phenomenology of mind-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


genus；　the　other　being　that　same　life　qua　a　single　whole；　or　universal　individual：　the　mediating　term；
however；　is　a　combination　of　both；　the　first　seeming　to　fit　itself　into　it　as　determinate　universality　or
as　species；　the　other　as　single　whole　proper　or　single　individuality。　And　since　this　connected
system　belongs　altogether　to　the　aspect　of　the　organic　embodiment；　it　comprehends　within　it　too
what　is　distinguished　as　inorganic　nature。　

Since；　now；　the　universal　life　qua　the　simple　essence　of　the　genus　develops　from　its　side　the
distinctions　of　the　notion；　and　has　to　exhibit　them　in　the　form　of　a　series　of　simple　determining
characteristics；　this　series　is　a　system　of　distinctions　set　up　indifferently；　or　is　a　numerical　series。
Whereas　formerly　the　organic　in　the　form　of　something　individual　and　single　was　placed　in
opposition　to　this　non…essential　distinction　＇of　quantity＇；　a　distinction　which　neither　expresses　nor
contains　its　living　nature：　and　while　precisely　the　same　has　to　be　stated　as　regards　the　inorganic；
taking　into　account　its　entire　existence　developed　in　the　plurality　of　its　properties：　it　is　now　the
universal　individual　which　is　not　merely　to　be　looked　on　as　free　from　every　articulation　of　the
genus；　but　also　as　the　power　controlling　the　genus。　The　genus　disperses　into　species　in　terms　of　the
universal　characteristic　of　number；　or　again　it　may　adopt　as　its　principle　of　division　particular
characteristics　of　its　existence　like　figure；　colour；　etc。　While　quietly　prosecuting　this　aim；　the　genus
meets　with　violence　at　the　hands　of　the　universal　individual；　the　earth；　（5）　which　in　the　role　of
universal　negativity　establishes　the　distinctions　as　they　exist　within　itself；the　nature　of　which；
owing　to　the　substance　they　belong　to；　is　different　from　the　nature　of　those　of　the　genus；and
makes　good　these　distinctions　as　against　the　process　of　generic　systematization。　This　action　on　the
part　of　the　genus　comes　to　be　quite　a　restricted　business；　which　it　can　only　carry　on　inside　those
mighty　elements；　and　which　is　left　with　gaps　and　arrested　and　interrupted　at　all　points　through　their
unbridled　violence。　

It　follows　from　all　this　that　in　the　embodied；　organic　existence　observation　can　only　meet　with
reason　in　the　sense　of　life　in　general；　which；　however；　in　its　differentiating　process　involves　really
no　rational　sequence　and　organization；　and　is　not　an　immanently　grounded　system　of　shapes　and
forms。　If　in　the　logical　process　of　the　moments　involved　in　organic　embodiment　the　mediating　term；
which　contains　the　species　and　its　realization　in　the　form　of　a　single　individuality；　had　within　it　the
two　extremes　of　inner　universality　and　universal　individuality；　then　this　middle　term　would　have；　in
the　movement　of　its　reality；　the　expression　and　the　nature　of　universality；　and　would　be
self…systematizing　development。　It　is　thus　that　consciousness　takes　as　the　middle　term　between
universal　spirit　and　its　individuation　or　sense…consciousness；　the　system　of　shapes　assumed　by
consciousness；　as　an　orderly　self…constituted　whole　of　the　life　of　spirit；　the　system　of　forms　of
conscious　life　which　is　dealt　with　in　this　treatise；　and　which　finds　its　objective　existential　expression
as　the　history　of　the　world。　But　organic　nature　has　no　history；　it　drops　from　its
universal；life；immediately　into　the　individuation　of　existence；　and　the　moments　of　simple
determinateness　and　individual　living　activity　which　are　united　in　this　realization；　bring　about　the
process　of　change　merely　as　a　contingent　movement；　wherein　each　plays　its　own　part　and　the
whole　is　preserved。　But　the　energy　thus　exerted　is　restricted；　so　far　as　itself　is　concerned；　merely
to　its　own　fixed　centre；　because　the　whole　is　not　present　in　it；　and　the　whole　is　not　there　because
the　whole　is　not　as　such　here　for　itself。　

Besides　the　fact；　then；　that　reason　in　observing　organic　nature　only　comes　to　see　itself　as　universal
life　in　general；　it　comes　to　see　the　development　and　realization　of　this　life　merely　by　way　of　systems
distinguished　quite　generally；　in　the　determination　of　which　the　essential　reality　lies　not　in　the
organic　as　such；　but　in　the　universal　individual　＇the　earth＇；　and　among　these　distinctions　of　earth　＇it
comes　to　see　that　development　and　realization＇　in　the　form　of　sequences　which　the　genus　attempts
to　establish。　

Since；　then；　in　its　realization；　the　universality　found　in　organic　life　lets　itself　drop　directly　into　the
extreme　of　individuation；　without　any　true　self…referring　process　of　mediation；　the　thing　before　the
observing　mind　is　merely　a　would…be　〃meaning〃；　and　if　reason　can　take　an　idle　interest　to　observe
what　is　thus　〃meant〃　here；　it　is　confined　to　describing　and　recording　nature's　meanings〃　and
incidental　suggestions。　This　irrational　freedom　of　〃fancying〃　doubtless　will　proffer　on　all　sides
beginnings　of　laws；　traces　of　necessity；　allusions　to　order　and　sequence；　ingenious　and　specious
relations　of　all　kinds。　But　in　relating　the　organic　to　the　different　facts　of　the　inorganic；　elements；
zones；　climates；　so　far　as　regards　law　and　necessary　connexion；　observation　never　gets　further
than　the　idea　of　a　〃great　influence〃。　So；　too；　on　the　other　side；　where　individuality　has　not　the
significance　of　the　earth；　but　of　the　oneness　immanent　in　organic　life；　and　where　this；　in　immediate
unity　with　the　universal；　no　doubt　constitutes　the　genus；　whose　simple　unity　however；　is　just　for　that
reason　determined　merely　as　a　number　and　hence　lets　go　the　qualitative　appearance；here
observation　cannot　get　further　than　to　make　clever　remarks；　bringing　out　interesting　points　in
connexion；　a　friendly　condescension　to　the　notion。　But　clever　remarks　do　not　amount　to　a
knowledge　of　necessity；　interesting　points　of　connexion　stop　short　at　being　simply　of　interest；　while
the　interest　is　still　nothing　but　fanciful　〃opinion〃　about　the　rational；　and　the　friendliness　of　the
individual　in　making　allusion　to　a　notion　is　a　childlike　friendliness；　which　is　childish　if；　as　it　stands；　it
is　to　be　or　wants　to　be　worth　anything。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



1。　Directed　again　Kant　and　Fichte。　

2。　A　term　employed　by　a　chemist；　Winterl；　at　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century　to　denote
combinations　intermediate　in　character　between　physical　mixtures　and　chemical　combinastions。　In
synsomates　the　bodies　undergo　in　the　product；　e。g。　a　change　of　colour；　specific　density；　and　even
weight；　these　changes　do　not　take　place　in　mere　physical　mixtures；　and　yet　they　do　not　constitute
chemical　combination。　Examples　of　synsomates　are　the　blending　of　water　and　alcohol；　and
amalgrans　of　minerals。　

3。　Heat；　e。g。　is　a　〃mode　of　motion〃；　a　form　of　〃energy〃。　

4。　Cp。　With　the　above；　the　oscillation　between　the　mechanical　and　teleological　conception　of　〃law〃
in　theoretical　biology。　

5。　Cp。　Logik；　W。　W。；　V。　p。　153：　〃The　earth　as　a　concrete　whole　is　at　once　a　universal　nature　or
genus　as　well　as　an　individual。〃　Cp。　Also　Naturphilosophie；　§§　337；　338。　




b
　　　　　　　　　　　　Observation　Self　Consciousness　in　its　Pure　Form　and
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　in　its　Relation　to　External　Reality　—
　　　　　　　　　　Logical　and　Psychological　Laws

Observation　of　nature　finds　the　notion　realized　in　inorganic　nature；　laws；　whose　moments　are　things
which　at　the　same　time　are　in　the　position　of　abstractions。　But　this　notion　is　not　a　simplicity
reflected　into　self。　The　life　of　organic　nature；　on　the　other　hand；　is　only　this　self…reflected　simplicity。
The　opposition　within　itself；　in　the　sense　of　the　opposition　of　universal　and　individual；　does　not
make　its　appearance　in　the　essential　nature　of　this　life　itself　with　one　factor　apart　from　the　other。　Its
essential　nature　is　not　the　genus；　self…sundered　and　self…moved　in　its　undifferentiated　element；　and
remaining　at　the　same　time　for　itself　undifferentiated　in　its　opposition。　Observation　finds　this　free
notion；　whose　universality　has　just　as　absolutely　within　it　developed　individuality；　only　in　the　notion
which　itself　exists　as　notion；　i。e。　in　self…consciousness。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Laws　of　Thought

When　observation　now　turns　in　upon　itself　and　directs　itself　on　the　notion　which　is　real　qua　free
notion；　it　finds；　to　begin　with；　the　Laws　of　Thought。　This　kind　of　individuality；　which　thought　is　in
itself；　is　the　abstract　movement　of　the　negative；　a　movement　entirely　introverted　into　simplicity；　and
the　laws　are　outside　reality。

To　say　〃they　have　no　reality〃　means　in　general　nothing　else　than　that　they　are　without　any　truth。
And　in　fact　they　do　not　claim　to　be　entire　truth；　but　still　formal　truth。　But　what　is　purely　formal
without　reality　is　an　ens　intellectus；　or　empty　abstraction　without　the　internal　diremption　which
would　be　nothing　else　but　the　content。

On　the　other　hand；　however；　since　they　are　laws　of　pure　thought；　while　the　latter　is　the　inherently
universal；　and　thus　a　kind　of　knowledge；　which　immediately　contains　being　and　therein　all　reality；
these　laws　are　absolute　notions；　and　axe　in　one　and　the　same　sense　the　essential　principles　of　form
as　well　as　of　things。　Since　self…directing；　self…moving　universality　is　the　simple　notion　in　a　state　of
diremption；　this　notion　has　in　this　manner　a　content　in　itself；　and　one　which　is　all　content　except
sensuous；　not　a　being　of　sense。　It　is　a　content；　which　is　neither　in　contradiction　with　the　form　nor　at
all　separated　from　it；　rather　it　is　essentially　the　form　itself；　for　the　latter　is　nothing　but　the　universal
dividing　itself　into　its　pure　moments。

In　the　way　in　which　this　form　or　content；　however；　comes　before　observation　qua　observation；　it
gets　the　character　of　a　content　that　is　found；　given；　i。e。　one　which　merely　is。　It　becomes　a　passively
existing　basis　of　relations；　a　multitude　of　detached　necessities；　which　as　a　definitely　fixed　content
are　to　have　truth　just　as　they　stand　with　their　specific　characteristic；　and　thus；　in　point　of　fact；　are
withdrawn　from　the　form。

This　absolute　truth　of　fixed　characteristics；　or　of　a　plurality　of　different　laws；　contradicts；　however；
the　unity　of　self…consciousness；　contradicts　the　unity　of　thought　and　form　in　general。　What　is
declared　to　be　a　fixed　and　inherently　constant　law　can　be　merely　a　moment　of　the　self…referring；
self…reflecting　unity；　can　come　on　the　scene　merely　as　a　vanishing　element。　When　extricated；
however；　by　the　process　of　considering　them；　from　the　movement　imposing　this　continuous
connexion；　and　when　set　out　individually　and　separately；　it　is　not　content　that　they　lack；　for　they
have　a　specific　content；　they　lack　rather　form；　which　is　their　essential　nature。　In　point　of　fact　it　is
not　for　the　reason　that　they　are　to　be　merely　formal　and　are　not　to　have　any　content；　that　these
laws　are　not　the　truth　of　thought；　it　is　rather　for　the　opposite　reason。　It　is　because　in　their
specificity；　i。e。　just　as　a　content　with　the　form　removed；　they　want　to　pass　for　something　absolute。
In　their　true　nature；　as　vanishing　moments　in　the　unity　of　thought；　they　would　have　to　be　taken　as
knowledge　or　as　thinking　process；　but　not　as　laws　of　knowledge。　Observing；　however；　neither　is
nor　knows　that　knowledge　itself；　observation　converts　its　nature　into　the　shape　of　an　objecti