itself；　which　is　this　relation　by　positing　itself　through　the　negativity；　is　the　universality　of　the
  Notion。
  As　universality　is　the　utterly　simple　determination；　it　does　not　seem　capable　of　any　explanation；
  for　an　explanation　must　concern　itself　with　definitions　and　distinctions　and　must　apply　predicates　to
  its　object；　and　to　do　this　to　what　is　simple；　would　alter　rather　than　explain　it。　But　the　simplicity
  which　constitutes　the　very　nature　of　the　universal　is　such　that；　through　absolute　negativity；　it
  contains　within　itself　difference　and　determinateness　in　the　highest　degree。　Being　is　simple　as
  immediate　being；　for　that　reason　it　is　only　something　meant　or　intended　and　we　cannot　say　of　it
  what　it　is；　therefore；　it　is　one　with　its　other；　with　non…being。　Its　Notion　is　just　this；　to　be　a
  simplicity　that　immediately　vanishes　in　its　opposite；　it　is　becoming。　The　universal；　on　the　contrary；
  is　that　simplicity　which；　because　it　is　the　Notion；　no　less　possesses　within　itself　the　richest
  content。
  First；　therefore；　it　is　the　simple　relation　to　itself；　it　is　only　within　itself。　Secondly；　however；　this
  identity　is　within　itself　absolute　mediation；　but　it　is　not　something　mediated。　The　universal　that　is
  mediated；　namely；　the　abstract　universal　that　is　opposed　to　the　particular　and　the　individual；　this
  will　be　discussed　later　when　we　are　dealing　with　the　specific　notion。　Yet　even　the　abstract
  universal　involves　this；　that　in　order　to　obtain　it　we　are　required　to　leave　out　other　determinations
  of　the　concrete。　These　determinations；　simply　as　such；　are　negations；　equally；　too；　the　omitting
  of　them　is　a　negating。　So　that　even　with　the　abstraction；　we　have　the　negation　of　the　negation。　But
  this　double　negation　is　conceived　of　as　though　it　were　external　to　the　abstraction；　as　though　not
  only　were　the　other　omitted　properties　of　the　concrete　distinct　from　the　one　retained；　which　is　the
  content　of　the　abstract　universal；　but　also　as　though　this　operation　of　omitting　the　other　properties
  and　retaining　the　one　were　a　process　outside　the　properties　themselves。　To　such　an　externality　in
  face　of　that　movement；　the　universal　has　not　yet　determined　itself；　it　is　still　within　itself　that　absolute
  mediation　which　is；　precisely；　the　negation　of　the　negation　or　absolute　negativity。
  By　virtue　of　this　original　unity　it　follows；　in　the　first　place；　that　the　first　negative；　or　the
  determination；　is　not　a　limitation　for　the　universal　which；　on　the　contrary；　maintains　itself　therein
  and　is　positively　identical　with　itself。　The　categories　of　being　were；　as　Notions；　essentially　these
  identities　of　the　determinations　with　themselves　in　their　limitation　or　otherness；　but　this　identity　was
  only　in　itself　the　Notion；　it　was　not　yet　manifested。　Consequently；　the　qualitative　determination　as
  such　was　lost　in　its　other　and　had　for　its　truth　a　determination　distinct　from　itself。　The　universal；　on
  the　contrary；　even　when　it　posits　itself　in　a　determination；　remains　therein　what　it　is。　It　is　the　soul
  ＇Seele＇　of　the　concrete　which　it　indwells；　unimpeded　and　equal　to　itself　in　the　manifoldness　and
  diversity　of　the　concrete。　It　is　not　dragged　into　the　process　of　becoming；　but　continues　itself
  through　that　process　undisturbed　and　possesses　the　power　of　unalterable；　undying
  self…preservation。
  But　even　so；　it　does　not　merely　show；　or　have　an　illusory　being；　in　its　other；　like　the　determination
  of　reflection；　this；　as　a　correlate；　is　not　merely　self…related　but　is　a　positive　relating　of　itself　to　its
  other　in　which　it　manifests　itself；　but；　in　the　first　instance；　it　only　shows　in　it；　and　this　illusory　being
  of　each　in　the　other；　or　their　reciprocal　determining；　along　with　their　self…dependence；　has　the　form
  of　an　external　act。　The　universal；　on　the　contrary；　is　posited　as　the　essential　being　of　its
  determination；　as　the　latter's　own　positive　nature。　For　the　determination　that　constitutes　its
  negative　is；　in　the　Notion；　simply　and　solely　a　positedness；　in　other　words；　it　is；　at　the　same　time；
  essentially　only　the　negative　of　the　negative；　and　is　only　as　this　identity　of　the　negative　with　itself；
  which　is　the　universal。　Thus　the　universal　is　also　the　substance　of　its　determinations；　but　in　such
  wise　that　what　was　a　contingency　for　substance；　is　the　Notion's　own　self…mediation；　its　own
  immanent　reflection。　But　this　mediation　which；　in　the　first　instance；　raises　contingency　to
  necessity；　is　the　manifested　relation；　the　Notion　is　not　the　abyss　of　formless　substance；　or
  necessity　as　the　inner　identity　of　things　or　states　distinct　from；　and　limiting；　one　another；　on　the
  contrary；　as　absolute　negativity；　it　is　the　shaper　and　creator；　and　because　the　determination　is　not　a
  limitation　but　is　just　as　much　utterly　sublated；　or　posited；　the　illusory　being　is　now　manifestation；　the
  manifestation　of　the　identical。
  The　universal　is　therefore　free　power；　it　is　itself　and　takes　its　other　within　its　embrace；　but　without
  doing　violence　to　it；　on　the　contrary；　the　universal　is；　in　its　other；　in　peaceful　communion　with
  itself。　We　have　called　it　free　power；　but　it　could　also　be　called　free　love　and　boundless
  blessedness；　for　it　bears　itself　towards　its　other　as　towards　its　own　self；　in　it；　it　has　returned　to
  itself。
  We　have　just　mentioned　determinateness；　although　the　Notion；　being　as　yet　only　the　universal
  and　only　self…identical；　has　not　yet　advanced　to　that　stage。　However；　we　cannot　speak　of　the
  universal　apart　from　determinateness　which　to　be　more　precise　is　particularity　and　individuality；　for
  the　universal；　in　its　absolute　negativity；　contains　determinateness　in　and　for　itself。　The
  determinateness；　therefore；　is　not　introduced　from　outside　when　we　speak　of　it　in　connection　with
  the　universal。　As　negativity　in　general　or　in　accordance　with　the　first；　immediate　negation；　the
  universal　contains　determinateness　generally　as　particularity；　as　the　second　negation；　that　is；　as
  negation　of　the　negation；　it　is　absolute　determinateness　or　individuality　and　concreteness。　The
  universal　is　thus　the　totality　of　the　Notion；　it　is　a　concrete；　and　far　from　being　empty；　it　has　through
  its　Notion　a　content；　and　a　content　in　which　it　not　only　maintains　itself　but　one　which　is　its　own
  and　immanent　in　it。　We　can；　indeed；　abstract　from　the　content：　but　in　that　case　we　do　not　obtain
  the　universal　of　the　Notion　but　only　the　abstract　universal；　which　is　an　isolated；　imperfect　moment
  of　the　Notion　and　has　no　truth。
  More　precisely；　the　universal　shows　itself　as　this　totality　as　follows。　In　so　far　as　it　contains
  determinateness；　it　is　not　merely　the　first　negation；　but　also　the　reflection　of　this　negation　into　itself。
  Taken　expressly　with　this　first　negation；　it　is　a　particular；　and　it　is　as　such　that　we　are　soon　to
  consider　it；　but　in　this　determinateness　it　is　essentially　still　a　universal；　this　side　we　have　here　still　to
  consider。　For　determinateness；　being　in　the　Notion；　is　the　total　reflection；　the　two…fold　illusory
  being　which　on　the　one　hand　has　an　illusory　reference　outwards；　the　reflection…into…other；　and　on
  the　other　hand　has　an　illusory　reference　inwards；　the　reflection…into…self。　The　former　reflection
  involves　distinction　from　an　other；　from　this　standpoint；　the　universal　possesses　a　particularity
  which　has　its　resolution　in　a　higher　universal。　Now　even　though　it　is　merely　a　relative　universal；　it
  does　not　lose　its　character　of　universal；　it　preserves　itself　in　its　determinateness；　not　merely　as
  though　in　its　connection　with　the　determinateness　it　remained　indifferent　to　it…for　then　it　would　be
  merely　compounded　with　it　but　so　that　it　is　what　we　have　just　called　the　illusory　reference
  inwards。　The　determinateness；　as　determinate　Notion；　is　bent　back　into　itself　out　of　the
  externality；　it　is　the　Notion's　own　immanent　character；　which　is　an　essential　character　by　virtue
  of　the　fact　that；　in　being　taken　up　into　the　universality　and　pervaded　by　it；　it　equally　pervades　the
  universality；　being　of　like　compass　and　identical　with　it；　it　is　the　character　that　belongs　to　the　genus
  as　the　determinateness　that　is　not　separated　from　the　universal。　Accordingly；　the　limitation　is　not
  outward…going　but　positive；　for　the　Notion；　through　its　universality；　stands　in　free　relation　to　itself。
  Thus　even　the　determinate　Notion　remains　within　itself　infinitely　free　Notion。
  But　in　regard　to　the　other　side；　in　which　the　genus　is　limited　by　its　specific　character；　it　has　been
  observed　that　this；　as　a　lower　genus；　has　its　resolution　in　a　higher　universal。　The　latter；　in　its　turn；
  can　also　be　grasped　as　genus　but　as　a　more　abstract　one；　but　it　always　pertains　only　to　that　side　of
  the　determinate　Notion　which　has　a　reference　outwards。　The　truly　higher　universal　is　that　in　which
  this　outward…going　side　is　taken　back　into　the　universal；　the　second　negation；　in　which　the
  determinateness　is　present　simply　as　posited　or　as　illusory　being。　Life；　ego；　spirit；　absolute　Notion；
  are　not　universals　merely　in　the　sense　of　higher　genera；　but　are　concretes　whose
  determinatenesses；　too；　are　not　species　or　lower　genera　but　genera　which；　in　their　reality；　are
  absolutely　self…contained　and　self…fulfilled。　In　so　far　as　life；　ego；　finite　spirit　are；　as　they　certain