fulfil　the　conditions　for　a　knowledge　either　of　Nature　or　of　the　formations　in　the　world　of　Mind　as
  they　truly　are。　Yet　on　the　other　side　it　is　impossible　to　overlook　the　formal　right　which；　in　the　first
  place；　entitles　the　empirical　sciences　to　vindicate　the　right　of　thought　to　know　the　existent　world　in
  all　the　speciality　of　its　content；　and　to　seek　something　further　than　the　bare　statement　of　mere
  abstract　faith　that　God　created　and　governs　the　world。　When　our　religious　consciousness；　resting
  on　the　authority　of　the　Church；　teaches　us　that　God　created　the　world　by　his　almighty　will；　that　he
  guides　the　stars　in　their　courses；　and　vouchsafes　to　all　his　creatures　their　existence　and　their
  well…being；　the　question　Why？　is　still　left　to　answer。　Now　it　is　the　answer　to　this　；question　which
  forms　the　common　task　of　empirical　science　and　of　philosophy。　When　religion　refuses　to　recognise
  this　problem；　or　the　right　to　put　it；　and　appeals　to　the　unsearchableness　of　the　decrees　of　God；　it　is
  taking　up　the　same　agnostic…　ground　as　is　taken　by　the　me…re　Enlightenment　of　understanding。
  Such　an　appeal　is　no　better　than　an　arbitrary　dogmatism；　which　contravenes　the　express　command
  of　Christianity；　to　know　God　in　spirit　and　in　truth；　and　is　prompted　by　a　humility　which　is　not
  Christian；　but　born　of　ostentatious　bigotry。
  §137
  Force　is　a　whole；　which　is　in　its　own　self　negative　self…relation；　and　as　such　a
  whole　it　continually　pushes　itself　off　from　itself　and　puts　itself　forth。　But　since　this
  reflection…into…another　（corresponding　to　the　distinction　between　the　Parts　of　the
  Whole）　is　equally　a　reflection…into…self；　this　out…putting　is　the　way　and　means　by
  which　Force　that　returns　back　into　itself　is　as　a　Force。　The　very　act　of　out…putting
  accordingly　sets　in　abeyance　the　diversity　of　the　two　sides　which　is　found　in　this
  correlation；　and　expressly　states　the　identity　which　virtually　constitutes　their
  content。　The　truth　of　Force　and　utterance　therefore　is　that　relation；　in　which　the
  two　sides　are　distinguished　only　as　Outward　and　Inward。
  §138
  ＇c＇　The　Inward　（Interior）　is　the　ground；　when　it　stands　as　the　mere　form　of　the
  one　side　of　the　Appearance　and　the　Correlation　…　the　empty　form　of
  reflection…into…self。　As　a　counterpart　to　it　stands　the　Outward　（Exterior）　…
  Existence　…　also　as　form　of　the　other　side　of　the　correlation；　with　the　empty
  characteristic　of　reflection…into…something…else。　But　Inward　and　Outward　are
  identified：　and　their　identity　is　identity　brought　to　fullness　in　the　content；　that　unity
  of　reflection…into…self　and　reflection…into…other　which　was　forced　to　appear　in　the
  movement　of　force。　Both　are　the　same　one　identity；　and　this　unity　makes　them
  the　content。
  §139
  In　the　first　place　then；　Exterior　is　the　same　content　as　Interior。　What　is　inwardly　is
  also　found　outwardly；　and　vice　versa。　The　appearance　shows　nothing　that　is　not
  in　the　essence；　and　in　the　essence　there　is　nothing　but　what　is　manifested。
  §140
  In　the　second　place；　Inward　and　Outward；　as　formal　terms；　are　also　reciprocally
  opposed；　and　that　thoroughly。　The　one　is　the　abstraction　of　identity　with　self；　the
  other　mere　multiplicity　or　reality。　But　as　stages　of　the　one　form；　they　are
  essentially　identical　so　that　whatever　is　at　first　explicitly　put　only　in　the　one
  abstraction；　is　also　plainly　and　at　one　step　in　the　other。　Therefore　what　is　only
  internal　is　also　only　external：　and　what　is　only　external；　is　so　far　only　at　first
  internal。
  It　is　the　customary　mistake　of　reflection　to　take　essence　to　be　merely　the　interior。
  If　it　be　so　taken；　even　this　way　of　looking　at　it　is　purely　external；　and　that　sort　of
  essence　is　the　empty　external　abstraction。
  Ins　Innere　der　Natur
  Dringt　kein　erschaffner　Geist；
  Zu　glücklich　wenn　er　nur
  De　？ussere　Schaale　weisst。
  It　ought　rather　to　have　been　said　that；　if　the　essence　of　nature　is　ever　described　as
  the　inner　part；　the　person　who　so　describes　it　only　knows　its　outer　shell。　In　Being
  as　a　whole；　or　even　in　mere　sense…perception；　the　notion　is　at　first　only　an　inward；
  and　for　that　very　reason　is　something　external　to　Being；　a　subjective　thinking　and
  being；　devoid　of　truth。　In　Nature　as　well　as　in　Mind；　so　long　as　the　notion；　design；
  or　law　are　at　first　the　inner　capacity；　mere　possibilities；　they　are　first　only　an
  external；　inorganic　nature；　the　knowledge　of　a　third　person；　alien　force；　and　the
  like。　As　a　man　is　outwardly；　that　is　to　say　in　his　actions　（not　of　course　in　his
  merely　bodily　outwardness）；　so　he　is　inwardly：　and　if　his　virtue；　morality；　etc。　are
  only　inwardly　his　…　that　is　if　they　exist　only　in　his　intentions　and　sentiments；　and
  his　outward　acts　are　not　identical　with　them　…　the　one　half　of　him　is　as　hollow　and
  empty　as　the　other。
  §140n
  The　relation　of　Outward　and　Inward　unites　the　two　relations　that　precede；　and　at　the　same　time
  sets　in　abeyance　mere　relativity　and　phenomenality　in　general。　Yet　so　long　as　understanding　keeps
  the　Inward　and　Outward　fixed　in　their　separation；　they　are　empty　forms；　the　one　as　null　as　the
  other。　Not　only　in　the　study　of　nature；　but　also　of　the　spiritual　world；　much　depends　on　a　just
  appreciation　of　the　relation　of　inward　and　outward；　and　especially　on　avoiding　the　misconception
  that　the　former　only　is　the　essential　point　on　which　everything　turns；　while　the　latter　is　unessential
  and　trivial。　We　find　this　mistake　made　when；　as　is　often　done；　the　difference　between　nature　and
  mind　is　traced　back　to　the　abstract　difference　between　inner　and　outer。　As　for　nature；　it　certainly　is
  in　the　gross　external；　not　merely　to　the　mind；　but　even　on　its　own　part。　But　to　call　it　external　'in　the
  gross'　is　not　to　imply　an　abstract　externality…for　there　is　no　such　thing。　It　means　rather　that　the　Idea
  which　forms　the　common　content　of　nature　and　mind；　is　found　in　nature　as　outward　only；　and　for
  that　very　reason　only　inward。　The　abstract　understanding；　with　its　'either…or'；　may　struggle　against
  this　conception　of　nature。　It　is　none　the　less　obviously　found　in　our　other　modes　of　consciousness；
  particularly　in　religion。　It　is　the　lesson　of　religion　that　nature；　no　less　than　the　spiritual　world；　is　a
  revelation　of　God：　but　with　this　distinction；　that　while　nature　never　gets　so　far　as　to　be　conscious　of
  its　divine　essence；　that　consciousness　is　the　express　problem　of　the　mind；　which　in　the　matter　of
  that　problem　is　as　yet　finite。　Those　who　look　upon　the　essence　of　nature　as　mere　inwardness；　and
  therefore　inaccessible　to　us；　take　up　the　same　line　as　that　ancient　creed　which　regarded　God　as
  envious　and　jealous；　a　creed　which　both　Plato　and　Aristotle　pronounced　against　long　ago。　All　that
  God　is；　he　imparts　and　reveals；　and　he　does　so　at　first　in　and　through　nature。
  Any　object　indeed　is　faulty　and　imperfect　when　it　is　only　inward；　and　thus　at　the　same　time　only
  outward；　or　（which　is　the　same　thing）　when　it　is　only　an　outward　and　thus　only　an　inward。　For
  instance；　a　child；　taken　in　the　gross　as　human　being；　is　no　doubt　a　rational　creature；　but　the　reason
  of　the　child　as　child　is　at　first　a　mere　inward；　in　the　shape　of　his　natural　ability　or　vocation；　etc。　This
  mere　inward；　at　the　same　time；　has　for　the　child　the　form　of　a　mere　outward；　in　the　shape　of　the
  will　of　his　parents；　the　attainments　of　his　teachers；　and　the　whole　world　of　reason　that　environs
  him。　The　education　and　instruction　of　a　child　aim　at　making　him　actually　and　for　himself　what　he　is
  at　first　only　potentially　and　therefore　for　others；　viz。；　for　his　grown　up　friends。　The　reason；　which　at
  first　exists　in　the　child　only　as　an　inner　possibility；　is　actualised　through　education：　and　conversely；
  the　child　by　these　means　becomes　conscious　that　the　goodness；　religion；　and　science　which　he　had
  at　first　looked　upon　as　an　outward　authority；　are　his　own　nature。　As　with　the　child　so　it　is　in　this
  matter　with　the　adult；　when；　in　opposition　to　his　true　destiny；　his　intellect　and　will　remain　in　the
  bondage　of　the　natural　man。　Thus；　the　criminal　sees　the　punishment　to　which　he　has　to　submit　as　an
  act　of　violence　from　without；　whereas　in　fact　the　penalty　is　only　the　manifestation　of　his　own
  criminal　will。
  From　what　has　now　been　said；　we　may　learn　what　to　think　of　a　man　who；　when　blamed　for　his
  shortcomings；　or；　it　may　be；　his　discreditable　acts；　appeals　to　the　（professedly）　excellent　intentions
  and　sentiments　of　the　inner　self　he　distinguishes　therefrom。　There　certainly　may　be　individual　cases
  where　the　malice　of　outward　circumstances　frustrates　well…meant　designs；　and　disturbs　the
  execution　of　the　best…laid　plans。　But　in　general　even　here　the　essential　unity　between　inward　and
  outward　is　maintained。　We　are　thus　justified　in　saying　that　a　man　is　what　he　does；　and。　the　lying
  vanity　which　consoles　itself　with　the　feeling　of　inward　excellence　may　be　confronted　with　the
  words　of　the　Gospel：　'By　their　fruits　ye　shall　know　them。'　That　grand　saying　applies　primarily　in　a
  moral　and　religious　aspect；　but　it　also　holds　good　in　reference　to　performa