shorter logic-第38节

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the　Idea。　

Even　Becoming　however；　taken　at　its　best　on　its　own　ground；　is　an　extremely　poor　term：　it　needs
to　grow　in　depth　and　weight　of　meaning。　Such　deepened　force　we　find　e。g。　in　Life。　Life　is　a
Becoming　but　that　is　not　enough　to　exhaust　the　notion　of　life。　A　still　higher　form　is　found　in　Mind。
Here　too　is　Becoming；　but　richer　and　more　intensive　than　mere　logical　Becoming。　The　elements
whose　unity　constitute　mind　are　not　the　bare　abstracts　of　Being　and　Nought；　but　the　system　of　the
logical　Idea　and　of　Nature。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）　Being　Determinate
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　89

In　Becoming；　the　Being　which　is　one　with　Nothing；　and　the　Nothing　which　is　one
with　Being；　are　only　vanishing　factors；　they　are　and　they　are　not。　Thus　by　its
inherent　contradiction　Becoming　collapses　into　the　unity　in　which　the　two
elements　are　absorbed。　This　result　is　accordingly　Being　Determinate　（Being
there　and　so）。　

In　this　first　example　we　must　call　to　mind；　once　for　all；　＇that＇：　the　only　way　to
secure　any　growth　and　progress　in　knowledge　is　to　hold　results　fast　in　their　truth。
There　is　absolutely　nothing　whatever　in　which　we　cannot　and　must　not　point　to
contradictions　or　opposite　attributes；　and　the　abstraction　made　by　understanding
therefore　means　a　forcible　insistence　on　a　single　aspect；　and　a　real　effort　to
obscure　and　remove　all　consciousness　of　the　other　attribute　which　is　involved。
Whenever　such　contradiction；　then；　is　discovered　in　any　object　or　notion；　the
usual　inference　is；　Hence　this　object　is　nothing。　

Thus　Zeno；　who　first　showed　the　contradiction　native　to　motion；　concluded　that
there　is　no　motion；　and　the　ancients；　who　recognised　origin　and　decease；　the　two
species　of　Becoming；　as　untrue　categories；　made　use　of　the　expression　that　the
One　or　Absolute　neither　arises　not　perishes。　Such　a　style　of　dialectic　looks　only　at
the　negative　aspect　of　its　result；　and　fails　to　notice；　what　is　at　the　same　time　really
present；　the　definite　result；　in　the　present　case　a　pure　nothing；　but　a　Nothing
which　includes　Being；　and；　in　like　manner；　a　Being　which　includes　Nothing。
Hence　Being　Determinate　is　（1）　the　unity　of　Being　and　Nothing；　in　which　we　get
rid　of　the　immediacy　in　these　determinations；　and　their　contradiction　vanishes　in
their　mutual　connection　…　the　unity　in　which　they　are　only　constituent　elements。
And　（2）　since　the　result　is　the　abolition　of　the　contradiction；　it　comes　in　the　shape
of　a　simple　unity　with　itself：　that　is　to　say；　it　also　is　Being　with　negation　or
determinateness：　it　is　Becoming　expressly　put　in　the　form　of　one　of　its　elements；
viz。；　Being。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　89n

Even　our　ordinary　conception　of　Becoming　implies　that　somewhat　comes　out　of　it；　and　that
Becoming　therefore　has　a　result。　But　this　conception　gives　rise　to　the　question；　how　Becoming
does　not　remain　mere　Becoming；　but　has　a　result？　

The　answer　to　this　question　follows　from　what　Becoming　has　already　shown　itself　to　be。　Becoming
always　contains　Being　and　Nothing　in　such　a　way；　that　these　two　are　always　changing　into　each
other；　and　reciprocally　cancelling　each　other。　Thus　Becoming　stands　before　us　in　utter　restlessness
…　unable　however　to　maintain　itself　in　this　abstract　restlessness：　for；　since　Being　and　Nothing　vanish
in　Becoming　（and　that　is　the　very　notion　of　Becoming）；　the　latter　must　vanish　also。　Becoming　is　as
it　were　a　fire；　which　dies　out　in　itself；　when　it　consumes　its　material。　The　result　of　this　process
however　is　not　empty　Nothing；　but　Being　identical　with　the　negation　…　what　we　call　Being
Determinate　（being　then　and　there）：　the　primary　import　of　which　evidently　is　that　it　has　become。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quality
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　90

（a）　Determinate　Being　is　Being　with　a　character　or　mode　…　which　simply　is；　and
such　unmediated　character　is　Quality。　And　as　reflected　into　itself　in　this　its
character　or　mode；　Determinate　Being　is　a　somewhat；　as　existent。　The　categories；
which　issue　by　a　closer　analysis　of　Determinate　Being；　need　only　be　mentioned
briefly。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　90n

Quality　may　be　described　as　the　determinate　mode　immediate　and　identical　with　Being　…　as
distinguished　from　Quantity　（to　come　afterwards）；　which；　although　a　mode　of　Being；　is　no　longer
immediately　identical　with　Being；　but　a　mode　indifferent　and　external　to　it。　A　something　is　what　it　is
in　virtue　of　its　quality；　and　losing　its　quality　it　ceases　to　be　what　it　is。　

Quality；　moreover；　is　completely　a　category　only　of　the　finite；　and　for　that　reason　too　it　has　its
proper　place　in　Nature；　not　in　the　world　of　the　Mind。　Thus；　for　example；　in　Nature　what　are　styled
elementary　bodies；　oxygen；　nitrogen；　etc。；　should　be　regarded　as　existing　qualities。　But　in　the
sphere　of　mind；　Quality　appears　in　a　subordinate　way　only；　and　not　as　if　its　qualitativeness　could
exhaust　any　specific　aspect　of　mind。　If；　for　example；　we　consider　the　subjective　mind；　which　forms
the　object　of　psychology；　we　may　describe　what　is　called　（moral　and　mental）　character；　as　in
logical　language　identical　with　Quality。　This　however　does　not　mean　that　character　is　a　mode　of
being　which　pervades　the　soul　and　is　immediately　identical　with　it；　as　is　the　case　in　the　natural
world　with　elementary　bodies　beforementioned。　Yet　a　more　distinct　manifestation　of　Quality　as
such；　in　mind　even；　is　found　in　the　case　of　besotted　or　morbid　conditions；　especially　in　states　of
passion　and　when　the　passion　rises　to　derangement。　The　state　of　mind　of　a　deranged　person；　being
one　mass　of　jealousy；　fear；　etc。；　may　suitably　be　described　as　Quality。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reality；　Being…for…another　&　Being…for…self
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　91

Quality；　as　determinateness　which　is；　as　contrasted　with　the　Negation　which　is
involved　in　it　but　distinguished　from　it；　is　Reality。　Negation　is　no　longer　an
abstract　nothing；　but；　as　a　determinate　being　and　somewhat；　is　only　a　form　of
such　being　…　it　is　as　Otherness。　Since　this　otherness；　though　a　determination　of
Quality　itself；　is　in　the　first　instance　distinct　from　it；　Quality　is　Being…for…another
…　an　expansion　of　the　mere　point　of　Determinate　Being；　or　of　Somewhat。　The
Being　as　such　of　Quality；　contrasted　with　this　reference　to　somewhat　else；　is
Being…for…self　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　91n

The　foundation　of　all　determinateness　is　negation。　The　unreflecting　observer　supposes　that
determinate　things　are　merely　positive；　and　pins　them　down　under　the　form　of　being。　Mere　being
however　is　not　the　end　of　the　matter：　it　is；　as　we　have　already　seen；　utter　emptiness　and　instability
besides。　Still；　when　abstract　being　is　confused　in　this　way　with　being　modified　and　determinate；　it
implies　some　perception　of　the　fact　that；　though　in　determinate　being　there　is　involved　an　element
of　negation；　this　element　is　at　first　wrapped　up；　as　it　were；　and　only　comes　to　the　front　and
receives　its　due　in　Being…for…self。　If　we　go　on　to　consider　determinate　Being　as　a　determinateness
which　is；　we　get　in　this　way　what　is　called　Reality。　

We　speak；　for　example；　of　the　reality　of　a　plan　or　a　purpose；　meaning　thereby　that　they　are　no
longer　inner　and　subjective；　but　have　passed　into　being…there…and…then。　In　the　same　sense　the
body　may　be　called　the　reality　of　the　soul；　and　the　law　the　reality　of　freedom；　and　the　world
altogether　the　reality　of　the　divine　idea。　The　word　'reality'　is　however　used　in　another　acceptation
to　mean　that　something　behaves　conformably　to　its　essential　characteristic　or　notion。　For　example；
we　use　the　expression：　This　is　a　real　occupation；　This　is　a　real　man。　Here　the　term　does　not　merely
mean　outward　and　immediate　existence：　but　rather　that　some　existence　agrees　with　its　notion。　In
which　sense；　be　it　added；　reality　is　not　distinct　from　the　ideality　which　we　shall　in　the　first　instance
become　acquainted　with　in　the　shape　of　Being…for…self。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　92

＇b＇　Being；　if　kept　distinct　and　apart　from　its　determinate　mode；　as　it　is　in
Being…by…self　（Being　implicit）；　would　be　only　the　vacant　abstraction　of　Being。　In
Being　（determinate　there　and　then）；　the　determinateness　is　one　with　Being；　yet　at
the　same　time；　when　explicitly　made　a　negation；　it　is　a　Limit；　a　Barrier。　Hence
the　otherness　is　not　something　indifferent　and　outside　it；　but　a　function　proper　to
it。　Somewhat　is　by　its　quality；　firstly　finite；　secondly　alterable；　so　that　finitude
and　variability　appertain　to　its　being。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　92n
。。。
If　we　take　a　closer　look　at　what　a　limit　implies；　we　see　it　involving　a　contradiction　in　itself；　and　thus
evincing　its　dialectical　nature。　On　the　one　side　limit　makes　the　reality　of　a　thing；　on　the　other　it　is　its
negation。　But；　again；　the　limit；　as　the　negation　of　something；　is　not　an　abstract　nothing　but　a　nothing
which　is　…　what　we　call　an　〃other〃。　Given　something；　and　up　starts　an　other　to　us：　we　know　that
there　is　not　something　only；　but　an　other　as　well。　Nor；　again；　is　the　other　of　such　a　nature　that　we
can　think　something　apart　from　it；　a　something　is　implicitly　the　other　of　itself；　and　the　so