science of logic-第21节

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progressively　altered；　at　certain　points　in　the　scale　of　mixtures；　two　substances　form　products
exhibiting　particular　qualities。　These　products　are　distinguished　from　one　another　not　merely　by　a
more　or　less；　and　they　are　not　already　present；　or　only　perhaps　in　a　weaker　degree；　in　the
proportions　close　to　the　nodal　proportions；　but　are　bound　up　with　these　nodes　themselves。　For
example；　different　oxides　of　nitrogen　and　nitric　acids　having　essentially　different　qualities　are
formed　only　when　oxygen　and　nitrogen　are　combined　in　certain　specific　proportions；　and　no　such
specific　compounds　are　formed　by　the　intermediate　proportions。　Metal　oxides；　e。g。　the　lead
oxides；　are　formed　at　certain　quantitative　points　of　oxidation　and　are　distinguished　by　colours　and
other　qualities。　They　do　not　pass　gradually　into　one　another；　the　proportions　lying　in　between　these
nodes　do　not　produce　a　neutral　or　a　specific　substance。　Without　having　passed　through　the
intervening　stages；　a　specific　compound　appears　which　is　based　on　a　measure　relation　and
possesses　characteristic　qualities。　Again；　water　when　its　temperature　is　altered　does　not　merely　get
more　or　less　hot　but　passes　through　from　the　liquid　into　either　the　solid　or　gaseous　states；　these
states　do　not　appear　gradually；　on　the　contrary；　each　new　state　appears　as　a　leap；　suddenly
interrupting　and　checking　the　gradual　succession　of　temperature　changes　at　these　points。　Every
birth　and　death；　far　from　being　a　progressive　gradualness；　is　an　interruption　of　it　and　is　the　leap
from　a　quantitative　into　a　qualitative　alteration。

It　is　said；　natura　non　facit　saltum　＇there　are　no　leaps　in　nature＇；　and　ordinary　thinking　when　it　has
to　grasp　a　coming…to…be　or　a　ceasing…to…be；　fancies　it　has　done　so　by　representing　it　as　a　gradual
emergence　or　disappearance。　But　we　have　seen　that　the　alterations　of　being　in　general　are　not　only
the　transition　of　one　magnitude　into　another；　but　a　transition　from　quality　into　quantity　and　vice
versa；　a　becoming…other　which　is　an　interruption　of　gradualness　and　the　production　of　something
qualitatively　different　from　the　reality　which　preceded　it。　Water；　in　cooling；　does　not　gradually
harden　as　if　it　thickened　like　porridge；　gradually　solidifying　until　it　reached　the　consistency　of　ice；　it
suddenly　solidifies；　all　at　once。　It　can　remain　quite　fluid　even　at　freezing　point　if　it　is　standing
undisturbed；　and　then　a　slight　shock　will　bring　it　into　the　solid　state。

In　thinking　about　the　gradualness　of　the　coming…to…be　of　something；　it　is　ordinarily　assumed　that
what　comes　to　be　is　already　sensibly　or　actually　in　existence；　it　is　not　yet　perceptible　only
because　of　its　smallness。　Similarly　with　the　gradual　disappearance　of　something；　the　non…being　or
other　which　takes　its　place　is　likewise　assumed　to　be　really　there；　only　not　observable；　and　there；
too；　not　in　the　sense　of　being　implicitly　or　ideally　contained　in　the　first　something；　but　really　there；
only　not　observable。　In　this　way；　the　form　of　the　in…itself；　the　inner　being　of　something　before　it
actually　exists；　is　transformed　into　a　smallness　of　an　outer　existence；　and　the　essential　difference；
that　of　the　Notion；　is　converted　into　an　external　difference　of　mere　magnitude。　The　attempt　to
explain　coming…to…be　or　ceasing…to…be　on　the　basis　of　gradualness　of　the　alteration　is　tedious　like
any　tautology；　what　comes　to　be　or　ceases　to　be　is　assumed　as　already　complete　and　in　existence
beforehand　and　the　alteration　is　turned　into　a　mere　change　of　an　external　difference；　with　the　result
that　the　explanation　is　in　fact　a　mere　tautology。　The　intellectual　difficulty　attendant　on　such　an
attempted　explanation　comes　from　the　qualitative　transition　from　something　into　its　other　in　general；
and　then　into　its　opposite；　but　the　identity　and　the　alteration　are　misrepresented　as　the　indifferent；
external　determinations　of　the　quantitative　sphere。

In　the　moral　sphere；　in　so　far　as　it　is　considered　under　the　categories　of　being；　there　occurs　the
same　transition　from　quantity　into　quality　and　different　qualities　appear　to　be　based　in　a　difference
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　d