science of logic-第36节

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absolutely　self…contained　and　self…fulfilled。　In　so　far　as　life；　ego；　finite　spirit　are；　as　they　certainly
are；　also　only　determinate　Notions；　their　absolute　resolution　is　in　that　universal　which　as　truly
absolute　Notion　is　to　be　grasped　as　the　Idea　of　infinite　spirit；　whose　posited　being　is　infinite；
transparent　reality　wherein　it　contemplates　its　creation；　and　in　this　creation　its　own　self。

The　true；　infinite　universal　which；　in　itself；　is　as　much　particularity　as　individuality；　we　have　next　to
consider　as　particularity。　It　determines　itself　freely；　the　process　by　which　it　makes　itself　finite　is
not　a　transition；　for　this　occurs　only　in　the　sphere　of　being；　it　is　creative　power　as　the　absolute
negativity　which　relates　itself　to　its　own　self。　As　such；　it　differentiates　itself　internally；　and　this　is　a
determining；　because　the　differentiation　is　one　with　the　universality。　Accordingly；　the　universal　is　a
process　in　which　it　posits　the　differences　themselves　as　universal　and　self…related。　They　thereby
become　fixed；　isolated　differences。　The　isolated　subsistence　of　the　finite　which　earlier　was
determined　as　its　being…for…self；　and　also　as　thinghood；　as　substance；　is；　in　its　truth　universality；　the
form　with　which　the　infinite　Notion　clothes　its　differences　—　a　form　that　is；　in　fact；　one　of　its　own
differences。　Herein　consists　the　creative　power　of　the　Notion；　a　power　which　is　to　be
comprehended　only　in　this；　the　Notion's　innermost　core。

B　The　Particular　Notion　

We　have　seen　that　the　determinateness　of　the　particular　is　simple　as　principle；　but　it　is　also
simple　as　moment　of　the　totality　…　as　a　determinateness　opposed　to　the　other　determinateness。
The　Notion；　in　determining　or　distinguishing　itself；　is　negatively　directed　against　its　unity　and　gives
itself　the　form　of　one　of　its　ideal　moments；　that　of　being：　as　a　determinate　Notion；　it　has　a
determinate　Being　in　general。　But　this　Being　no　longer　signifies　bare　immediacy　but　Universality　…
immediacy　which　through　absolute　mediation　is　equal　to　itself　and　equally　contains　the　other
moment；　essential　being　or　reflection。　This　Universality　with　which　the　determinate　moment　is
clothed　is　abstract　Universality。　The　particular　has　Universality　within　it　as　its　essential　being；　but；
in　so　far　as　the　determinateness　of　the　difference　is　posited；　and　thereby　has　Being；　Universality　is
a　form　assumed　by　the　difference；　and　the　determinateness　as　such　is　the　content。　The
Universality　becomes　form　in　so　far　as　the　difference　is　present　as　the　essential　moment；　just　as；　on
the　contrary；　in　the　purely　universal　it　is　present　only　as　absolute　negativity；　not　as　difference　which
posited　as　such。　

Connected　with　the　above　is　the　reason　why　latterly　the　Understanding　has　been　so　lightly
esteemed　and　ranked　as　inferior　to　Reason；　it　is　the　fixity　which　it　imparts　to　the
determinatenesses；　and　hence　to　finite　determinations。　This　fixity　consists　in　the　form　of　abstract
Universality　which　has　just　been　considered：　through　it　they　become　immutable。　For　qualitative
determinateness；　and　also　determinations　of　reflection；　are　essentially　limited；　and；　through　their
limitation；　have　a　relation　to　their　other；　hence　the　necessity　of　transition　and　passing　away。　But
universality　which　they　possess　in　the　understanding　gives　them　the　form　of　reflection…into…self　by
which　they　are　freed　from　the　relation…to…other　and　have　become　imperishable。　Now　though　in
the　pure　Notion　this　eternity　belongs　to　its　nature；　yet　its　abstract　determinations　are　eternal
essentialities　only　in　respect　of　their　form；　but　their　content　is　at　variance　with　this　form；　therefore
they　are　not　truth；　or　imperishable。　Their　content　is　at　variance　with　the　form；　because　it　is　not
determinateness　itself　as　universal；　that　is；　it　is　not　totality　of　the　Notion's　difference；　or　not　itself
the　whole　form；　but　the　form　of　the　limited　understanding　is　itself　the　imperfect　form；　namely；
abstract　universality。　But　further；　we　must　recognise　the　infinite　force　of　the　understanding　in
splitting　the　concrete　into　abstract　determinatenesses　and　plumbing　the　depth　of　difference；　the
force　that　at　the　same　time　is　alone　the　power　that　effects　their　transition。　

Since；　therefore；　understanding　exhibits　the　infinite　force　which　determines　the　universal；　or
conversely；　imparts　through　the　form　of　Universality　a　fixity　and　subsistence　to　the　determinateness
that　is　in　and　for　itself　transitory；　then　it　is　not　the　fault　of　understanding　if　no　further　progress　is
made　beyond　this　point。　It　is　a　subjective　impotence　of　reason　which　adopts　these
determinatenesses　in　their　fixity；　and　which　is　unable　to　bring　them　back　to　their　unity　through　the
dialectical　force　opposed　to　this　abstract　universality；　in　other　words；　through　their　own　peculiar
nature　or　through　their　Notion。　The　understanding　does　indeed　give　them；　so　to　speak；　a　rigidity　of
being　such　as　they　do　not　possess　in　the　sphere　of　quality　and　the　sphere　of　reflection；　but　at　the
same　time　it　spiritually　impregnates　them　and　so　sharpens　them；　that　just　at　this　extreme　point
alone　they　acquire　the　capability　to　dissolve　themselves　and　pass　over　into　their　opposite。　The
highest　maturity；　the　highest　stage；　which　anything　can　attain　is　that　in　which　its　downfall　begins。
The　fixity　of　the　determinateness　into　which　the　understanding　seems　to　run；　the　form　of　the
imperishable；　is　that　of　self…relating　universality。　But　this　belongs　properly　to　the　Notion；　and
consequently　in　this　universality　is　to　be　found　expressed；　and　infinitely　close　at　hand；　the
dissolution　of　the　finite。　This　Universality　directly　refutes　the　determinateness　of　the　finite　and
expresses　its　incongruity　with　the　universality。　Or　rather；　the　adequacy　of　the　finite　is　already　to
hand；　the　abstract　determinate　is　posited　as　one　with　the　universality；　and　for　that　very　reason　is
posited　as　not　for　itself　—　for　then　it　would　only　be　a　determinate　—　but　only　as　unity　of　itself　and
the　universal；　that　is；　as　Notion。　



C　The　Individual　

1。　In　the　first　instance；　therefore；　individuality　appears　as　the　reflection　of　the　Notion　out　of　its
determinateness　into　itself。　It　is　the　self…mediation　of　the　Notion　in　so　far　as　its　otherness　has
made　itself　into　an　other　again；　whereby　the　Notion　has　reinstated　itself　as　self…identical；　but　in　the
determination　of　absolute　negativity。　The　negative　in　the　universal　whereby　this　is　a　particular；
was　defined　above　as　a　two…fold　illusory　being：　in　so　far　as　the　negative　is　an　illusory　being　within
the　universal；　the　particular　remains　a　universal；　through　the　reference　of　the　illusory　being
outwards　it　is　a　determinate；　the　return　of　this　side　into　the　universal　is　two…fold：　either　through
abstraction　which　lets　drop　the　particular　and　rises　to　the　higher　and　the　highest　genus；　or　else
through　the　individuality　to　which　the　universal　in　the　determinateness　itself　descends。　Here　is
where　the　false　path　branches　off　and　abstraction　strays　from　the　highway　of　the　Notion　and
forsakes　the　truth。　Its　higher　and　highest　universal　to　which　it　raises　itself　is　only　the　surface；　which
becomes　ever　more　destitute　of　content；　the　individuality　it　despises　is　the　profundity　in　which　the
Notion　seizes　itself　and　is　posited　as　Notion。　

Universality　and　particularity　appeared；　on　the　one　hand；　as　moments　of　the　becoming　of
individuality。　But　it　has　already　been　shown　that　they　are　in　themselves　the　total　Notion；　and
consequently　in　individuality　do　not　pass　over　into　an　other；　but　that　in　individuality　there　is　only
posited　that　they　are　in　and　for　themselves。　The　universal　is　in　and　for　itself　because　it　is　in　its
own　self　absolute　mediation；　self…reference　only　as　absolute　negativity。　It　is　an　abstract　universal
in　so　far　as　this　absolute　negativity。　It　is　an　abstract　universal　in　so　far　as　this　sublating　is　an
external　act　and　so　a　dropping　of　the　determinateness。　

Life；　Spirit；　God　—　the　pure　Notion　itself；　are　beyond　the　grasp　of　abstraction；　because　it　deprives
its　products　of　singularity；　of　the　principle　of　individuality　and　personality；　and　so　arrives　at　nothing
but　universalities　devoid　of　life　and　spirit；　colour　and　content。　

Yet　the　unity　of　the　Notion　is　so　indissoluble　that　even　these　products　of　abstraction；　though　they
are　supposed　to　drop　individuality　are；　on　the　contrary；　individuals　themselves。　Abstraction　raises
the　concrete　into　universality　in　which；　however；　the　universal　is　grasped　only　as　a　determinate
universality；　and　this　is　precisely　the　individuality　that　has　shown　itself　to　be　self…related
determinateness。　Abstraction；　therefore；　is　a　sundering　of　the　concrete　and　an　isolating　of　its
determinations；　through　it　only　single　properties　and　moments　are　seized；　for　its　product　must
contain　what　it　is　itself。　But　the　difference　between　this　individuality　of　its　products　and　the
Notion's　individuality　is　that；　in　the　former；　the　individual　as　content　and　the　universal　as　form　are
distinct　from　one　another　…　just　because　the　former　is　not　present　as　absolute　form；　as　the　Notion
itself；　or　the　latter　is　not　present　as　the　totality　of　form。　However　this　more　detailed　consideration
shows　that　t