science of logic-第48章

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equally　well　known　that　Descartes'　sublimest　thought；　that　God　is　that　whose　notion　includes
within　itself　its　being；　after　being　degraded　into　the　defective　form　of　the　formal　syllogism；　that　is；
into　the　form　of　the　said　proof；　finally　succumbed　to　the　Critique　of　Reason　and　to　the　thought
that　existence　cannot　be　extracted　from　the　notion。　Some　points　connected　with　this　proof
have　already　been　elucidated。　In　Vol。　1；　pp。　86　sqq。；　where　being　has　vanished　in　its　immediate
opposite；　non…being；　and　becoming　has　shown　itself　as　the　truth　of　both；　attention　was　drawn　to
the　confusion　that　arises　when；　in　the　case　of　a　particular　determinate　being；　what　is　fixed　on　is　not
the　being　of　that　determinate　being　but　its　determinate　content；　then；　comparing　this
determinate　content；　for　example　a　hundred　dollars；　with　another　determinate　content；　for
example；　with　the　context　of　my　perception　or　the　state　of　my　finances；　it　is　found　that　it　makes　a
difference　whether　the　former　content　is　added　to　the　latter　or　not…and　it　is　imagined　that　what　has
been　discussed　is　the　difference　between　being　and　non…being；　or　even　the　difference　between
being　and　the　Notion。　Further；　in　the　same　Vol。；　p。　112　and　Vol。　II；　p。　442　we　elucidated　a
determination　that　occurs　in　the　ontological　proof；　that　of　a　sum…total　of　all　realities。　But　the
essential　subject　matter　of　that　proof；　the　connection　of　the　Notion　and　determinate　being；　is
the　concern　of　our　consideration　of　the　Notion　just　concluded；　and　the　entire　course　through
which　the　Notion　determines　itself　into　objectivity。　The　Notion；　as　absolutely　self…identical
negativity；　is　self…determining；　we　have　remarked　that　the　Notion；　in　determining　itself　into
judgment　in　individuality；　is　already　positing　itself　as　something　real；　something　that　is；　this　still
abstract　reality　completes　itself　in　objectivity。

Now　though　it　might　seem　that　the　transition　from　the　Notion　into　objectivity　is　not　the　same　thing
as　the　transition　from　the　Notion　of　God　to　his　existence；　it　should　be　borne　in　mind　on　the　one
hand　that　the　determinate　content；　God；　makes　no　difference　in　the　logical　process；　and　the
ontological　proof　is　merely　an　application　of　this　logical　process　to　the　said　content。　On　the　other
hand　however　it　is　essential　to　bear　in　mind　the　remark　made　above　that　the　subject　only　obtains
determinateness　and　content　in　its　predicate；　until　then；　no　matter　what　it　may　be　for　feeling；
intuition　and　pictorial　thinking；　for　rational　cognition　it　is　only　a　name；　but　in　the　predicate　with　its
determinateness　there　begins；　at　the　same　time；　realisation　in　general。　The　predicates；　however；
must　be　grasped　as　themselves　still　included　within　the　Notion；　hence　as　something　subjective；
which　so　far　has　not　emerged　into　existence；　to　this　extent　we　must　admit　on　the　one　hand　that　the
realisation　of　the　Notion　in　the　judgment　is　still　not　complete。　On　the　other　hand　however　the
mere　determination　of　an　object　by　predicates；　when　that　determination　is　not　at　the　same　time　the
realisation　and　objectifying　of　the　Notion；　also　remains　something　so　subjective　that　it　is　not　even
the　genuine　cognition　and　determination　of　the　Notion　of　the　object…subjective　in　the　sense　of
abstract　reflection　and　uncomprehended　pictorial　thinking。　God；　as　the　living　God；　and　still　more
as　absolute　spirit；　is　known　only　in　his　activity；　man　was　early　instructed　to　recognise　God　in　his
works；　only　from　these　can　proceed　the　determinations；　which　are　called　his　properties；　and　in
which；　too；　his　being　is　contained。　Thus　the　philosophical　＇begreifende＇　cognition　of　his　activity；
that　is；　of　himself；　grasps　the　Notion　of　God　in　his　being　and　his　being　in　his　Notion。　Being　merely
as　such；　or　even　determinate　being；　is　such　a　meagre　and　restricted　determination；　that　the
difficulty　of　finding　it　in　the　Notion　may　well　be　the　result　of　not　having　considered　what　being　or
determinate　being　itself　is。　Being　as　the　wholly　abstract；　immediate　relation　to　self；　is　nothing
else　than　the　abstract　moment　of　the　Notion；　which　moment　is　abstract　universality。　This
universality　also　effects　what　one　demands　of　being；　namely；　to　be　outside　the　Notion；　for　though
this　universality　is　moment　of　the　Notion；　it　is　equally　the　difference；　or　abstract　judgment；　of　the
Notion　in　which　it　opposes　itself　to　itself。

The　Notion；　even　as　formal；　already　immediately　contains　being　in　a　truer　and　richer　form；　in
that；　as　self…related　negativity；　it　is　individuality。

But　of　course　the　difficulty　of　finding　being　in　the　Notion　as　such　and　equally　in　the　Notion　of　God；
becomes　insuperable　when　the　being　is　supposed　to　be　that　which　obtains　in　the　context　of　outer
experience　or　in　the　form　of　sensuous　perception；　like　the　hundred　dollars　in　my　finances；
something　to　be　grasped　with　the　hand；　not　with　the　mind；　something　visible　essentially　to　the
outer；　not　to　the　inner　eye；　in　other　words；　when　that　being　which　things　possess　as　sensuous；
temporal　and　perishable；　is　given　the　name　of　reality　or　truth。　A　philosophising　that　in　its　view　of
being　does　not　rise　above　sense；　naturally　stops　short　at　merely　abstract　thought；　too；　in　its　view　of
the　Notion；　such　thought　stands　opposed　to　being。

The　custom　of　regarding　the　Notion　merely　as　something　one…sided；　such　as　abstract　thought　is；
will　already　hinder　the　acceptance　of　what　was　suggested　above；　namely；　to　regard　the　transition
from　the　Notion　of　God　to　his　being；　as　an　application　of　the　logical　course　of　objectification　of
the　Notion　presented　above。　Yet　if　it　is　granted；　as　it　commonly　is；　that　the　logical　element　as　the
formal　element　constitutes　the　form　for　the　cognition　of　every　determinate　content；　then　the　above
relation　must　at　least　be　conceded；　unless　in　this　opposition　between　Notion　and　objectivity；　one
stops　short　at　the　untrue　Notion　and　an　equally　untrue　reality；　as　something　ultimate。　But　in　the
exposition　of　the　pure　Notion；　it　was　further　made　clear　that　this　is　the　absolute；　divine　Notion
itself；　so　that　in　truth　the　relationship　of　our　application　would　not　obtain；　and　the　logical　process
in　question　would　in　fact　be　the　immediate　exposition　of　God's　self…determination　to　being。　But　on
this　point　it　is　to　be　remarked　that　if　the　Notion　is　to　be　presented　as　the　Notion　of　God；　it　is　to　be
apprehended　as　it　is　when　taken　up　into　the　Idea。　This　pure　Notion　passes　through　the　finite　forms
of　the　judgment　and　syllogism　because　it　is　not　yet　posited　as　in　its　own　nature　explicitly　one　with
objectivity　but　is　grasped　only　in　process　of　becoming　it。　Similarly　this　objectivity；　too；　is　not　yet
the　divine　existence；　is　not　yet　the　reality　that　is　reflected　in　the　divine　Idea。　Yet　objectivity　is　just
that　much　richer　and　higher　than　the　being　or　existence　of　the　ontological　proof；　as　the　pure
Notion　is　richer　and　higher　than　that　metaphysical　void　of　the　sum　total　of　all　reality。　But　1
reserve　for　another　occasion　the　more　detailed　elucidation　of　the　manifold　misunderstanding　that
has　been　brought　by　logical　formalism　into　the　ontological；　as　well　as　the　other；　so…called　proofs　of
God's　existence；　as　also　the　Kantian　criticism　of　them；　and　by　establishing　their　true　significance；　to
restore　the　fundamental　thoughts　of　these　proofs　to　their　worth　and　dignity。

As　previously　remarked；　we　have　already　met　with　several　forms　of　immediacy；　though　in　different
determinations。　In　the　sphere　of　being　immediacy　is　being　itself　and　determinate　being；　in　the
sphere　of　essence　it　is　existence；　and　then　actuality　and　substantiality；　in　the　sphere　of　the　Notion；
besides　immediacy　as　abstract　universality；　there　is　now　objectivity。　When　the　exactitude　of
philosophical　distinctions　of　the　Notion　is　not　involved；　these　expressions　may　be　used　as
synonymous；　but　the　determinations　mentioned　have　issued　from　the　necessity　of　the　Notion。
Being　is　in　general　the　first　immediacy；　and　determinate　being　is　the　same　plus　the　first
determinateness。　Existence；　along　with　things；　is　the　immediacy　that　issues　from　the　ground…from
the　self…sublating　mediation　of　the　simple　reflection　of　essence。　But　actuality　and　substantiality　is
the　immediacy　that　has　issued