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itself; which is this relation by positing itself through the negativity; is the universality of the
Notion。

As universality is the utterly simple determination; it does not seem capable of any explanation;
for an explanation must concern itself with definitions and distinctions and must apply predicates to
its object; and to do this to what is simple; would alter rather than explain it。 But the simplicity
which constitutes the very nature of the universal is such that; through absolute negativity; it
contains within itself difference and determinateness in the highest degree。 Being is simple as
immediate being; for that reason it is only something meant or intended and we cannot say of it
what it is; therefore; it is one with its other; with non…being。 Its Notion is just this; to be a
simplicity that immediately vanishes in its opposite; it is becoming。 The universal; on the contrary;
is that simplicity which; because it is the Notion; no less possesses within itself the richest
content。

First; therefore; it is the simple relation to itself; it is only within itself。 Secondly; however; this
identity is within itself absolute mediation; but it is not something mediated。 The universal that is
mediated; namely; the abstract universal that is opposed to the particular and the individual; this
will be discussed later when we are dealing with the specific notion。 Yet even the abstract
universal involves this; that in order to obtain it we are required to leave out other determinations
of the concrete。 These determinations; simply as such; are negations; equally; too; the omitting
of them is a negating。 So that even with the abstraction; we have the negation of the negation。 But
this double negation is conceived of as though it were external to the abstraction; as though not
only were the other omitted properties of the concrete distinct from the one retained; which is the
content of the abstract universal; but also as though this operation of omitting the other properties
and retaining the one were a process outside the properties themselves。 To such an externality in
face of that movement; the universal has not yet determined itself; it is still within itself that absolute
mediation which is; precisely; the negation of the negation or absolute negativity。

By virtue of this original unity it follows; in the first place; that the first negative; or the
determination; is not a limitation for the universal which; on the contrary; maintains itself therein
and is positively identical with itself。 The categories of being were; as Notions; essentially these
identities of the determinations with themselves in their limitation or otherness; but this identity was
only in itself the Notion; it was not yet manifested。 Consequently; the qualitative determination as
such was lost in its other and had for its truth a determination distinct from itself。 The universal; on
the contrary; even when it posits itself in a determination; remains therein what it is。 It is the soul
'Seele' of the concrete which it indwells; unimpeded and equal to itself in the manifoldness and
diversity of the concrete。 It is not dragged into the process of becoming; but continues itself
through that process undisturbed and possesses the power of unalterable; undying
self…preservation。

But even so; it does not merely show; or have an illusory being; in its other; like the determination
of reflection; this; as a correlate; is not merely self…related but is a positive relating of itself to its
other in which it manifests itself; but; in the first instance; it only shows in it; and this illusory being
of each in the other; or their reciprocal determining; along with their self…dependence; has the form
of an external act。 The universal; on the contrary; is posited as the essential being of its
determination; as the latter's own positive nature。 For the determination that constitutes its
negative is; in the Notion; simply and solely a positedness; in other words; it is; at the same time;
essentially only the negative of the negative; and is only as this identity of the negative with itself;
which is the universal。 Thus the universal is also the substance of its determinations; but in such
wise that what was a contingency for substance; is the Notion's own self…mediation; its own
immanent reflection。 But this mediation which; in the first instance; raises contingency to
necessity; is the manifested relation; the Notion is not the abyss of formless substance; or
necessity as the inner identity of things or states distinct from; and limiting; one another; on the
contrary; as absolute negativity; it is the shaper and creator; and because the determination is not a
limitation but is just as much utterly sublated; or posited; the illusory being is now manifestation; the
manifestation of the identical。

The universal is therefore free power; it is itself and takes its other within its embrace; but without
doing violence to it; on the contrary; the universal is; in its other; in peaceful communion with
itself。 We have called it free power; but it could also be called free love and boundless
blessedness; for it bears itself towards its other as towards its own self; in it; it has returned to
itself。

We have just mentioned determinateness; although the Notion; being as yet only the universal
and only self…identical; has not yet advanced to that stage。 However; we cannot speak of the
universal apart from determinateness which to be more precise is particularity and individuality; for
the universal; in its absolute negativity; contains determinateness in and for itself。 The
determinateness; therefore; is not introduced from outside when we speak of it in connection with
the universal。 As negativity in general or in accordance with the first; immediate negation; the
universal contains determinateness generally as particularity; as the second negation; that is; as
negation of the negation; it is absolute determinateness or individuality and concreteness。 The
universal is thus the totality of the Notion; it is a concrete; and far from being empty; it has through
its Notion a content; and a content in which it not only maintains itself but one which is its own
and immanent in it。 We can; indeed; abstract from the content: but in that case we do not obtain
the universal of the Notion but only the abstract universal; which is an isolated; imperfect moment
of the Notion and has no truth。

More precisely; the universal shows itself as this totality as follows。 In so far as it contains
determinateness; it is not merely the first negation; but also the reflection of this negation into itself。
Taken expressly with this first negation; it is a particular; and it is as such that we are soon to
consider it; but in this determinateness it is essentially still a universal; this side we have here still to
consider。 For determinateness; being in the Notion; is the total reflection; the two…fold illusory
being which on the one hand has an illusory reference outwards; the reflection…into…other; and on
the other hand has an illusory reference inwards; the reflection…into…self。 The former reflection
involves distinction from an other; from this standpoint; the universal possesses a particularity
which has its resolution in a higher universal。 Now even though it is merely a relative universal; it
does not lose its character of universal; it preserves itself in its determinateness; not merely as
though in its connection with the determinateness it remained indifferent to it…for then it would be
merely compounded with it but so that it is what we have just called the illusory reference
inwards。 The determinateness; as determinate Notion; is bent back into itself out of the
externality; it is the Notion's own immanent character; which is an essential character by virtue
of the fact that; in being taken up into the universality and pervaded by it; it equally pervades the
universality; being of like compass and identical with it; it is the character that belongs to the genus
as the determinateness that is not separated from the universal。 Accordingly; the limitation is not
outward…going but positive; for the Notion; through its universality; stands in free relation to itself。
Thus even the determinate Notion remains within itself infinitely free Notion。

But in regard to the other side; in which the genus is limited by its specific character; it has been
observed that this; as a lower genus; has its resolution in a higher universal。 The latter; in its turn;
can also be grasped as genus but as a more abstract one; but it always pertains only to that side of
the determinate Notion which has a reference outwards。 The truly higher universal is that in which
this outward…going side is taken back into the universal; the second negation; in which the
determinateness is present simply as posited or as illusory being。 Life; ego; spirit; absolute Notion;
are not universals merely in the sense of higher genera; but are concretes whose
determinatenesses; too; are not species or lower genera but genera which; in their reality; are
absolutely self…contained and self…fulfilled。 In so far as life; ego; finite spirit are; as they certain

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