science of logic-第53章

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concrete　moment　of　the　individual　Notion　of　the　whole；　which　Notion　is　the　universal　essence；　the
real　genus　of　the　particular　object。　The　chemical　object；　which　is　thus　the　contradiction　of　its
immediate　positedness　and　its　immanent　individual　Notion；　is　a　striving　to　sublate　the
determinateness　of　its　existence　and　to　give　concrete　existence　to　the　objective　totality　of　the
Notion。　Therefore；　though　it　also　lacks　self…subsistence；　it　spontaneously　tenses　itself　against　this
deficiency　and　initiates　the　process　by　its　self…determining。

B。　THE　CHEMICAL　PROCESS

1。　It　begins　with　the　presupposition　that　the　objects　in　tension；　tensed　as　they　are　against
themselves；　are　in　the　first　instance　by　that　very　fact　just　as　much　tensed　against　one　another　—　a
relationship　that　is　called　their　affinity。　Since　each　through　its　Notion　stands　in　contradiction　to　the
one…sidedness　of　its　own　existence　and　consequently　strives　to　sublate　it；　there　is　immediately
posited　in　this　fact　the　striving　to　sublate　the　one…sidedness　of　the　other　object；　and　through　this
reciprocal　adjustment　and　combination　to　posit　a　reality　conformable　to　the　Notion；　which
contains　both　moments。

As　each　of　the　objects　is　posited　as　self…contradictory　and　self…sublating　in　its　own　self；　it　is　only
by　an　external　compulsion　＇Gewalt＇　that　they　are　held　apart　from　one　another　and　from　their
reciprocal　integration。　Now　the　middle　term　whereby　these　extremes　are　concluded　into　a　unity　is
first　the　implicit　nature　of　both；　the　whole　Notion　that　holds　both　within　itself。　Secondly；　however；
since　in　their　concrete　existence　they　stand　confronting　each　other；　their　absolute　unity　is　also　a　still
formal　element　having　an　existence　distinct　from　them　—　the　element　of　communication　in
which　they　enter　into　external　community　with　each　other。　Since　the　real　difference　belongs　to　the
extremes；　this　middle　term　is　only　the　abstract　neutrality；　the　real　possibility　of　those　extremes；　it　is；
as　it　were；　the　theoretical　element　of　the　concrete　existence　of　chemical　objects；　of　their　process
and　its　result。　In　the　material　world　water　fulfils　the　function　of　this　medium；　in　the　spiritual　world；
so　far　as　the　analogue　of　such　a　relation　has　a　place　there；　the　sign　in　general；　and　more　precisely
language；　is　to　be　regarded　as　fulfilling　that　function。

The　relationship　of　the　objects；　as　a　mere　communication　in　this　element；　is　on　the　one　hand　a
quiescent　coming…together；　but　on　the　other　hand　it　is　no　less　a　negative　bearing　of　each　to　the
other；　for　in　communication　the　concrete　Notion　which　is　their　nature　is　posited　as　a　reality；　with
the　result　that　the　real　differences　of　the　objects　are　reduced　to　its　unity。　Their　previous
self…subsistent　determinateness　is　thus　sublated　in　the　union　that　conforms　to　the　Notion；　which　is
one　and　the　same　in　both；　and　thereby　their　opposition　and　tension　are　weakened；　with　the　result
that　in　this　reciprocal　integration　the　striving　reaches　its　quiescent　neutrality。

The　process　is　in　this　way　extinguished；　the　contradiction　between　the　Notion　and　reality　being
resolved；　the　extremes　of　the　syllogism　have　lost　their　opposition　and　have　thus　ceased　to　be
extremes　both　against　each　other　and　against　the　middle　term。　The　product　is　neutral；　that　is；　a
product　in　which　the　ingredients；　which　can　no　longer　be　called　objects；　have　lost　their　tension　and
with　it　those　properties　which　belonged　to　them　as　tensed；　while　the　capability　of　their　former
self…subsistence　and　tension　is　preserved。　For　the　negative　unity　of　the　neutral　product　proceeds
from　a　presupposed　difference；　the　determinateness　of　the　chemical　object　is　identical　with　its
objectivity；　it　is　original。　Through　the　process　just　considered　this　difference　is　as　yet　only
immediately　sublated；　the　determinateness　is；　therefore；　as　yet　not　absolutely　reflected　into　itself；
and　consequently　the　product　of　the　process　is　only　a　formal　unity。

2。　Now　in　this　product；　the　tension　of　the　opposition　and　the　negative　unity；　as　activity　of　the
process；　are　indeed　extinct。　But　since　this　unity　is　essential　to　the　Notion　and　has　at　the　same　time
come　into　concrete　existence；　it　is　still　present；　though　its　place　is　outside　the　neutral　object。　The
process　does　not　spontaneously　re…kindle　itself；　for　it　had　the　difference　only　for　its
presupposition　and　did　not　itself　posit　it。　This　self…subsistent　negativity　outside　the　object；　the
existence　of　the　abstract　individuality　whose　being…for…self　has　its　reality　in　the　indifferent　object；
is　now　tensed　within　itself　against　its　abstraction；　and　is　an　inward　restless　activity　that　turns
outwards　to　consume。　It　relates　itself　immediately　to　the　object　whose　quiescent　neutrality　is　the
real　possibility　of　its　opposition；　that　object　is　now　the　middle　term　of　the　previously　merely
formal　neutrality；　now　inwardly　concrete　and　determinate。

The　more　precise　immediate　relation　of　the　extreme　of　negative　unity　to　the　object　is　that　the
latter　is　determined　by　it　and　thereby　disrupted。　This　disruption　may　in　the　first　instance　be
regarded　as　the　restoration　of　that　opposition　of　the　objects　in　tension　with　which　chemism　began。
But　this　determination　does　not　constitute　the　other　extreme　of　the　syllogism　but　belongs　to　the
immediate　relation　of　the　differentiating　principle　to　the　middle　term　in　which　this　principle　gives
itself　its　immediate　reality；　it　is　the　determinateness　that　the　middle　term　in　the　disjunctive　syllogism
also　possesses　besides　being　the　universal　nature　of　the　object；　and　by　virtue　of　which　the　object　is
both　objective　universality　and　also　determinate　particularity。　The　other　extreme　of　the　syllogism
stands　opposed　to　the　external　self…subsistent　extreme　of　individuality；　it　is　therefore　the　equally
self…subsistent　extreme　of　universality；　hence　the　disruption　suffered　by　the　real　neutrality　of　the
middle　term　in　this　extreme　is　that　it　is　split　up　into　moments　whose　relationship　is　not　that　of
difference；　but　of　indifference。　Accordingly　these　moments　are　the　abstract　indifferent　base　on　the
one　side；　and　its　energising　principle　on　the　other；　which　latter　by　its　separation　from　the　base
attains　likewise　the　form　of　indifferent　objectivity。

This　disjunctive　syllogism　is　the　totality　of　chemism　in　which　the　same　objective　whole　is　exhibited
first　as　self…subsistent　negative　unity；　then　in　the　middle　term　as　real　unity；　and　finally　as　the
chemical　reality　resolved　into　its　abstract　moments。　In　these　latter　the　determinateness　has　not
reached　its　reflection…into…self　in　an　other　as　in　the　neutral　product；　but　has　in　itself　returned　into
its　abstraction；　and　is　an　originally　determinate　element。

3。　These　elementary　objects　are　accordingly　liberated　from　chemical　tension；　in　them；　the　original
basis　of　that　presupposition　with　which　chemism　began　has　been　posited　through　the　real
process。　Now　further；　the　inner　determinateness　as　such　of　these　；objects　is　essentially　the
contradiction　of　their　simple　indifferent　subsistence　and　themselves　as　determinateness；　and　is
the　urge　outwards　that　sunders　itself　and　posits　tension　in　its　object　and　in　another　object　in　order
to　have　something　with　which　it　can　enter　into　a　relation　of　difference　and　in　which　it　can　neutralise
itself　and　give　to　its　simple　determinateness　an　existent　reality。　Consequently；　on　the　one　hand
chemism　has　returned　into　its　beginning　in　which　objects　in　a　state　of　reciprocal　tension　seek　one
another　and　then　by　a　formal；　external　middle　term；　unite　to　form　a　neutral　product。　On　the　other
hand；　chemism　by　this　return　into　its　Notion　sublates　itself　and　has　passed　over　into　a　higher
sphere。

C。　TRANSITION　OF　CHEMISM

Even　ordinary　chemistry　shows　examples　of　chemical　alterations　in　which　a　body；　for　example；
imparts　a　higher　oxidation　to　one　part　of　its　mass　and　thereby　reduces　another　part　to　a　lower
degree　of　oxidation；　in　which　lower　degree　alone　it　can　enter　into　a　neutral　combination　with
another　＇chemically＇　different　body　brought　into　contact　with　it；　a　combination　for　which　it　would
not　have　been　receptive　in　that　first　immediate　degree。　What　happens　here　is　that　the　object　does
not