第 61 节
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匆匆 更新:2021-02-27 02:11 字数:9322
the difference between the Notion and its actualisation。 The Notion in nature and in spirit has an
external presentation in which its determinateness shows itself as dependence on the external; as
transitoriness and inadequacy。 Therefore; although any actual thing no doubt shows in itself what it
ought to be; yet in accordance with the negative judgement of the Notion it may equally show that
its actuality only imperfectly corresponds to this Notion; that it is bad。 Now the definition is
supposed to indicate the determinateness of the Notion in an immediate property; yet there is no
property against which an instance cannot be brought in which the total habitus; though it enables
one to discern the concrete thing to be defined; yet the property taken as its characteristic shows
itself immature or stunted。 In a bad plant; a poor specimen of an animal; a contemptible human
being; a bad state; aspects of its concrete existence are defective or entirely obliterated that
otherwise might have been adopted for the definition as the distinguishing mark and essential
determinateness in the existence of such a concrete。 But for all that; a bad plant or a bad animal;
etc。; still remains a plant or an animal。 If; therefore; bad specimens too are to be covered by the
definition; then all the properties that we wanted to regard as essential elude us through instances
of malformations in which tho se properties a re lacking。 Thus for example the essentiality of the
brain for physical man is contradicted by the instance of acephalous individuals; the essentiality of
the protection of life and property for the state; by the instance of despotic states and tyrannous
governments。 If the Notion is asserted against such an instance and the instance; being measured
by the Notion; is declared to be a bad specimen; then the Notion is no longer attested by
phenomena。 But the self…subsistence of the Notion is contrary to the meaning of definition; for
definition is supposed to be the immediate Notion; and therefore can only draw on the immediacy
of existence for its determinations for objects; and can justify itself only in what it finds already to
hand。 Whether its content is in…and…for itself truth or a contingency; this lies outside its sphere;
but formal truth; the agreement between the Notion subjectively posited in the definition and an
actual object outside it; cannot be established because the individual object may also be a bad
specimen。
The content of definition is in general taken from immediate existence; and being an immediate
content has no justification; the question of its necessity is precluded by its origin; in enunciating the
Notion as a mere immediate; the definition refrains from comprehending the Notion itself。 Hence it
represents nothing but the form determination of the Notion in a given content; without the
reflection of the Notion into itself; that is; without the Notion's being…for…self。
But immediacy in general proceeds only from mediation; and must therefore pass over into
mediation。 Or; in other words; the determinateness of the content contained in the definition;
because it is determinateness; is not merely an immediate; but is mediated by its opposite;
consequently definition can apprehend its subject matter only through the opposite determination
and must therefore pass over into division。
2。 Division
3。 The Theorem
Axioms
In synthetic cognition; therefore; the Idea attains its end only to the extent that the Notion
becomes for the Notion according to its moments of identity and real determinations; or of
universality and particular differences … further also as an identity that is the connection and
dependence of the diverse elements。 But this subject matter of the Notion is not adequate to it; for
the Notion does not come to be the unity of itself with itself in its subject matter or its reality;
in necessity its identity is for it; but in this identity the necessity is not itself the determinateness;
but appears as a matter external to the identity; that is; as a matter not determined by the Notion; a
matter; therefore; in which the Notion does not cognise itself。 Thus in general the Notion is not for
itself; is not at the same time determined in and for itself according to its unity。 Hence in this
cognition the Idea which falls short of truth on account of the inadequacy of the subject matter to
the subjective Notion。 But the sphere of necessity is the apex of being and reflection; through its
own essential nature it passes into its manifestation; which is the Notion as Notion。 How this
transition from the sphere of necessity into the Notion is effected in principle has been shown in
treating of necessity; the same transition also presented itself as the genesis of the Notion at the
beginning of this Book。
Here necessity has the position of being the reality or subject matter of the Notion; just as the
Notion into which it passes now appears as the Notion's subject matter。 But the transition itself is
the same。 Here too it is only at first implicit and lies as yet outside cognition in our reflection; that
is; it is still the inner necessity of the cognition itself。 It is only the result that is for it。
The Idea; in so far as the Notion is now explicitly determined in and for itself; is the practical
Idea; or action。
BOOK III。 The Doctrine of the Notion
Section 3 (The Idea); continued
Chapter 2 The Idea of Cognition (continued)
B The Idea of the Good
The Notion; which is its own subject matter; being determined in and for itself; the subject is
determined for itself as an individual。 As subjective it again presupposes an implicit otherness; it is
the urge to realise itself; the end that wills by means of itself to give itself objectivity and to realise
itself in the objective world。
In the theoretical Idea the subjective Notion; as the universal that lacks any determination of its
own; stands opposed to the objective world from which it takes to itself a determinate content and
filling。 But in the practical Idea it is as actual that it confronts the actual; but the certainty of itself
which the subject possesses in being determinate in and for itself is a certainty of its own actuality
and the non…actuality of the world; it is not only the world's otherness as an abstract universality
that is a nullity for the subject; but the world's individuality and the determination of its individuality。
The subject has here vindicated objectivity for itself; its immanent determinateness is the
objective; for it is the universality that is just as much absolutely determined; the formerly objective
world; on the contrary; is now only something posited; something immediately determined in
various ways; but because it is only immediately determined; the unity of the Notion is lacking in it
and it is; by itself; a nullity。
This determinateness contained in the Notion and in the likeness of the Notion; and including
within it the demand for an individual external actuality; is the good。 It comes upon the scene with
the worth of being absolute; because it is within itself the totality of the Notion; the objective that is
at the same time in the form of free unity and subjectivity。
This Idea is superior to the Idea of cognition already considered; for it possesses not only the
worth of the universal but also of the out…and…out actual。 It is an urge in so far as this actuality is
still subjective; positing its own self and not having at the same time the form of immediate
presupposition; its urge to realise itself is; strictly speaking; not to give itself objectivity this it
possesses within itself but merely this empty form of immediacy。 Hence the activity of the end is
not directed against itself in order to adopt and appropriate a given determination and by sublating
the determinateness of the external world to give itself reality in the form of external actuality。 The
Idea of the will as explicitly self…determining possesses the content within itself。 Now it is true tat
this is a determinate content and to that extent something finite and limited; self…determination is
essentially particularisation; since the reflection of the will into itself as a negative unity in general
is also individuality in the sense of the exclusion and presupposition of an other。 Nevertheless; the
particularity of the content is in the first instance infinite through the form of the Notion; whose own
determinateness it is; and in this content the Notion possesses its negative self…identity; and
therefore not merely a particular; but its own infinite individuality。 Consequently; the
above…mentioned finitude of the content in the practical Idea is tantamount to the latter being in
the first instance the not yet realised Idea; the Notion is; for the content; something that is in and
for itself; it is here the Idea in the form of objectivity that is for itself; on the one hand; the
subjective is for this reason no longer something merely posited; arbitrary or contingent; but an
absolute; but on the other hand; this form of concrete existence; being…for…self; has not yet the
form of