shorter logic-第49章

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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；　which　contains　Being　and　its
characteristics　ideally　transfigured　in　it；　with　an　abstract　Identity；　identity　of　bare　form。　All　the
charges　of　narrowness；　hardness；　meaninglessness；　which　are　so　often　directed　against　thought
from　the　quarter　of　feeling　and　immediate　perception　rest　on　the　perverse　assumption　that　thought
acts　only　as　a　faculty　of　abstract　Identification。　The　Formal　Logic　itself　confirms　this　assumption　by
laying　down　the　supreme　law　of　thought　（so…called）　which　has　been　discussed　above。　If　thinking
were　no　more　than　an　abstract　Identity；　we　could　not　but　own　it　to　be　a　most　futile　and　tedious
business。　No　doubt　the　notion；　and　the　idea　too；　are　identical　with　themselves：　but　identical　only　in
so　far　as　they　at　the　same　time　involve　distinction。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（ii）　Difference
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　116
Essence　is　mere　Identity　and　reflection　in　itself　only　as　it　is　self…relating　negativity；
and　in　that　way　self…repulsion。　It　contains　therefore　essentially　the　characteristic
of　Difference。　

Other…being　is　here　no　longer　qualitative；　taking　the　shape　of　the　character　or
limit。　It　is　now　in　essence；　in　self…relating　essence；　and　therefore　the　negation　is　at
the　same　time　a　relation　…　is；　in　short；　Distinction；　Relativity；　Mediation。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　116n
To　ask　'How　Identity　comes　to　Difference'　assumes　that　Identity　as　mere　abstract　Identity　is
something　of　itself；　and　Difference　also　something　else　equally　independent。　This　supposition
renders　an　answer　to　the　question　impossible。　If　Identity　is　viewed　as　diverse　from　Difference；　all
that　we　have　in　this　way　is　but　Difference；　and　hence　we　cannot　demonstrate　the　advance　to
difference；　because　the　person　who　asks　for　the　How　of　the　progress　thereby　implies　that　for　him
the　starting…point　is　non…existent。　The　question　then　when　put　to　the　test　has　obviously　no　meaning；
and　its　proposer　may　be　met　with　the　question　what　he　means　by　Identity；　whereupon　we　should
soon