science of logic-第24章

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of　magnitude。

It　is　through　a　more　or　less　that　the　measure　of　frivolity　or　thoughtlessness　is　exceeded　and
something　quite　different　comes　about；　namely　crime；　and　thus　right　becomes　wrong　and　virtue
vice。　Thus　states；　too；　acquire　through　their　quantitative　difference；　other　things　being　assumed
equal；　a　distinct　qualitative　character。　With　the　expansion　of　the　state　and　an　increased　number　of
citizens；　the　laws　and　the　constitution　acquire　a　different　significance。　The　state　has　its　own
measure　of　magnitude　and　when　this　is　exceeded　this　mere　change　of　size　renders　it　liable　to
instability　and　disruption　under　that　same　constitution　which　was　its　good　fortune　and　its　strength
before　its　expansion。

C　The　Measureless

Chapter　3：　The　Becoming　of　Essence

A　Absolute　Indifference

B　Indifference　as　an　Inverse　Ratio　of　its　Factors

Remark：　Centripetal　and　Centrfugal　Force

C　Transition　into　Essence

Absolute　indifference　is　the　final　determination　of　being　before　it　becomes　essence；　but　it　does　not
attain　to　essence。　It　reveals　itself　as　still　belonging　to　the　sphere　of　being　through　the　fact　that；
determined　as　indifferent；　it　still　contains　difference　as　an　external；　quantitative　determination；　this
is　its　determinate　being；　contrasted　with　which　absolute　indifference　is　determined　as　being　only
implicitly　the　absolute；　not　the　absolute　grasped　as　actuality。　In　other　words；　it　is　external
reflection　which　stops　short　at　conceiving　the　differences　in　themselves　or　in　the　absolute　as　one
and　the　same；　thinking　of　them　as　only　indifferently　distinguished；　not　as　intrinsically　distinct　from
one　another。　The　further　step　which　requires　to　be　made　here　is　to　grasp　that　this　reflection　of　the
differences　into　their　unity　is　not　merely　the　product　of　the　external　reflection　of　the　subjective
thinker；　but　that　it　is　the　very　nature　of　the　differences　of　this　unity　to　sublate　themselves；　with　the
result　that　their　unity　proves　to　be　absolute　negativity；　its　indifference　to　be　just　as　much　indifferent
to　itself；　to　its　own　indifference；　as　it　is　indifferent　to　otherness。

But　we　are　already　familiar　with　this　self…sublating　of　the　determination　of　indifference；　in　the
development　of　its　positedness；　this　determination　has　shown　itself　to　be　from　every　aspect　a
contradiction。　It　is　in　itself　the　totality　in　which　every　determination　of　being　is　sublated　and
contained；　it　is　thus　the　substrate；　but　at　first　only　in　the　one…sided　determination　of　the　in…itself；
and　consequently　the　differences；　namely；　the　quantitative　difference　and　the　inverse　ratio　of
factors；　are　present　in　it　only　in　an　external　manner。　As　thus　the　contradiction　of　itself　and　its
determinedness；　of　its　implicit　determination　and　its　posited　determinateness；　it　is　the　negative
totality　whose　determinatenesses　have　sublated　themselves　in　themselves　and　in　so　doing　have
sublated　this　fundamental　one…sidedness　of　theirs；　their　＇merely＇　implicit　being　＇Ansichsein＇。　The
result　is　that　indifference　is　now　posited　as　what　it　in　fact　is；　namely　a　simple　and　infinite；　negative
relation…to…self；　its　inherent　incompatibility　with　itself；　a　repelling　of　itself　from　itself。　The　process　of
determining　and　being　determined　is　not　a　transition；　nor　an　external　alteration；　nor　an　emergence
of　determinations　in　the　indifference；　but　is　its　own　self…relating　which　is　the　negativity　of　itself；　of　its
＇merely＇　implicit　being。

Now　these　repelled　determinations　do　not　possess　themselves；　do　not　emerge　as　self…subsistent　or
external　determinations；　but　first；　as　moments　belonging　to　the　implicit　unity；　they　are　not
expelled　from　it　but　are　borne　by　it　as　the　substrate　and　are　filled　solely　by　it；　secondly；　as
determinations　which　are　immanent　in　the　explicated　unity；　they　are　only　through　their　repulsion
from　themselves。　The　being　of　the　determinations　is　no　longer　simply　。affirmative　as　in　the　entire
sphere　of　being；　but　is　now　a　sheer　positedness；　the　determinations　having　the　fixed　character　and
significance　of　being　related　to　their　unity；　each　consequently　being　related　to　its　other　and　with
negation；　this　is　the　mark　of　their　relativity。

Thus　we　see　that　being　in　general　and　the　being　or　immediacy　of　the　distinct　determinatenesses；　no
less　than　the　implicit　being；　has　vanished　and　the　unity　is　being；　an　immediate　presupposed
totality　such　that　it　is　this　simple　self…relation　only　as　a　result　of　the　sublating　of　this
presupposition；　and　this　presupposedness　and　immediate　being　is　itself　only　a　moment　of　its
repelling；　the　original　self…subsistence　and　self…Identity　is　only　as　the　resulting　coming　together
with　itself。　Being；　in　its　determining；　has　thus　determined　itself　to　essence；　a　being　which；　through
the　sublating　of　being；　is　a　simple　being…with…itself。




VOLUME　ONE：　THE　OBJECTIVE　LOGIC
　　　　　　BOOK　II。　THE　DOCTRINE　OF　ESSENCE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reflection　…　Appearance　…　Actuality

The　truth　of　being　is　essence。

Being　is　the　immediate。　Since　knowing　has　for　its　goal　knowledge　of　the　true；　knowledge　of　what
being　is　in　and　for　itself；　it　does　not　stop　at　the　immediate　and　its　determinations；　but　penetrates　it
on　the　supposition　that　at　the　back　of　this　being　there　is　something　else；　something　other　than　being
itself；　that　this　background　constitutes　the　truth　of　being。　This　knowledge　is　a　mediated　knowing
for　it　is　not　found　immediately　with　and　in　essence；　but　starts　from　an　other；　from　being；　and　has　a
preliminary　path　to　tread；　that　of　going　beyond　being　or　rather　of　penetrating　into　it。　Not　until
knowing　inwardises；　recollects　itself　out　of　immediate　being；　does　it　through　this　mediation　find
essence。　The　German　language　has　preserved　essence　in　the　past　participle　＇gewesen＇　of　the　verb
to　be；　for　essence　is　past　—　but　timelessly　past　—　being。

When　this　movement　is　pictured　as　the　path　of　knowing；　then　this　beginning　with　being；　and　the
development　that　sublates　it；　reaching　essence　as　a　mediated　result；　appears　to　be　an　activity　of
knowing　external　to　being；　and　irrelevant　to　being's　own　nature。　

But　this　path　is　the　movement　of　being　itself。　It　was　seen　that　being　inwardises　itself　through　its　on
nature；　and　through　this　movement　into　itself　becomes　essence。


If；　therefore；　the　absolute　was　at　first　defined　as　being；　now　it　is　defined　as　essence。　Cognition　。
certainly　cannot　stop　short　at　manifold　determinate　being；　nor　yet　at　being；　pure　being；　the
reflection　that　immediately　forces　itself　on　one　is　that　this　pure　being；　the　negation　of　everything
finite；　presupposes　an　internalisation；　a　recollection　＇Erinnerung＇　and　movement　which　has
purified　immediate；　determinate　being　to　pure　being。　Being　is　accordingly　determined　as　essence；
as　a　being　in　which　everything　determinate　and　finite　is　negated。　It　is　thus　the　indeterminate；
simple　unity　from　which　what　is　determinate　has　been　eliminated　in　an　external　manner；　the
determinate　element　itself　was　external　to　this　unity　and；　after　this　elimination；　still　remains
confronting　it；　for　it　has　not　been　sublated　in　itself　but　only　relatively；　only　in　relation　to　this　unity。
We　have　already　mentioned　that　if　essence　is　defined　as　the　sum　total　of　all　realities；　then　these
realities　likewise　are　subordinate　to　the　nature　of　the　determinateness　and　to　the　abstractive
reflection　and　this　sum　total　reduces　to　empty　oneness。　Essence　is　in　this　way　only　a　product；　an
artefact。

External　negation　…　and　this　is　what　abstraction　is　…　only　shifts　the　determinatenesses　of　being
away　from　what　is　left　over　as　Essence；　it　only　puts　them；　so　to　speak；　elsewhere；　leaving　them
the　affirmative　character　they　possessed　before。　But　in　this　way；　essence　is　neither　in　itself　nor　for
itself；　what　it　is；　it　is　through　an　other；　the　external；　abstract　reflection；　and　it　is　for　an　other；
namely　abstraction　and；　in　general；　for　the　simply　affirmative　being　that　remains　confronting　it。　Its
character；　therefore；　is　to　lack　all　determinate　character；　to　be　inherently　lifeless　and　empty。

But　essence　as　it　has　here　come　to　be；　is　what　it　is；　through　a　negativity　which　is　not　alien　to　it　but
is　its　very　own；　the　infinite　movement　of　being。　It　is