shorter logic-第51章

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ascertain　the　inner　of　all　existence。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　119
Difference　implicit　is　essential　difference；　the　Positive　and　the　negative：　and　that
is　this　way。　The　Positive　is　the　identical　self…relation　in　such　a　way　as　not　to　be
the　Negative；　and　the　Negative　is　the　different　by　itself　so　as　not　to　be　the
Positive。　Thus　either　has　an　existence　of　its　own　in　proportion　as　it　is　not　the
other。　The　one　is　made　visible　in　the　other；　and　is　only　in　so　far　as　that　other　is。
Essential　difference　is　therefore　Opposition；　according　to　which　the　different　is
not　confronted　by　any　other　but　by　its　other。　That　is；　either　of　these　two　（Positive
and　Negative）　is　stamped　with　a　characteristic　of　its　own　only　in　its　relation　to　the
other：　the　one　is　only　reflected　into　itself　as　it　is　reflected　into　the　other。　And　so
with　the　other。　Either　in　this　way　is　the　other's　own　other。　

Difference　implicit　or　essential　gives　the　maxim；　Everything　is　essentially　distinct；
or；　as　it　has　also　been　expressed；　Of　two　opposite　predicates　the　one　only　can　be
assigned　to　anything；　and　there　is　no　third　possible。　This　maxim　of　Contrast　or
Opposition　most　expressly　controverts　the　maxim　of　identity：　the　one　says　a　thing
should　be　only　self…relation；　the　other　says　it　must　be　an　opposite；　a　relation　to　its
other。　The　native　unintelligence　of　abstraction　betrays　itself　by　setting　in
juxtaposition　two　contrary　maxims；　like　these；　as　laws；　without　even　so　much　as
comparing　them。　The　Maxim　of　Excluded　Middle　is　the　maxim　of　the　definite
understanding；　which　would　fain　avoid　contradiction；　but　in　so　doing　falls　into　it。
A　must　be　either　＋A　or　…A；　it　says。　It　virtually　declares　in　these　words　a　third　A
which　is　neither　＋　nor　…；　and　which　at　the　same　time　is　yet　invested　with　＋　and　…
characters。　。　。　。　

。　。　。　Identity　and　Opposition　are　themselves　opposed；　and　the　maxim　of
Opposition　was　taken　even　for　that　of　Identity；　in　the　shape　of　the　principle　of
Contradiction。　A　notion；　which　possesses　neither　or　both　of　two　mutually
contradictory　marks；　e。g。　a　quadrangular　circle；　is　held　to　be　logically　false。　Now
though　a　multiangular　circle　and　a　rectilinear　arc　no　less　contradict　this　maxim；
geometers　never　hesitate　to　treat　the　circle　as　a　polygon　with　rectilineal　sides。　But
anything　like　a　circle　（that　is　to　say　its　mere　character　or　nominal　definition）　is　still
no　notion。　In　the　notion　of　a　circle；　centre　and　circumference　are　equally
essential；　both　marks　belong　to　it；　and　yet　centre　and　circumference　are　opposite
and　contradictory　to　each　other。　

The　conception　of　Polarity；　which　is　so　dominant　in　Physics；　contains　by
implication　the　more　correct　definition　of　Opposition。　But　physics　for　its　theory　of
the　laws　of　thought　adheres　to　the　ordinary　logic；　it　might　therefore　well　be
horrified　in　case　it　should　ever　work　out　the　conception　of　Polarity；　and　get　at　the
thoughts　which　are　implied　in　it。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　119n
（1）　With　the　positive　we　return　to　identity；　but　in　its　higher　truth　as　identical　self…relation；　and　at　the
same　time　with　the　note　that　it　is　not　the　negative。　The　negative　per　se　is　the　same　as　difference
itself。　The　identical　as　such　is　primarily　the　yet　uncharacterised：　the　positive　on　the　other　hand　is
what　is　self…identical；　but　with　the　mark　of　antithesis　to　an　other。　And　the　negative　is　difference　as
such；　characterised　as　not　identity。　This　is　the　difference　of　difference　within　its　own　self。　

Positive　and　negative　are　supposed　to　express　an　absolute　difference。　The　two　however　are　at
bottom　the　same：　the　name　of　either　might　be　transferred　to　the　other。　Thus；　for　example；　debts
and　assets　are　not　two　particular；　self…subsisting　species　of　property。　What　is　negative　to　the
debtor　is　positive　to　the　creditor。　A　way　to　the　east　is　also　a　way　to　the　west。　Positive　and
negative　are　therefore　intrinsically　conditioned　by　one　another；　and　are　only　in　relation　to　each
other。　The　north　pole　of　the　magnet　cannot　be　without　the　south　pole；　and　vice　versa。　If　we　cut　a
magnet　in　two；　we　have　not　a　north　pole　in　one　piece；　and　a　south　pole　in　the　other。　Similar；　in
electricity；　the　positive　and　the　negative　are　not　two　diverse　and　independent　fluids。　In　opposition；
the　different　is　not　confronted　by　an　other；　but　by　its　other。　

Usually　we　regard　different　things　as　unaffected　by　each　other。　Thus　we　say：　I　am　a　human　being；
and　around　me　are　air；　water；　animals；　and　all　sorts　of　things。　Everything　is　thus　put　outside　of
every　other。　But　the　aim　of　philosophy　is　to　banish　indifference；　and　to　ascertain　the　necessity　of
things。　By　that　means　the　other　is　seen　to　stand　over　against　its　other。　Thus；　for　example；　inorganic
nature　is　not　to　be　considered　merely　something　else　than　organic　nature；　but　the　necessary
antithesis　of　it。　Both　are　in　essential　relation　to　one　another；　and　the　one　of　the　two　is；　only　in　so　far
as　it　excludes　the　other　from　it；　and　thus　relates　itself　thereto。　Nature　in　like　manner　is　not　without
mind；　nor　mind　without　nature。　An　important　step　has　been　taken；　when　we　cease　in　thinking　to
use　phrases　like：　Of　course　something　else　is　also　possible。　While　we　speak；　we　are　still　tainted
with　contingency：　and　all　true　thinking；　we　have　already　said；　is　a　thinking　of　necessity。　

In　modern　physical　science　the　opposition；　first　observed　to　exist　in　magnetism　as　polarity；　has
come　to　be　regarded　as　a　universal　law　pervading　the　whole　of　nature。　This　would　be　a　real
scientific　advance；　if　care　were　at　the　same　time　taken　not　to　let　mere　variety　revert　without
explanation；　as　a　valid　category；　side　by　side　with　opposition。　Thus　at　one　time　the　colours　are
regarded　as　in　polar　opposition　to　one　another；　and　called　complementary　colours：　at　another　time
they　are　looked　at　in　their　indifferent　and　merely　quantitative　difference　of　red；　yellow；　green；　etc。　

（2）　Instead　of　speaking　by　the　maxim　of　Excluded　Middle　（which　is　the　maxim　of　abstract
understanding）　we　should　rather　say：　Everything　is　opposite。　Neither　in　heaven　nor　in　Earth；　neither
in　the　world　of　mind　nor　of　nature；　is　there　anywhere　such　an　abstract　'either…or'　as　the
understanding　maintains。　Whatever　exists　is　concrete；　with　difference　and　opposition　in　itself。　The
finitude　of　things　will　then　lie　in　the　want　of　correspondence　between　their　immediate　being；　and
what　they　essentially　are。　Thus；　in　inorganic　nature；　the　acid　is　implicitly　at　the　same　time　the　base：
in　other　words；　its　only　being　consists　in　its　relation　to　its　other。　Hence　also　the　acid　is　not
something　that　persists　quietly　in　the　contrast：　it　is　always　in　effort　to　realise　what　it　potentially　is。　

Contradiction　is　the　very　moving　principle　of　the　world：　and　it　is　ridiculous　to　say　that　contradiction
is　unthinkable。　The　only　thing　correct　in　that　statement　is　that　contradiction　is　not　the　end　of　the
matter；　but　cancels　itself。　But　contradiction；　when　cancelled；　does　not　leave　abstract　identity；　for
that　is　itself　only　one　side　of　the　contrariety。　The　proximate　result　of　opposition　（when　realised　as
contradiction）　is　the　Ground；　which　contains　identity　as　well　as　difference　superseded　and
deposited　to　elements　in　the　completer　notion。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　120
Contrariety　then　has　two　forms。　The　Positive　is　the　aforesaid　various　（different）
which　is　understood　to　be　independent；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　not　to　be
unaffected　by　its　relation　to　its　other。　The　Negative　is　to　be；　no　less
independently；　negative　self…relating；　self…subsistent；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　as
Negative　must　on　every　point　have　this　its　self…relation；　i。e。　its　Positive；　only　in
the　other。　Both　Positive　and　Negative　are　therefore　explicit　contradiction；　both　are
potentially　the　same。　Both　are　so　actually　also；　since　either　is　the　abrogation　of　the
other　and　of　itself。　Thus　they　fall　to　the　Ground。　Or　as　is　plain；　the　essential
difference；　as　a　difference；　is　only　the　difference　of　it　from　itself；　and　thus
contains　the　identical：　so　that　to　essential　and　actual　difference　there　belongs　itself
as　well　as　identity。　As　self…relating　difference　it　is　likewise　virtually　enunciated　as
the　sel