This　last　argument　gives　rise　to　that　highly　facile　formalism　which　replaces　the　determinations　of　the
  concept　with　sensuous　materials　like　chemical　substances；　as　well　as　relationships　belonging　to　the
  sphere　of　inorganic　nature；　like　the　north　and　south　polarity　of　magnetism；　or　the　differences
  between　magnetism　and　electricity。　This　is　a　formalism　which　conceives　the　natural　universe　and
  develops　its　conception　in　such　a　way　that　it　attaches　a　readymade　schema　of　north　and　south　or
  east　and　west　polarities　externally　to　the　spheres　and　differences　it　uses。　For　this　purpose　there　is　a
  great　variety　of　forms　possible。　For　it　remains　a　matter　of　choice　whether　one　employs　the
  determinations　of　the　totality　for　the　schema；　as　they　appear　for　example　in　the　chemical　sphere；
  oxygen；　hydrogen；　and　so　on；　and　transfers　them　to　magnetism；　mechanism；　electricity；　and　the
  masculine　and　the　feminine；　contraction　and　expansion；　and　so　on；　then　applies　them　to　the　other
  spheres。
  §　283。
  Need　and　excitement　are　connected　to　the　relation　between　the　universal　and　the　particular
  mechanism　（sleeping　and　waking）；　the　relation　to　air　（breathing　and　skin　processes）；　water　（thirst）；
  and　the　individualised　earth；　namely；　the　particular　forms　of　the　earth　（cf。　hunger；　§　275）。　Life；　the
  subject　of　these　moments　of　totality；　develops　inwardly　a　tension　between　itself　as　concept　and　the
  moments　of　a　reality　external　to　itself　and　is　the　ongoing　conflict　in　which　it　overcomes　this
  externality。　Because　the　animal　can　only　exist　as　an　essentially　individual　entity；　and　this　only
  individually；　this　objectification　is　not　adequate　to　its　concept　and　therefore　turns　back　constantly
  from　its　satisfaction　to　the　condition　of　need。
  §　284。
  The　mechanical　seizure　of　the　external　object　is　only　the　beginning　of　the　unification　of　the　object
  with　the　living　animal。　Since　the　animal　is　hence　a　subject；　the　simple　negativity　of　the　punctured
  unity；　the　assimilation　can　be　neither　of　a　mechanical　nor　a　chemical　nature；　for　in　these　processes
  both　the　material　substances　as　the　conditions　and　the　activity　remain　externally　in　opposition　to
  each　other；　and　lack　living；　absolute　unity。
  §　285。
  In　the　first　place；　because　the　living　organism　is　the　general　power　over　the　nature　external　and
  opposed　to　it；　assimilation　is　the　immediate　fusion　of　the　ingested　material　with　animality；　an
  infection　by　the　latter　and　simple　transformation　（cf。　§　278）。　Secondly；　since　the　power　of　the
  living　organism　is　the　relation　of　itself　to　itself　in　mediation；　assimilation　is　digestion。　It　is　the
  opposition　of　the　subject　to　its　immediate　assimilation；　so　that　the　former　stimulates　itself　on　the
  other　hand　as　a　negative；　and　emerges　as　the　process　of　the　antithesis；　the　process　of　animal　water
  （of　stomach　and　pancreatic　juices；　animal　lymph　as　such）　and　of　animal　fire　（of　the　gall；　in　which
  the　accomplished　return　of　the　organism　into　itself　from　its　concentration　in　the　spleen　is
  determined　as　being　for　itself　as　active　consumption）。
  §　286。
  This　animal　stimulation　is　turned　at　first　against　the　external　potency；　which；　however；　is　placed
  immediately　on　the　side　of　the　organism　by　the　infection　（§　277）。　But　this　stimulus；　as　the　antithesis
  and　the　being　for　itself　of　the　process；　has　at　the　same　time　the　determination　of　externality　over
  against　the　generality　and　simple　self…relation　of　the　living　organism。　Both　aspects　together；　initially
  appearing　on　the　side　of　the　subject　as　means；　actually　constitute　therefore　the　object　and　the
  negative　side　in　conflict　with　the　organism；　which　has　to　overcome　and　to　digest。
  §　287。
  This　inversion　of　attitude　is　the　reflection　of　the　organism　into　itself　the　negation　of　its　own
  negativity　of　outwardly　directed　activity。　As　a　natural　being　it　combines　the　individuality　which　it
  reaches　in　the　process　with　its　generality　as　disjunctive；　in　such　a　way　that　on　the　one　hand　it
  separates　from　itself　the　first　negation；　the　externality　of　the　object　and　its　own　activity；　on　the
  other　hand；　and　as　immediately　identical　with　this　negation；　with　this　means　reproduces　itself　Thus
  the　outward　moving　process　is　transformed　and　transposed　into　the　first　formal　processes　of
  reproduction　from　its　own　self。
  The　primary　moment　in　digestion　is　the　immediate　action　of　life　as　the　power　over　the　inorganic
  object；　which　it　sets　against　itself　and　presupposes　as　its　stimulating　attraction　only　insofar　as　it　is
  itself　identical　with　it。　This　action　is　infection　and　immediate　transformation。　It　has　been　empirically
  demonstrated　and　shown　to　accord　with　the　concept；　by　the　experiments　of　Spallanzani　and
  others　and　by　recent　physiology；　that　this　immediacy；　which　the　living　organism　has　as　a　generality；
  continues　itself　into　its　food　without　any　further　mediation；　by　its　mere　contact　with　it　and　simply　by
  taking　it　up　into　its　own　warmth　and　sphere。　This　is　a　refutation　of　both　the　theory　of　a　mechanical；
  fictitious　sorting　out　and　separating　of　parts　already　homogeneous　and　useful；　and　the　theory　of
  mediation　conceived　as　a　chemical　process。　But　the　investigations　of　the　mediating　actions　have
  not　found　more　specific　moments　in　this　transformation　（as　appears；　for　example；　in　vegetable
  substances　as　a　series　of　fermentations）。　On　the　contrary；　they　have　shown　for　example　that　a
  great　deal　of　food　moves　straight　from　the　stomach　into　the　mass　of　gastric　juices；　without　passing
  through　other　mediating　stages；　that　the　pancreatic　juice　is　further　nothing　more　than　saliva；　that　the
  pancreas　could　quite　as　well　be　dispensed　with；　and　so　on。
  The　last　product；　the　chyle；　which　the　thoracic　duct　takes　up　and　which　is　discharged　into　the
  blood；　is　the　same　lymph　which　is　secreted　by　each　intestine　and　organ；　effects　the　skin　and
  lymphatic　system　in　the　immediate　process　of　transformation；　and　is　everywhere　found　already
  prepared。　The　lower　organisms　of　animal　life；　which；　moreover；　are　nothing　more　than　lymph
  coagulated　into　a　membranous　point　or　tube　—　a　simple　intestinal　canal　—　do　not　go　beyond　this
  immediate　transformation。　The　mediated　digestive　process　in　the　higher　organisations　of　animal　life
  is；　in　respect　of　its　characteristic　product；　just　such　a　superfluity　as；　in　the　plant；　the　generation　of
  seeds　mediated　by　〃sexual　difference。〃　The　faeces　often　show；　especially　in　children；　in　whom
  after　all　the　increase　of　material　is　most　apparent；　the　greatest　part　of　the　food　unchanged；　mixed
  mainly　with　animal　substances；　bile；　phosphorus；　and　the　like；　and　the　primary　action　of　the
  organism　to　be　to　overcome　and　to　eliminate　its　own　products。
  The　syllogism　of　the　organism　is　not；　therefore；　the　syllogism　of　external　purposiveness；　for　it　does
  not　stop　at　directing　its　activity　and　form　against　the　outer　subject　but　makes　this　process；　which
  because　of　its　externality　is　on　the　verge　of　becoming　mechanical　and　chemical；　into　an　object　itself
  And　since　it　is　nature；　in　the　uniting　of　itself　with　itself　in　its　outward　process；　it　is　no　less　a
  disjunctive　activity；　which　rids　itself　of　this　process；　abstracts　itself　away　from　its　anger　towards　the
  object；　from　this　one…sided　subjectivity；　and　thereby　becomes　for　itself　what　it　is　in　itself：　the
  identity　of　its　concept　and　its　reality。　Thus　the　end　and　the　product　of　its　activity　are　found　to　be
  that　which　it　already　is　originally　and　at　the　beginning。　In　this　way　the　satisfaction　accords　with
  reason：　the　process　outward　into　external　differentiation　is　converted　into　the　process　of　the
  organism　with　itself　and　the　result　is　not　the　mere　production　of　a　means；　but　of　the　end。
  §　288。
  Through　the　process　with　external　nature　the　animal　achieves　self…certainty　and　its　subjective
  concept；　truth　and　objectivity　as　a　single　individual。　And　it　is　the　production　of　itself　just　as　much
  as　its　self…preservation；　or　reproduction　as　production　of　its　first　concept。　Thus　the　concept　joins
  together　with　itself　and　is；　as　concrete　generality；　genus。　The　disjunction　of　the　individual　finding
  itself　in　the　genus　is　the　sexual　difference；　the　relation　of　the　subject　to　an　object　which　is　itself　such
  a　subject。
  §　289。
  This　relation　is　the　drive：　the　individual　as　such　is　not　adequate　to　its　genus；　nor　does　this　adequacy
  fall　into　an　external　reflection。　The　individual　is　at　the　same　time；　in　this　limitation　of　the　genus；　the
  identical　relation　of　the　genus　to　itself　in　one　unity。　The　individual　thus　has　the　feeling　of　this　lack
  and　exists　in　the　natural　difference　of　the　sexes。
  §　290。
  （3）　The　process　of　genus　formation　has；　as　in　the　inorganic　process　of　chemism；　taken　the　general
  concept　as　the　essence　of　individuals　to　a　general　extreme。　The　tension　between　the　individual　and
  the　inadequacy　of　its　single　actuality　drives　each　to　have　its　self…feeling　only　in　the　other　of　its
  genus；　and　to　integrate　itself　through　union　with　the　other