phenomenology of mind-第48章

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If　we　compare　what　we　find　as　regards　this　exchange　in　the　case　of　a　few　examples；　we　see；　it
may　be；　something　that　perception　takes　for　an　animal　with　strong　muscles　characterized　as　an
animal　organism　of　high　irritability〃；　or；　what　perception　takes　to　be　a　condition　of　great　weakness；
characterized　as　a　〃condition　of　high　sensibility〃；　or；　if　we　prefer　it；　as　an　abnormal　affection〃；　and；
moreover；　a　raising　of　it　to　a　〃higher　power…expressions　which　translate　sensuous　facts　into
Teutonized　Latin；　instead　of　into　terms　of　the　notion。　That　an　animal　has　strong　muscles　may　also
be　expressed　by　understanding　in　the　form　that　the　animal　〃possesses　a　great　muscular
force〃great　weakness　meaning　similarly　〃a　slight　force〃。　Characterization　in　terms　of　irritability
has　this　advantage　over　determination　by　reference　to　〃force〃；　that　the　latter　expresses
indeterminate；　the　former　determinate　reflection　into　self；　for　the　peculiar　force　characteristic　of
muscles　is　just　irritability；　and　irritability　is　also　a　preferable　determination　to　〃strong　muscles〃；　in
that；　as　in　the　case　of　force；　reflexion　into　self　is　at　once　implied　it；　it。　In　the　same　way　〃weakness〃；
or　〃slight　force〃；　organic　passivity；　is　expressed　in　a　determinate　manner　by　sensibility。　But　when
this　sensibility　is　so　taken　by　itself　and　fixed；　and　the　element　of　quality　is　in　addition　bound　up　with
it；　and　qua　greater　or　less　sensibility　is　opposed　to　a　greater　or　less　irritability；　each　is　reduced
entirely　to　the　level　of　sense；　and　degraded　to　the　ordinary　form　of　a　sense　property；　their　principle
of　relation　is　not　the　notion；　but；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　the　category　of　quantity　into　which　the
opposition　is　now　cast；　thus　becoming　a　distinction　not　constituted　by　thought。　While　in　this　way
the　indeterminate　nature　of　the　expressions；　〃force〃；　〃strength〃；　〃weakness〃；　would　indeed　be　got
rid　of；　there　now　arises　the　equally　futile　and　indeterminate　process　of　dealing　with　the　oppositions
of　a　higher　and　lower　degree　of　sensibility　and　irritability；　as　they　increase　and　decrease　relatively
to　one　another。　The　greater　or　less　sensibility　or　irritability　is　no　less　a　sensuous　phenomenon；
grasped　and　expressed　without　any　reference　to　thought；　than　strength　and　weakness　are　sense
determinations　not　constituted　by　thought。　The　notion　has　not　taken　the　place　of　those
non…conceptual　expressions；　instead；　strength　and　weakness　have　been　given　a　filling　by　a
characteristic　which；　taken　by　itself　alone；　rests　on　the　notion；　and　has　the　notion　as　its　content；　but
loses　entirely　this　origin　and　character。　

Owing　to　the　form　of　simplicity　and　immediacy；　then；　in　which　this　content　is　made　an　element　of　a
law；　and　through　the　element　of　quantity；　which　constitutes　the　principle　of　distinction　for　such
determinations；　the　essential　nature；　which　originally　is　a　notion　and　is　put　forward　as　such；　retains
the　character　of　sense　perception；　and　remains　as　far　removed　from　knowledge　（Erkennen）　as
when　characterized　in　terms　of　strength　or　weakness　of　force；　or　through　immediate　sense
properties。　

There　is　still　left　to　consider　what　the　outer　side　of　the　organic　being　is　when　taken　by　itself　alone；
and　how　in　its　case　the　opposition　of　its　inner　and　outer　is　determined；　just　as　at　first　we
considered　the　inner　of　the　whole　in　relation　to　its　own　proper　outer。　

The　outer；　looked　at　by　itself；　is　the　embodied　form　and　shape　（Gestaltung）　in　general；　the　system
of　life　articulating　itself　in　the　element　of　existence；　and　at　the　same　time　essentially　the　existence　of
the　organism　as　it　is　for　an　otherobjective　reality　in　its　aspect　of　self…existence。　This　other
appears　in　the　first　instance　as　its　outer　inorganic　nature。　If　these　two　are　looked　at　in　relation　to
a　law；　the　inorganic　nature　cannot；　as　we　saw　before；　constitute　the　aspect　of　a　law　beside　the
organic　being；　because　the　latter　exists　absolutely　for　itself；　and　assumes　a　universal　and　free
relation　to　inorganic　nature。　

To　define　more　exactly；　however；　the　relation　of　these　two　aspects　in　the　case　of　the　organic　form；
this　form；　in　which　the　organism　is　embodied；　is　in　one　aspect　turned　against　inorganic　nature；
while　in　an　other　it　is　for　itself　and　reflected　into　itself。　The　real　organic　being　is　the　mediating
agency；　which　brings　together　and　unites　the　self…existence　of　life　＇its　being　for　itself＇；　with　the
outer　in　general；　with　what　simply　and　inherently　is。　

The　one　extreme；　self…existence；　is；　however；　the　inner　in　the　sense　of　an　infinite　〃one〃；　which　takes
the　moments　of　the　embodied　shape　itself　out　of　their　subsistence　and　connexion　with　outer　nature
and　withdraws　these　moments　back　into　itself；　it　is　that　which；　having　no　content；　looks　to　the
embodied　form　of　the　organism　to　provide　its　content；　and　appears　there　as　the　process　of　that
form。　In　this　extreme　where　it　is　mere　negativity；　or　pure　individual　existence；　the　organism
possesses　its　absolute　freedom；　whereby　it　is　made　quite　secure　and　indifferent　towards　the　fact　of
its　being　relative　to　another　and　towards　the　specific　character　belonging　to　the　moments　of　the
form　of　the　organism。　This　free　detachment　is　at　the　same　time　a　freedom　of　the　moments
themselves；　it　is　the　possibility　of　their　appearing　and　of　being　apprehended　as　existent。　And　just　as
they　are　therein　detached　and　indifferent　in　regard　to　what　is　outer；　so　too　are　they　towards　one
another；　for　the　simplicity　of　this　freedom　is　being　or　is　their　simple　substance。　This　notion　or　pure
freedom　is　one　and　the　same　life；　no　matter　how　varied　and　diverse　the　ways　in　which　the　shape
assumed　by　the　organism；　its　〃being；　for　another〃；　may　disport　itself；　it　is　a　matter　of　indifference　to
this　stream　of　life　what　sort　of　mills　it　drives。　

In　the　first　place；　we　must　now　note　that　this　notion　is　not　to　be　taken　here；　as　it　was　formerly
when　we　were　considering　the　inner　proper；　in　its　character　as　the　process　or　development　of　its
moments；　we　must　take　it　in　its　form　as　simple　〃inner〃；　which　constitutes　the　purely　universal　aspect
as　against　the　concrete　living　reality；　it　is　the　element　in　which　the　existing　members　of　the　organic
shape　find　their　subsistence。　For　it　is　this　shape　we　are　considering　here；　and　in　it　the　essential
nature　of　life　appears　as　the　simple　fact　of　subsistence。　In　the　next　place；　the　existence　for　another；
the　specific　character　of　the　real　embodied　form；　is　taken　up　into　this　simple　universality；　in　which
its　nature　lies；　a　specificity　that　is　likewise　of　a　simple　universal　non…sensuous　kind；　and　can　only　be
that　which　finds　expression　in　number。　Number　is　the　middle　term　of　the　organic　form；　which　links
indeterminate　life　with　actual　concrete　life；　simple　like　the　former　and　determinate　like　the　latter。
That　which　in　the　case　of　the　former；　the　inner；　would　have　the　sense　of　number；　the　outer　would
require　to　express　after　its　manner　as　multiform　realitykinds　of　life；　colour；　and　so　on；　in　general
as　the　whole　host　of　differences　which　are　developed　as　phenomena　of　life。　

If　the　two　aspects　of　the　organic　whole…the　one　being　the　inner；　while　the　other　is　the　outer；　in　such
a　way　that　each　again　has　in　it　an　inner　and　an　outerare　compared　with　reference　to　the　inner
both　sides　have；　we　find　that　the　inner　of　the　first　is　the　notion；　in　the　sense　of　the　restless　activity
of　abstraction；　the　second　has　for　its　inner；　however；　inactive　universality；　which　involves　also　the
constant　characteristic…number。　Hence；　if　；　because　the　notion　develops　its　moments　in　the　former；
this　aspect　made　a　delusive　promise　of　laws　owing　to　the　semblance　of　necessity　in　the　relation；
the　latter　directly　disclaims　doing　so；　since　number　shows　itself　to　be　the。　determining　feature　of
one　aspect　of　its　laws。　For　number　is　just　that　entirely　inactive；　inert；　and　indifferent　characteristic
in　which　every　movement　and　relational　process　is　extinguished；　and　which　has　broken　the　bridge
leading　to　the　living　expression　of　impulses；　manner　of　life；　and　whatever　other　sensuous　existence
there　is。　

This　way　of　considering　the　embodied　organic　shape　as　such　and　the　inner　qua　inner　merely　of
that　embodied　form；　is；　however；　in　point　of　fact；　no　longer　a　consideration　of　organic　existence。
For　both　the　aspects；　which　were　to　be　related；　are　merely　taken　thereby　reflection　into　indifferent
to　one　another；　and　self；　the　essential　nature　of　organism；　is　done　away　with。　What　we　have　done
here　is　rather　to　transfer　that　attempted　comparison　of　inner　and　outer　to　the　sphere　of　inorganic
nature。　The　notion　with　its　infinity　is　here　merely　the　inner　essence；　which　lies　hidden　away　within
or　falls　outside　in　self…consciousness；　and　no　longer；　as　in　the　case　of　the　organism；　has　its
presence　in　an　object。　This　relation　of　inner　and　outer　has　thus　still　to　be　considered　in　its　own
proper　sphere。　

In　the　first　place；　that　inner　element　of　the　form；　being　the　simple　individual　existence　of　an
inorganic　thing；　is　the　specific　gravity。　As　a　simply　existing　fact；　this　can　be　observed　just　as　much
as　the　characteristic　of　number；　which　is　the　only　one　of　which　it　is　capable；　or　properly　speaking
can　be　found　by　comparing　observations；　and　it　seems　in　this　way　to　furnish　one　aspect　of　the　law。
The　embodied　form；　colour；　hardness；　toughness；　and　an　innumerable　host　of　other　properties；
would　together　constitute　the　outer　aspect；　and　would　have　to　give　expression　to　the　characteristic
of　the　inner；　number；　so　that　the　one　should　find　its　counterpart　in　the　other。　

Now　because　negativity　is　here　taken　not　in　the　sense　of　a　movement　of　the　process；　but　as　an
inoperative　unity；　or　as　simple　self…existence；　it　appears　really　as　that　by　which　the　thing　resists　the
process；　and　maintains　itself　within　itself；　and　in　a　condition　of　indifference　towards　it。　By　the　fact；
however；　that　this　simple　self　…existence　is　an　inactive　indifference　towards　an　other；　specific
gravity　appears　as　one　property　alongside　others；　and　therewith　all　necessary　relation　on　its　part　to
this　plurality；　or；　in　other　words；　all　conformity　to　law；　ceases。　

The　specific　gravity　in　the　sense　of　this　simple　inner　aspect　does　not　contain　difference　in　itself；　or
the　difference　it　has　is　merely　non…essential；　for　its　bare　simplicity　just　cancels　every　distinction　of
an　essential　kind。　This　non…essential　difference；　quantity；　was　thus　bound　to　find　its　other　or
counterpart　in　the　other　aspect；　the　plurality　of　properties；　since　it　is　only　by　doing　so　that　it　is
difference　at　all　。　If　this　plurality　itself　is　held　together　within　the　simple　form　of　opposition；　and　is
determined；　say；　as　cohesion；　so　that　this　cohesion　is　self…existence　in　otherness；　as　specific　gravity
is　pure　self…existence；　then　cohesion　here　is　in　the　first　place　this　pure　conceptually　constituted
characteristic　as　against　the　previous　characteristic。　The　mode　of　framing　the　law　would　thus　be
what　we　discussed　above；　in　dealing　with　the　relation　of　sensibility　to　irritability。　In　the　next　place；
cohesion；　qua　conception　of　selfexistence　in　otherness；　is　merely　the　abstraction　of　the　aspect
opposed　to　specific　gravity；　and　as　such　has　no　existential　reality。　For　self…existence　in　oth