第 66 节
作者:
桃桃逃 更新:2022-08-21 16:33 字数:9315
(2) The will or action of the individuals is the intermediating force which procures
for these needs satisfaction in society; in law; etc。; and which gives to society;
law; etc。; their fulfilment and actualisation。
(3) But the universal; that is to say the state; government; and law; is the
permanent underlying mean in which the individuals and their satisfaction have
and receive their fulfilled reality; intermediation; and persistence。 Each of the
functions of the notion; as it is brought by intermediation to coalesce with the
other extreme; is brought into union with itself and produces itself: which
production is self…preservation。 It is only by the nature of this triple coupling; by
this triad of syllogisms with the same terming that a whole is thoroughly
understood in its organisation。
§ 199
The immediacy of existence; which the objects have in Absolute Mechanism; is
implicitly negatived by the fact that their independence is derived from; and due
to; their connections with each other; and therefore to their own want of stability。
Thus the object must be explicitly stated as in its existence having an Affinity (or
a bias) towards its other … as not…indifferent。
(b) Chemism
§ 200
The not…indifferent (biased) object has an immanent mode which constitutes its
nature; and in which it has existence。 But as it is invested with the character of
total notion; it is the contradiction between this totality and the special mode of its
existence。 Consequently it is the constant endeavour to cancel this contradiction
and to make its definite being equal to the notion。
Chemism is a category of objectivity which; as a rule; is not particularly emphasised; and is
generally put under the head of mechanism。 The common name of mechanical relationship is
applied to both; in contradistinction to the teleological。 There is a reason for this in the common
feature which belongs to mechanism and chemism。 In them the notion exists; but only implicit and
latent; and they are thus both marked off from teleology where the notion has real independent
existence。 This is true: and yet chemism and mechanism are very decidedly distinct。 The object; in
the form of mechanism; is primarily only an indifferent reference to self; while the chemical object
is seen to be completely in reference to something else。 No doubt even in mechanism; as it
develops itself; there spring up references to something else: but the nexus of mechanical objects
with one another is at first only an external nexus; so that the objects in connection with one
another still retain the semblance of independence。
In nature; for example; the several celestial bodies; which form our solar system; compose a
kinetic system; and thereby show that they are related to one another。 Motion; however; as the
unity of time and space; is a connection which is purely abstract and external。 And it seems
therefore as if these celestial bodies; which are thus externally connected with each other; would
continue to be what they are; even apart from this reciprocal relation。 The case is quite different
with chemism。 Objects chemically biased are what they are expressly by that bias alone。 Hence
they are the absolute impulse towards integration by and in one another。
§ 201
The product of the chemical process consequently is the Neutral object; latent in
the two extremes; each on the alert。 The notion or concrete universal; by means
of the bias of the objects (the particularity); coalesces with the individuality (in the
shape of the product); and in that only with itself。 In this process too the other
syllogisms are equally involved。 The place of mean is taken both by individuality
as activity; and by the concrete universal; the essence of the strained extremes;
which essence reaches definite being in the product。
§ 202
Chemism; as it is a reflectional nexus of objectivity; has pre…supposed; not merely
the bias or non…indifferent nature of the objects; but also their immediate
independence。 The process of chemism consists in passing to and fro from one
form to another; which forms continue to be as external as before。 In the neutral
product the specific properties; which the extremes bore towards each other; are
merged。 But although the product is conformable to the notion; the inspiring
principle of active differentiation does not exist in it; for it has sunk back to
immediacy。 The neutral body is therefore capable of disintegration。 But the
discerning principle; which breaks up the neutral body into biased and strained
extremes; and which gives to the indifferent object in general its affinity and
animation towards another; that principle; and the process as a separation with
tension; falls outside of that first process。
The chemical process does not rise above a conditioned and finite process。 The notion as notion is
only the heart and core of the process; and does not in this stage come to an existence of its own。
In the neutral product the process is extinct; and the existing cause falls outside it。
§ 203
Each of these two processes; the reduction of the biased (not…indifferent) to the
neutral; and the differentiation of the indifferent or neutral; goes its own way
without hindrance from the other。 But that want of inner connection shows that
they are finite; by their passage into products in which they are merged and lost。
Conversely the process exhibits the nonentity of the presupposed immediacy of
the not…indifferent objects。 By this negation of immediacy and of externalism in
which the notion as object was sunk; it is liberated and invested with independent
being in face of that externalism and immediacy。 In these circumstances it is the
End (Final Cause)。
The passage from chemism to the teleological relation is implied in the mutual cancelling of both of
the forms of the chemical process。 The result thus attained is the liberation of the notion; which in
chemism and mechanism was present only in the germ; and not yet evolved。 The notion in the
shape of the aim or end thus comes into independent existence。
(c) Teleology
§204
In the End the notion has entered on free existence and has a being of its own; by
means of the negation of immediate objectivity。 It is characterised as subjective;
seeing that this negation is; in the first place; abstract; and hence at first the
relation between it and objectivity still one of contrast。 This character of
subjectivity; however; compared with the totality of the notion; is one…sided; and
that; be it added; for the End itself; in which all specific characters have been put
as subordinated and merged。 For it therefore even the object; which it
presupposes; has only hypothetical (ideal) reality … essentially no…reality。 The End;
in short; is a contradiction of its self…identity against the negation stated in it; i。e。
its antithesis to objectivity; and being so; contains the eliminative or destructive
activity which negates the antithesis and renders it identical with itself。 This is the
realisation of the End: in which; while it turns itself into the other of its
subjectivity and objectifies itself; thus cancelling the distinction between the two;
it has only closed with itself; and retained itself。
The notion of Design or End; while on one hand called redundant; is on another
justly described as the rational notion; and contrasted with the abstract universal
of understanding。 The latter only subsumes the particular; and so connects it with
itself: but has it not in its own nature。 The distinction between the End or final
cause; and the mere efficient cause (which is the cause ordinarily so called); is of
supreme importance。 Causes; properly so called; belong to the sphere of
necessity; blind; and not yet laid bare。 The cause therefore appears as passing into
its correlative; and losing its primordiality thereby sinking into dependency。 It is
only by implication; or for us; that the cause is in the effect made for the first
time a cause; and that it there returns into itself。 The End; on the other hand; is
expressly stated as containing the specific character in its own self … the effect;
namely; which in the purely causal relation is never free from otherness。 The End
therefore in its efficiency does not pass over; but retains itself; i。e。 it carries into
effect itself only; and is at the end what it was in the beginning or primordial state。
Until it thus retains itself; it is not genuinely primordial。 The End then requires to
be speculatively apprehended as the notion; which itself in the proper unity and
ideality of its characteristics contains the judgement or negation … the antithesis of
subjective and objective … and which to an equal extent suspends that antithesis。
By End however we must not at once; nor must we ever merely; think of the
form which it has in consciousness as a mode of mere mental representation。 By