第 38 节
作者:桃桃逃      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:9314
  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