；　which　still　attaches　to　measure
as　such；　is　set　aside。　In　measure；　at　first；　quality　and　quantity　itself　are　immediate；
and　measure　is　only　their　'relative'　identity。　But　measure　shows　itself　absorbed
and　superseded　in　the　measureless：　yet　the　measureless；　although　it　be　the
negation　of　measure；　is　itself　a　unity　of　quantity　and　quality。　Thus　in　the
measureless　the　measure　is　still　seen　to　meet　only　with　itself。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§111

Instead　of　the　more　abstract　factors；　Being　and　Nothing；　some　and　other；　etc。；　the
Infinite；　which　is　affirmation　as　a　negation　of　negation；　now　finds　its　factors　in
quality　and　quantity。　These　（a）　have　in　the　first　place　passed　over　quality　into
quantity　（§　98）；　and　quantity　into　quality　（§　105）；　and　thus　are　both　shown　up　as
negations。　（p）　But　in　their　unity；　that　is；　in　measure；　they　are　originally　distinct；
and　the　one　is　only　through　the　instrumentality　of　the　other。　And　（；y）　after　the
immediacy　of　this　unity　has　turned　out　to　be　self…annulling；　the　unity　is　explicitly
put　as　what　it　implicitly　is；　simple　relation…to…self；　which　contains　in　it　being　and
all　its　forms　absorbed。　Being　or　immediacy；　which　by　the　negation　of　itself　is　a
mediation　with　self　and　a　reference　to　self…which　consequently　is　also　a　mediation
which　cancels　itself　into　reference　to…self；　or　immediacy…is　Essence。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　111n
The　process　of　measure；　instead　of　being　only　the　wrong　infinite　of　an　endless　progression；　in　the
shape　of　an　ever…recurrent　recoil　from　quality　to　quantity　and　from　quantity　to　quality；　is　also　a　true
infinity　of　coincidence　with　self　in　other。　In　measure；　quality　and　quantity　originally　confront　each
other；　like　some　and　other。　But　quality　is　implicitly　quantity　and　conversely　quantity　is　implicitly
quality。　In　the　process　of　measure；　therefore；　these　two　pass　into　each　other：　each　of　them
becomes　what　it　already　was　implicitly：　and　thus　we　get　Being　thrown　into　abeyance　and
absorbed；　with　its　several　characteristics　negatived。　Such　Be