第 44 节
作者:
匆匆 更新:2021-02-27 02:11 字数:9319
But in the opposite sense; objectivity signifies that which is in and for itself; and free from
limitation and opposition。 Rational principles; perfect works of art。; etc。; are called objective in so
far as they are free and above all contingency。 Although rational; theoretical or ethical principles
belong only to subjectivity; to consciousness; yet that element in the latter that is in and for itself is
called objective; the cognition of truth is placed in cognising the object as object; free from
anything added by subjective reflection; and right conduct in the obedience to objective laws that
are not subjective in origin and admit no caprice and no treatment that might overthrow their
necessity。
At the present standpoint of our exposition objectivity signifies; in the first instance; the absolute
being of the Notion; that is; the Notion that has sublated the mediation posited in its
self…determination and converted it into immediate relation…to…self。 Consequently this immediacy
is itself immediately and wholly pervaded by the Notion; just as the Notion's totality is immediately
identical with its being。 But since; further; the Notion has equally to restore the free being…for…self
of its subjectivity; there arises a relationship between the Notion as end and objectivity。 In this
relationship the immediacy of the objectivity becomes the negative element over against the end;
an element to be determined by the activity of the end; this immediacy thus acquires the other
significance; that of being in and for itself null in so far as it stands opposed to the Notion。
First; then; objectivity is an immediacy whose moments; by virtue of the totality of all the moments;
exist in a self…subsistent indifference as objects outside one another; and in their relationship
possess the subjective unity of the Notion only as an inner or an outer unity。 This is
Mechanism。
But secondly; this unity reveals itself as the immanent law of the objects themselves; and thus their
relationship becomes their peculiar specific difference founded on their law; it becomes a relation
in which their determinate self…subsistence sublates itself。 This is Chemism。
Thirdly; this essential unity of the objects is thereby posited as distinct from their self…subsistence; it
is the subjective Notion; but posited as in and for itself related to objectivity; as end。 This is
Teleology。
Since the end is the Notion that is posited as in its own self relating itself to objectivity and as
sublating by its own act its defect of being subjective; the purposiveness which is at first external
becomes; through the realisation of the end; internal and the Idea。
Chapter 1 Mechanism
As objectivity is the totality of the Notion withdrawn into its unity; an immediate is thereby posited
that is in and for itself this totality; and is also posited as such; although in it the negative unity of
the Notion has not as yet detached itself from the immediacy of this totality; in other words;
objectivity is not yet posited as judgment。 In so far as it has the Notion immanent in it; it contains
the difference of the Notion; but on account of the objective totality; the differentiated moments
are complete and self…subsistent objects which consequently; even in their relation; stand to one
another only as self…subsistent things and remain external to one another in every combination。
This is what constitutes the character of mechanism; namely; that whatever relation obtains
between the things combined; this relation is one extraneous to them that does not concern their
nature at all; and even if it is accompanied by a semblance of unity it remains nothing more than
composition; mixture; aggregation and the like。 Spiritual mechanism also; like material;
consists in this; that the things related in the spirit remain external to one another and to spirit itself。
A mechanical style of thinking; a mechanical memory; habit; a mechanical way of acting;
signify that the peculiar pervasion and presence of spirit is lacking in what spirit apprehends or
does。 Although its theoretical or practical mechanism cannot take place without its self…activity;
without an impulse and consciousness; yet there is lacking in it the freedom of individuality; and
because this freedom is not manifest in it such action appears as a merely external one。
A。 The Mechanical Object
The object is; as we have seen; the syllogism; whose mediation has been sublated 'ausgeglichen'
and has therefore become an immediate identity。 It is therefore in and for itself a universal —
universality not in the sense of a community of properties; but a universality that pervades the
particularity and in it is immediate individuality。
1。 In the first place therefore the object does not differentiate itself into matter and form — a
matter as the self…subsistent universal side of the object and a form as the particular and individual
side; such an abstract difference of individuality and universality is excluded by the Notion of
object; if it is regarded as matter it must be taken as in principle formed matter。 Similarly; it may be
defined as a thing with properties; as a whole consisting of parts; as a substance with accidents; or
in terms of other relationships of reflection; but these relationships have been altogether
superseded already in the Notion; the object therefore has neither properties nor accidents; for
these are separable from the thing or the substance; whereas in the object the particularity is
absolutely reflected into the totality。 In the parts of a whole; there is indeed present that
self…subsistence which belongs to the differences of the object; but these differences are
themselves directly and essentially objects; totalities; that are not; like parts; determined as such in
contrast to the whole。
The object is therefore in the first instance indeterminate; in so far as it has no determinate
opposition in it; for it is the mediation that has collapsed into immediate identity。 In so far as the
Notion is essentially determinate; the object possesses determinateness as a manifoldness
which though complete is otherwise indeterminate; that is; contains no relationships; and which
constitutes a totality that at first is similarly no further determined; sides or parts that may be
distinguished in it belong to an external reflection。 This quite indeterminate difference therefore
means only that there are a number of objects; each of which only contains its determinateness
reflected into its universality and does not reflect itself outwards。 Because this indeterminate
determinateness is essential to the object; the latter is within itself a plurality of this kind; and must
therefore be regarded as a composite or aggregate。 It does not however consist of atoms; for
these are not objects because they are not totalities。 The Leibnizian monad would be more of an
object since it is a total representation of the world; but confined within its intensive subjectivity
it is supposed at least to be essentially one within itself。 Nevertheless; the monad determined as an
exclusive one is only a principle that reflection assumes。 Yet the monad is an object; partly in
that the ground of its manifold representations — of the developed; that is; the posited
determinations of its merely implicit totality lies outside it; and partly also in that it is indifferent
to the monad that it constitutes an object along with others; it is thus in fact not exclusive or
determined for itself。
2。 As the object; then; in its determined being is a totality and yet on account of its
indeterminateness and immediacy is not the negative unity of that determined being; it is
indifferent to the determinations as individual; as determined in and for themselves; just as
these latter are themselves indifferent to one another。 These; therefore; are not comprehensible
from it nor from one another; its totality is the form of general reflectedness of its manifoldness into
individuality in general which is in its own self indeterminate。 The determinatenesses; therefore; that
it contains; do indeed belong to it; but the form that constitutes their difference and combines them
into a unity is an external; indifferent one; whether it be a mixture; or again an order; a certain
arrangement of parts and sides; all these are combinations that are indifferent to what is so
related。
Thus the object; like any determinate being in general; has the determinateness of its totality
outside it in other objects; and these in turn have theirs outside them; and so on to infinity。 The
return…into…self of this progression to infinity must indeed likewise be assumed and represented as
a totality; a world; but that world is nothing but the universality that is confined within itself by
indeterminate individuality; that is; a universe。
The object; therefore; being in its determinateness equally indifferent to it; it is the object's own
nature that points it outside and beyond itself to other objects for its determination; but to these
others; their determinant function is similarly a matter of indifference。 Consequently; a principle
of self…determination is nowhere to be found; dete