science of logic-第41节
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the judgment in which it was lost in the extremes。 Through this impregnation of the copula the
judgment has become the syllogism。
THE DOCTRINE OF THE NOTION
Section One: Subjectivity
Chapter 3 The Syllogism
We have found the syllogism to be the restoration of the Notion in the judgment; and
consequently the unity and truth of both。 The Notion as such holds its moments sublated in unity;
in the judgment this unity is internal or; what is the same thing; external; and the moments; although
related; are posited as self…subsistent extremes。 In the syllogism the Notion determinations are
like the extremes of the judgment; and at the same time their determinate unity is posited。
Thus the syllogism is the completely posited Notion; it is therefore the rational。 The understanding
is regarded as the faculty of the determinate Notion which is held fast in isolation by abstraction
and the form of universality。 But in reason the determinate Notions are posited in their totality
and unity。 Therefore; not only is the syllogism rational; but everything rational is a syllogism。
The syllogistic process has for a long time been ascribed to reason; yet on the other hand reason in
and for itself; rational principles and laws; are spoken of in such a way that it is not clear what is
the connection between the former reason which syllogises and the latter reason which is the
source of laws and other eternal truths and absolute thoughts。 If the former is supposed to be
merely formal reason; while the latter is supposed to be creative of content; then according to this
distinction it is precisely the form of reason; the syllogism; that must not be lacking in the latter。
Nevertheless; to such a degree are the two commonly held apart; and not mentioned together; that
it seems as though the reason of absolute thoughts was ashamed of the reason of the syllogism and
as though it was only in deference to tradition that the syllogism was also adduced as an activity of
reason。 Yet it is obvious; as we have just remarked; that the logical reason; if it is regarded as
formal reason; must essentially be recognisable also in the reason that is concerned with a content;
the fact is that no content can be rational except through the rational form。 In this matter we cannot
look for any help in the common chatter about reason; for this refrains from stating what is to be
understood by reason; this supposedly rational cognition is mostly so busy with its objects that it
forgets to cognise reason itself and only distinguishes and characterises it by the objects that it
possesses。 If reason is supposed to be the cognition that knows about God; freedom; right and
duty; the infinite; unconditioned; supersensuous; or even gives only ideas and feelings of these
objects; then for one thing these latter are only negative objects; and for another thing the first
question still remains; what it is in all these objects that makes them rational。 It is this; that the
infinitude of these objects is not the empty abstraction from the finite; not the universality that lacks
content and determinateness; but the universality that is fulfilled or realised; the Notion that is
determinate and possesses its determinateness in this true way; namely; that it differentiates itself
within itself and is the unity of these fixed and determinate differences。 It is only thus that reason
rises above the finite; conditioned; sensuous; call it what you will; and in this negativity is
essentially pregnant with content; for it is the unity of determinate extremes; as such; however;
the rational is nothing but the syllogism。
Now the syllogism; like the judgment; is in the first instance immediate; hence its determinations
are simple; abstract determinatenesses; in this form it is the syllogism of the understanding。 If
we stop short at this form of the syllogism; then the rationality in it; although undoubtedly present
and posited; is not apparent。 The essential feature of the syllogism is the unity of the extremes; the
middle term which unites them; and the ground which supports them。 Abstraction; in holding
rigidly to the self…subsistence of the extremes; opposes this unity to them as a determinateness
which likewise is fixed and self…subsistent; and in this way apprehends it rather as non…unity than
as unity。 The expression middle term is taken from spatial representation and contributes its share
to the stopping short at the mutual externality of the terms。 Now if the syllogism consists in the
unity of the extremes being posited in it; and if; all the same; this unity is simply taken on the one
hand as a particular on its own; and on the other hand as a merely external relation; and non…unity
is made the essential relationship of the syllogism; then the reason which constitutes the syllogism
contributes nothing to rationality。
First; the syllogism of existence in which the terms are thus immediately and abstractly
determined; demonstrates in itself (since; like the judgment; it is their relation) that they are not in
fact such abstract terms; but that each contains the relation to the other and that the middle term
is not particularity as opposed to the determinations of the extremes but contains these terms
posited in it。
Through this its dialectic it is converted into the syllogism of reflection; into the second syllogism。
The terms of this are such that each essentially shows in; or is reflected into; the other; in other
words they are posited as mediated; which they are supposed to be in accordance with the nature
of the syllogism in general。
Thirdly; in that this reflecting or mediatedness of the extremes is reflected into itself; the syllogism
is determined as the syllogism of necessity; in which the mediating element is the objective nature
of the thing。 As this syllogism determines the extremes of the Notion equally as totalities; the
syllogism has attained to the correspondence of its Notion or the middle term; and its existence of
the difference of its extremes; that is; it has attained to its truth and in doing so has passed out of
subjectivity into objectivity。
A The Syllogism of Existence
1。 The syllogism in its immediate form has for its moments the determinations of the Notion as
immediate。 Hence they are the abstract determinatenesses of form; which are not yet developed
by mediation into concretion; but are only single determinatenesses。 The first syllogism is;
therefore; strictly the formal syllogism。 The formalism of the syllogising process consists in
stopping short at the determination of this first syllogism。 The Notion; differentiated into its
abstract moments; has individuality and universality for its extremes; and appears itself as the
particularity standing between them。 On account of their immediacy they are merely self…related
determinatenesses; and one and all a single content。 Particularity constitutes the middle term in
the first instance since it unites immediately within itself the two moments of individuality and
universality。 On account of its determinateness it is on the one hand subsumed under the universal;
while on the other hand the individual; as against which it possesses universality; is subsumed
under it。 But this concretion is in the first instance merely a duality of aspect; on account of the
immediacy in which the middle term presents itself in the immediate syllogism。 it appears as a
simple determinateness; and the mediation which it constitutes is not yet posited。 Now the
dialectical movement of the syllogism of existence consists in the positing in its moments of the
mediation that alone constitutes the syllogism。
(a) First Figure of the Syllogism I…P…U
(b) The Second Figure P…I…U
(c) The Third Figure I…U…P
(d) The Fourth Figure U…U…U
B The Syllogism of Reflection
The course of the qualitative syllogism has sublated what was abstract in its terms with the result
that the term has posited itself as a determinateness in which the other determinateness is also
reflected。 Besides the abstract terms; the syllogism also contains their relation; and in the
conclusion this relation is posited as mediated and necessary; therefore each determinateness is in
truth posited not as an individual; separate one; but as a relation to the other; as a concrete
determinateness。
The middle term was abstract particularity; by itself a simple determinateness; and was a middle
term only externally and relatively to the self…subsistent extremes。 Now it is posited as the totality
of the terms; as such it is the posited unity of the extremes; but in the first instance it is the unity of
reflection which embraces them within itself…an inclusion which; as the first sublating of immediacy
and the first relating of the terms; is not yet the absolute identity of the Notion。
The extremes are the determinations of the judgment of reflection; individuality proper and
universality as a connective determination or a reflection embracing a manifold within itself。 But
the individual subject also contains; as we have seen in the case of the judgment of reflection;
besides the bare individuality which belongs to form; determinateness as unive