shorter logic-第75章

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in　short；　is　a　contradiction　of　its　self…identity　against　the　negation　stated　in　it；　i。e。
its　antithesis　to　objectivity；　and　being　so；　contains　the　eliminative　or　destructive
activity　which　negates　the　antithesis　and　renders　it　identical　with　itself。　This　is　the
realisation　of　the　End：　in　which；　while　it　turns　itself　into　the　other　of　its
subjectivity　and　objectifies　itself；　thus　cancelling　the　distinction　between　the　two；
it　has　only　closed　with　itself；　and　retained　itself。　

The　notion　of　Design　or　End；　while　on　one　hand　called　redundant；　is　on　another
justly　described　as　the　rational　notion；　and　contrasted　with　the　abstract　universal
of　understanding。　The　latter　only　subsumes　the　particular；　and　so　connects　it　with
itself：　but　has　it　not　in　its　own　nature。　The　distinction　between　the　End　or　final
cause；　and　the　mere　efficient　cause　（which　is　the　cause　ordinarily　so　called）；　is　of
supreme　importance。　Causes；　properly　so　called；　belong　to　the　sphere　of
necessity；　blind；　and　not　yet　laid　bare。　The　cause　therefore　appears　as　passing　into
its　correlative；　and　losing　its　primordiality　thereby　sinking　into　dependency。　It　is
only　by　implication；　or　for　us；　that　the　cause　is　in　the　effect　made　for　the　first
time　a　cause；　and　that　it　there　returns　into　itself。　The　End；　on　the　other　hand；　is
expressly　stated　as　containing　the　specific　character　in　its　own　self　…　the　effect；
namely；　which　in　the　purely　causal　relation　is　never　free　from　otherness。　The　End
therefore　in　its　efficiency　does　not　pass　over；　but　retains　itself；　i。e。　it　carries　into
effect　itself　only；　and　is　at　the　end　what　it　was　in　the　beginning　or　primordial　state。
Until　it　thus　retains　itself；　it　is　not　genuinely　primordial。　The　End　then　requires　to
be　speculatively　apprehended　as　the　notion；　which　itself　in　the　proper　unity　and
ideality　of　its　characteristics　contains　the　judgement　or　negation　…　the　antithesis　of
subjective　and　objective　…　and　which　to　an　equal　extent　suspends　that　antithesis。　

By　End　however　we　must　not　at　once；　nor　must　we　ever　merely；　think　of　the
form　which　it　has　in　consciousness　as　a　mode　of　mere　mental　representation。　By
means　of　the　notion　of　Inner　Design　Kant　has　resuscitated　the　Idea　in　general
and　particularly　the　idea　of　life。　Aristotle's　definition　of　life　virtually　implies　inner
design；　and　is　thus　far　in　advance　of　the　notion　of　design　in　modern　Teleology；
which　had　in　view　finite　and　outward　design　only。

Animal　wants　and　appetites　are　some　of　the　readiest　instances　of　the　End。　They
are　the　felt　contradiction；　which　exists　within　the　living　subject；　and　pass　into　the
activity　of　negating　this　negation　which　mere　subjectivity　still　is。　The　satisfaction
of　the　want　or　appetite　restores　the　peace　between　subject　and　object。　The
objective　thing　which；　so　long　as　the　contradiction　exists；　i。e。　so　long　as　the　want
is　felt；　stands　on　the　other　side；　loses　this　quasi…independence；　by　its　union　with
the　subject。　Those　who　talk　of　the　permanence　and　immutability　of　the　finite；　as
well　subjective　as　objective；　may　see　the　reverse　illustrated　in　the　operations　of
every　appetite。　Appetite　is；　so　to　speak；　the　conviction　that　the　subjective　is　only　a
half…truth；　no　more　adequate　than　the　objective。　But　appetite　in　the　second　place
carries　out　its　conviction。　It　brings　about　the　supersession　of　these　finites：　it
cancels　the　antithesis　between　the　objective　which　would　be　and　stay　an　objective
only；　and　the　subjective　which　in　like　manner　would　be　and　stay　a　subjective
only。　

As　regards　the　action　of　the　End；　attention　may　be　called　to　the　fact；　that　in　the
syllogism；　which　represents　that　action；　and　shows　the　end　closing　with　itself　by
the　means　of　realisation；　the　radical　feature　is　the　negation　of　the　termini　That
negation　is　the　one　just　mentioned　both　of　the　immediate　subjectivity　appearing　in
the　End　as　such；　and　of　the　immediate　objectivity　as　seen　in　the　means　and　the
objects　presupposed。　This　is　the　same　negation　as　is　in　operation　when　the　mind
leaves　the　contingent　things　of　the　world　as　well　as　its　own　subjectivity　and　rises
to　God。　It　is　the　'moment'　or　factor　which　（as　noticed　in　the　Introduction　and　§
192）　was　overlooked　and　neglected　in　the　analytic　form　of　syllogisms；　under
which　the　so…called　proofs　of　the　Being　of　a　God　presented　this　elevation。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　205

In　its　primary　and　immediate　aspect　the　Teleological　relation　is　external　design；
and　the　notion　confronts　a　presupposed　object。　The　End　is　consequently　finite；
and　that　partly　in　its　content；　partly　in　the　circumstance　that　it　has　an　external
condition　in　the　object；　which　has　to　be　found　existing；　and　which　is　taken　as
material　for　its　realisation。　Its　self…determining　is　to　that　extent　in　form　only。　The
unmediatedness　of　the　End　has　the　further　result　that　its　particularity　or　content　…
which　as　form…characteristic　is　the　subjectivity　of　the　End　…　is　reflected　into　self；
and　so　different　from　the　totality　of　the　form；　subjectivity　in　general；　the　notion。
This　variety　constitutes　the　finitude　of　Design　within　its　own　nature。　The　content
of　the　End；　in　this　way；　is　quite　as　limited；　contingent；　and　given；　as　the　object　is
particular　and　found　ready　to　hand。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　205n

Generally　speaking；　the　final　cause　is　taken　to　mean　nothing　more　than　external　design。　In
accordance　with　this　view　of　it；　things　are　supposed　not　to　carry　their　vocation　in　themselves；　but
merely　to　be　means　employed　and　spent　in　realising　a　purpose　which　lies　outside　of　them。　That
may　be　said　to　be　the　point　of　view　taken　by　Utility；　which　once　played　a　great　part　even　in　the
sciences；　but　of　late　has　fallen　into　merited　disrepute；　now　that　people　have　begun　to　see　that　it
failed　to　give　a　genuine　insight　into　the　nature　of　things。　It　is　true　that　finite　things　as　finite　ought　in
justice　to　be　viewed　as　non…ultimate；　and　as　pointing　beyond　themselves。　This　negativity　of　finite
things　however　is　their　own　dialectic；　and　in　order　to　ascertain　it　we　must　pay　attention　to　their
positive　content。　

Teleological　observations　on　things　often　proceed　from　a　well…meant　wish　to　display　the　wisdom
of　God　as　it　is　especially　revealed　in　nature。　Now　in　thus　trying　to　discover　final　causes　for　which
the　things　serve　as　means；　we　must　remember　that　we　are　stopping　short　at　the　finite；　and　are
liable　to　fall　into　trifling　reflections：　as；　for　instance；　if　we　not　merely　studied　the　vine　in　respect　of
its　well…known　use　for　man；　but　proceeded　to　consider　the　cork…tree　in　connection　with　the　corks
which　are　cut　from　its　bark　to　put　into　the　wine…bottles。　Whole　books　used　to　be　written　in　this
spirit。　It　is　easy　to　see　that　they　promoted　the　genuine　interest　neither　of　religion　nor　of　science。
External　design　stands　immediately　in　front　of　the　idea：　but　what　thus　stands　on　the　threshold　often
for　that　reason　is　least　adequate。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　206

The　teleological　relation　is　a　syllogism　in　which　the　subjective　end　coalesces　with
the　objectivity　external　to　it；　through　a　middle　term　which　is　the　unity　of　both。
This　unity　is　on　one　hand　the　purposive　action；　on　the　other　the　Means；　i。e。
objectivity　made　directly　subservient　to　purpose。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　206n

The　development　from　End　to　Idea　ensues　by　three　stages；　first；　Subjective　End；　second；　End　in
process　of　accomplishment；　and　third；　End　accomplished。　First　of　all　we　have　the　Subjective　End；
and　that；　as　the　notion　in　independent　being；　is　itself　the　totality　of　the　elementary　functions　of　the
notion。　The　first　of　these　functions　is　that　of　self…identical　universality；　as　it　were　the　neutral　first
water；　in　which　everything　is　involved；　but　nothing　as　yet　discriminated。　The　second　of　these
elements　is　the　particularising　of　this　universal；　by　which　it　acquires　a　specific　content。　As　this
specific　content　again　is　realised　by　the　agency　of　the　universal；　the　latter　returns　by　its　means　back
to　itself；　and　coalesces　with　itself。　Hence　too　when　we　set　some　end　before　us；　we　say　that　we
'conclude'　to　do　something：　a　phrase　which　implies　that　we　were；　so　to　spea