and　impenetrability　reveal　themselves　here　to　be　raised　to　immateriality。　Furthermore；　oxygen　and
  hydrogen　have　a　determination　so　dependent　upon　the　individuality　of　the　body　that　the
  components　of　oxygen　are　determined　in　oxides；　as　a　base　in　general；　and；　in　the　opposite
  direction；　as　an　acid；　just　as；　by　contrast；　the　acidic　determination　in　hydrochloric　acid　reveals　itself
  as　hydrogenation。
  §　254。
  In　contrast　to　the　solid　indifference　of　the　particular　corporeality　stands　physical　brittleness；　the
  being　of　particularity　grasped　together　in　the　unity　of　selfhood　（brass　represents　the　totality；　as　the
  unification　of　sulphur　and　metal）。　This　brittleness　is　the　real　possibility　of　combustion；　the　reality　of
  which　is　itself　the　self…devouring　being　for　itself　fire；　and　remains　an　external　entity。　Fire　mediates
  the　inner　difference　of　the　combustible　body　through　the　physical　element　of　abstract　negativity；
  air；　with　a　being　as　posited　or　reality；　and　enhances　it　to　acidity。　Air；　however；　decomposes　in　its
  negative　principle　into　this；　oxygen；　and　a　dead　positive　residuum；　nitrogen。
  §　255。
  The　chemical　elements　are：　nitrogen；　the　abstraction　of　indifference；　oxygen；　the　element　of
  self…subsistent　difference；　the　burning　element；　hydrogen；　the　element　belonging　to　the　opposition
  or　self…subsistent　indifference；　the　combustible　element；　and　carbon；　as　the　abstraction　of　their
  individual　element。
  §　256。
  （2）　The　two　products　of　the　abstract　processes；　acids　and　bases　or　alkalis；　are　now　no　longer
  merely　but　actually　diverse；　and　（concentrated　acids　and　alkalis　enhanced　caustically）　are　therefore
  incapable　of　subsisting　for　themselves。　In　a　state　of　restlessness　they　suspend　themselves；　and　are
  posited　as　identical　to　their　opposites。　This　unity；　in　which　their　concept　is　realised；　is　the　neutral
  body；　salt。
  §　257。
  （3）　In　salt　the　concrete　and　shaped　body　is　the　product　of　its　process。　The　relation　of　such　diverse
  bodies　to　each　other　involves　to　some　extent　the　more　precise　particularisation　of　the　bodies；　from
  which　〃elective　affinities〃　derive。　In　general；　however；　these　processes　are　for　themselves　more
  real；　since　the　extremes　occurring　in　them　are　not　abstract　bodies。　More　specifically；　they　are　the
  dissolved　particles　of　the　neutral　bodies　into　abstractions；　the　processes　from　which　they　are
  produced；　retrogressions　back　to　oxides　and　acids；　and　further；　both　immediately　and　in　abstract
  forms；　back　to　the　indifferent　bases；　which　manifest　themselves　in　this　way　as　products。
  Empirical　chemistry　deals　mainly　with　the　particularity　of　the　products；　which　are　then　ordered
  according　to　superficial　and　abstract　determinations。　Metals；　oxygen　nitrogen　and　many　other
  bodies；　earth；　sulphur；　phosphorous　appear　in　this　order　together；　just　as　chaotically；　the　more
  abstract　and　the　more　real　processes　are　posited　on　the　same　level。　If　a　scientific　form　is　to　come
  from　this　mixture；　then　each　product　should　be　determined　according　to　the　level　of　the　process
  from　which　it　results　and　which　gives　it　its　particular　significance。　It　is　just　as　essential　to　distinguish
  the　levels　of　the　abstraction　or　the　reality　of　the　process。　Animal　and　vegetable　substances　belong
  in　any　case　to　an　entirely　different　order；　and　so　little　of　their　nature　can　be　comprehended　through
  the　description　of　the　chemical　process　that　much　more　is　destroyed　than　saved；　and　only　the
  course　of　its　death　is　grasped。　These　substances；　however；　should　serve　to　work　against　that
  metaphysics　dominant　in　both　chemistry　and　physics；　namely；　the　thought　or　empty　idea　of　the
  unchangeability　of　matter；　its　composition　and　subsistence　in　matter。　We　see　admitted　in　general；
  however；　that　chemical　substances　lose　those　attributes　in　combination　which　they　demonstrate
  separately。　Nevertheless　the　idea　remains　that　these　substances　are　the　same　things　with　the
  attributes　as　without；　and　as　things　with　these　attributes　they　are　not　only　products　of　the　process。
  An　important　step　towards　simplification　of　the　particularities　in　the　elective　affinities　is　the　law
  discovered　by　Richter　and　Guiton　Morveau；　which　states　that　neutral　compounds　suffer　no　change
  regarding　their　state　of　solution　when　they　are　mixed　in　solution　and　the　acids　exchange　bases　with
  each　other。　The　quantitative　scale　of　acids　and　alkalis　has　been　constructed　on　the　basis　of　this
  law；　according　to　which　each　individual　acid　has　a　particular　relation　for　its　saturation　to　each
  alkali；　so　that；　however；　for　every　other　acid　whose　quantitative　unity　is　only　different　from　the
  others；　now　the　alkalis　have　among　each　other　the　same　relation　to　their　saturation　as　to　the　other
  acids；　and　similarly；　acids　display　a　constant　relation　among　each　other　and　relative　to　all　the
  different　alkali。
  Since；　moreover；　the　chemical　process　has　its　determination　in　the　concept；　the　empirical
  conditions　of　a　particular　form；　as　for　example　electricity；　are　not　as　fixed　as　sensory
  determinations　and　not　as　abstract　moments　as　is　represented　for　example　by　an　elective　affinity。
  Berthollet；　in　his　famous　work　Statique　chimique；　has　brought　together　and　investigated　the
  circumstances　which　produce　changes　in　the　results　of　chemical　action；　results　often　attributed　only
  to　the　conditions　of　the　affinity；　which　are　taken　as　constant　and　fixedly　determined　laws。　He　says：
  〃The　superficiality　which　these　explanations　bring　into　science　is　prominently　regarded　as
  progress。〃
  §　258。
  The　chemical　process　is；　to　be　sure；　in　general　terms；　life；　for　the　individual　body　in　its　immediacy
  is　suspended　and　brought　forth　by　the　process；　so　that　the　concept　no　longer　remains　an　inner
  necessity；　but　becomes　manifest。　But　the　body　also　achieves　a　mere　appearance；　and　not
  objectivity。　This　process　is　finite　and　transient；　because　the　individual　body　has　immediate
  individuality；　and　therefore　a　limited　particularity；　so　that　the　process　has　immediate　and　contingent
  conditions。　Fire　and　differentiation　are　extinguished　in　the　neutral　body；　and　it　does　not　break　apart
  sufficiently　in　itself　to　divide。　Similarly；　difference　exists　at　first　in　indifferent　independence；　but
  does　not　stand　for　itself　in　relation　to　the　other；　nor　does　it　activate　itself
  Certain　chemical　phenomena　have　led　chemists　to　apply　the　determination　of　purposiveness　in
  explaining　them。　An　example　is　the　f　that　an　oxide　is　reduced　to　a　lower　degree　of　oxidation　than
  that　at　which　it　can　combine　with　the　acid　working　on　it；　and　a　part　of　it　is　more　strongly
  oxidised…；…here　the　self…determination　of　the　concept　lies　in　the　realisation。
  §　259。
  In　the　chemical　process　the　body　thus　displays　the　transiency　of　its　immediate　individuality　both　in
  its　emergence　and　its　passing　away；　and　presents　itself　as　a　moment　of　generality。　In　this　immediate
  individuality　the　concept　has　the　reality　which　corresponds　to　it；　a　concrete　generality　which
  derives　from　particularisation；　and　at　the　same　time　contains　in　itself　the　conditions　and　moments　of
  the　total　syllogism　which　fall　apart　from　each　other　in　the　immediate　chemical　process；　—　the
  organism。
  III
  Organic　Physics
  A。　Geological　Nature　…　B。　Vegetable　Nature　…　C。　The　Animal　Organism
  §　260。
  The　real　totality　of　the　individual　body；　in　which　its　particularity　is　made　into　a　product　and　equally
  suspends　itself　—　elevates　itself　in　the　process　into　the　first　ideality　of　nature；　but　an　ideality　which
  is　fulfilled；　and　as　self…related　negative　unity　has　essentially　attained　selfhood　and　become
  subjective。　With　this　accomplished；　the　idea　has　entered　into　existence；　initially　as　an　immediate
  existence；　Life。　This　is：　（a）　as　shape；　the　general　image　of　life；　the　geological　organism；　（b）　as
  particular　or　formal　subjectivity；　vegetable　nature；　（c）　as　individual；　concrete　subjectivity；　animal
  nature。
  A。
  Geological　Nature
  §　261。
  The　general　system　of　individual　bodies　is　the　earth；　which　in　the　chemical　process　initially　has　its
  abstract　individuality　in　particularisation；　but　as　the　totality　it　has　an　infinite　relation　to　itself　as　a
  general；　self…dividing　process；　…　and　is；　immediately；　the　subject　and　its　product。　As　the　immediate
  totality；　however；　presupposed　by　subjective　totality　itself　the　body　of　the　earth　is　only　the　shape
  of　the　organism。
  §　262。
  The　members　of　this　organism　do　not　contain；　therefore；　the　generality　of　the　process　within
  themselves；　they　are　the　particular　individuals；　and　constitute　a　system　whose　forms　manifest
  themselves　as　members　of　the　unfolding　of　an　underlying　idea；　whose　process　of　development　is　a
  past　one。
  §　263。
  The　powers　of　this　process；　which　nature　leaves　behind　as　independent　entities　beyond　earth；　are
  the　connection　and　the