science of logic-第18章

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result　is　that　indifference　is　now　posited　as　what　it　in　fact　is；　namely　a　simple　and　infinite；　negative
relation…to…self；　its　inherent　incompatibility　with　itself；　a　repelling　of　itself　from　itself。　The　process　of
determining　and　being　determined　is　not　a　transition；　nor　an　external　alteration；　nor　an　emergence
of　determinations　in　the　indifference；　but　is　its　own　self…relating　which　is　the　negativity　of　itself；　of　its
＇merely＇　implicit　being。

Now　these　repelled　determinations　do　not　possess　themselves；　do　not　emerge　as　self…subsistent　or
external　determinations；　but　first；　as　moments　belonging　to　the　implicit　unity；　they　are　not
expelled　from　it　but　are　borne　by　it　as　the　substrate　and　are　filled　solely　by　it；　secondly；　as
determinations　which　are　immanent　in　the　explicated　unity；　they　are　only　through　their　repulsion
from　themselves。　The　being　of　the　determinations　is　no　longer　simply　。affirmative　as　in　the　entire
sphere　of　being；　but　is　now　a　sheer　positedness；　the　determinations　having　the　fixed　character　and
significance　of　being　related　to　their　unity；　each　consequently　being　related　to　its　other　and　with
negation；　this　is　the　mark　of　their　relativity。

Thus　we　see　that　being　in　general　and　the　being　or　immediacy　of　the　distinct　determinatenesses；　no
less　than　the　implicit　being；　has　vanished　and　the　unity　is　being；　an　immediate　presupposed
totality　such　that　it　is　this　simple　self…relation　only　as　a　result　of　the　sublating　of　this
presupposition；　and　this　presupposedness　and　immediate　being　is　itself　only　a　moment　of　its
repelling；　the　original　self…subsistence　and　self…Identity　is　only　as　the　resulting　coming　together
with　itself。　Being；　in　its　determining；　has　thus　determined　itself　to　essence；　a　being　which；　through
the　sublating　of　being；　is　a　simple　being…with…itself。




VOLUME　ONE：　THE　OBJECTIVE　LOGIC
　　　　　　BOOK　II。　THE　DOCTRINE　OF　ESSENCE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reflection　…　Appearance　…　Actuality

The　truth　of　being　is　essence。

Being　is　the　immediate。　Since　knowing　has　for　its　goal　knowledge　of　the　true；　knowledge　of　what
being　is　in　and　for　itself；　it　does　not　stop　at　the　immediate　and　its　determinations；　but　penetrates　it
on　the　supposition　that　at　the　back　of　this　being　there　is　something　else；　something　other　than　being
itself；　that　this　background　constitutes　the　truth　of　being。　This　knowledge　is　a　mediated　knowing
for　it　is　not　found　immediately　with　and　in　essence；　but　starts　from　an　other；　from　being；　and　has　a
preliminary　path　to　tread；　that　of　going　beyond　being　or　rather　of　penetrating　into　it。　Not　until
knowing　inwardises；　recollects　itself　out　of　immediate　being；　does　it　through　this　mediation　find
essence。　The　German　language　has　preserved　essence　in　the　past　participle　＇gewesen＇　of　the　verb
to　be；　for　essence　is　past　—　but　timelessly　past　—　being。

When　this　movement　is　pictured　as　the　path　of　knowing；　then　this　beginning　with　being；　and　the
development　that　sublates　it；　reaching　essence　as　a　mediated　result；　appears　to　be　an　activity　of
knowing　external　to　being；　and　irrelevant　to　being's　own　nature。　

But　this　path　is　the　movement　of　being　itself。　It　was　seen　that　being　inwardises　itself　through　its　on
nature；　and　through　this　movement　into　itself　becomes　essence。


If；　therefore；　the　absolute　was　at　first　defined　as　being；　now　it　is　defined　as　essence。　Cognition　。
certainly　cannot　stop　short　at　manifold　determinate　being；　nor　yet　at　being；　pure　being；　the
reflection　that　immediately　forces　itself　on　one　is　that　this　pure　being；　the　negation　of　everything
finite；　presupposes　an　internalisation；　a　recollection　＇Erinnerung＇　and　movement　which　has
purified　immediate；　determinate　being　to　pure　being。　Being　is　accordingly　determined　as　essence；
as　a　being　in　which　everything　determinate　and　finite　is　negated。　It　is　thus　the　indeterminate；
simple　unity　from　which　what　is　determinate　has　been　eliminated　in　an　external　manner；　the
determinate　element　itself　was　external　to　this　unity　and；　after　this　elimination；　still　remains
confronting　it；　for　it　has　not　been　sublated　in　itself　but　only　relatively；　only　in　relation　to　this　unity。
We　have　already　mentioned　that　if　essence　is　defined　as　the　sum　total　of　all　realities；　then　these
realities　likewise　are　subordinate　to　the　nature　of　the　determinateness　and　to　the　abstractive
reflection　and　this　sum　total　reduces　to　empty　oneness。　Essence　is　in　this　way　only　a　product；　an
artefact。

External　negation　…　and　this　is　what　abstraction　is　…　only　shifts　the　determinatenesses　of　being
away　from　what　is　left　over　as　Essence；　it　only　puts　them；　so　to　speak；　elsewhere；　leaving　them
the　affirmative　character　they　possessed　before。　But　in　this　way；　essence　is　neither　in　itself　nor　for
itself；　what　it　is；　it　is　through　an　other；　the　external；　abstract　reflection；　and　it　is　for　an　other；
namely　abstraction　and；　in　general；　for　the　simply　affirmative　being　that　remains　confronting　it。　Its
character；　therefore；　is　to　lack　all　determinate　character；　to　be　inherently　lifeless　and　empty。

But　essence　as　it　has　here　come　to　be；　is　what　it　is；　through　a　negativity　which　is　not　alien　to　it　but
is　its　very　own；　the　infinite　movement　of　being。　It　is　being　that　is　in　itself　and　for　itself；　it　is
absolute　being…in…itself　in　that　it　is　indifferent　to　every　determinateness　of　being；　and　otherness
and　relation…to…other　have　been　completely　sublated。　But　it　is　not　only　this　being…in…itself；　as　mere
being…in…itself　it　would　be　only　the　abstraction　of　pure　essence；　but　it　is　equally　essentially
being…for…self；　it　is　itself　this　negativity；　the　self…sublating　of　otherness　and　determinateness。

Essence　as　the　completed　return　of　being　into　itself　is　thus　at　first　indeterminate　essence。　The
determinateness　of　being　are　sublated　in　it；　they　are　contained　in　essence　in　principle　but　are　not
posited　in　it　Absolute　essence　in　this　simple　equality　with　itself　has　no　determinate　being；　but　it
must　develop　determinate　being；　for　it　is　both　in　itself　and　for　itself；　i。e。　differentiates　the
determinations　which　are　implicit　in　it。　Because　it　is　self…repelling　or　indifferent　to　itself；　negative
self…relation；　it　sets　itself　over　against　itself　and　is　infinite　being…for…self　only　in　so　far　is　as　it　is　at
one　with　itself　in　this　its　own　difference　from　itself。　The　determining　then　is　of　a　different　nature
from　the　determining　in　the　sphere　of　being；　and　the　determinations　of　essence　have　a　different
character　from　the　determinatenesses　of　being。　Essence　is　absolute　unity　of　being…in…itself　and
being…for…itself；　consequently　its　determining　remains　within　this　unity　and　is　neither　a　becoming　nor
a　transition；　nor　are　the　determinations　themselves　an　other　as　other；　or　relations　to　other；　they
are　self　…subsistent；　but　at　the　same　time　only　in　their　association　with　each　other　in　this　unity。　Since
essence　is　at　first　simple　negativity；　it　now　has　to　posit　in　its　own　sphere　the　determinateness　that　is
only　implicit　in　it；　in　order　to　give　itself　determinate　being　and　then　being…for…self。

In　the　whole　of　logic；　essence　occupies　the　same　place　as　quantity　does　in　the　sphere　of　being；
absolute　indifference　to　limit。　But　quantity　is　this　indifference　in　an　immediate　determination；　and
the　limit　is　present　in　it　as　an　immediately　external　determinateness；　quantity　passes　over　into
quantum；　the　external　limit　is　necessary　to　quantity　and　is　affirmatively　present　in　it　＇ist　an　ihr
seiend＇。　In　essence；　…on　the　other　hand；　the　determinateness　is　not　a　simple　immediacy　but　is
present　only　as　posited　by　essence　itself；　it　is　not　free；　but　is　present　only　as　connected　with　its
unity。　The　negativity　of　essence　is　reflection；　and　the　determinations　are　reflected；　posited　by
essence　itself　and　remaining　in　essence　as　sublated。

Essence　stands　between　being　and　Notion；　it　constitutes　their　mean；　and　its　movement　is　the
transition　from　being　into　the　Notion。　Essence　is　being…in…and…for…itself；　but　in　the　determination
of　being…in…itself；　for　the　general　determination　of　essence　is　to　have　proceeded　from　being；　or　to
be　the　first　negation　of　being。　Its　movement　consists　in　positing　within　itself　the　negation　or
determination；　thereby　giving　itself　determinate　being　and　becoming　as　infinite　being…for…self　what
it　is　in　itself。　It　thus　gives　itself　its　determinate　being　that　is　equal　to　its　being…in…itself　and
becomes　Notion。　For　the　Notion　is　the　absolute　that　in　its　determinate　being　is　absolute；　or　is　in
and　for　itself。　But　the　determinate　being　which　essence　gives　itself　is　not　vet　determinate　being　as　in
and　for　itself；　but　as　given　by　essence　to　itself；　or　as　posited；　and　is　consequently　still　distinct　from
the　determinate　being　of　the　Notion。

At　first；　essence　shines　or　shows　within　itself；　or　is　reflection；　secondly；　it　appears；　thirdly；　it
manifests　itself。　In　its　movement；　essence　posits　itself　in　the　following　determinations：
　　I。　As　simple　essence；　essence　in　itself；　which　in　its　determinations　remains　within　itself。
　II。　As　emerging　into　determinate　being；　or　in　accordance　with　its　Existence　and　Appearance。
III。　As　essence　that　is　one　with　its　Appearance；　as　actuality。



　　　　　　Section　One：　Essence　as　Reflection
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Within　Itself

Essence　issues　from　being；　hence　it　is　not　immediately　in　and　for　itself　but　is　a　result　of　that
movement。　Or　if　essence　is　taken　at　first　as　an　immediacy；　then　it　is　a　specific　determinate　being
confronted　by　another　such；　it　is　only　essential；　as　opposed　to　unessential；　determinate　being。
But　essence　is　being　that　has　been　sublated　in　and　for　itself；　what　confronts　it　is　only　illusory　being
＇Schein＇。　The　illusory　being；　however；　is　essence's　own　positing。

Essence　is　first　reflection。　Reflection　determines　itself　and　its　determinations　are　a　positedness
which　is　at　the　same　time　reflection…into…self。

Secondly；　we　have　to　consider　these　determinations　of　reflection　or　essentialities。

Thirdly；　essence　as　the　reflection…into…self　of　its　determining　converts　itself　into　ground　and　passes
over　into　Existence　and　Appearance。

Chapter　1　Illusory　Being

Essence　that　issues　from　being　seems　to　confront　it　as　an　opposite；　this　immediate　being　is；　in　the
first　instance；　the　unessential。

But　secondly；　it　is　more　than　merely　unessential　being；　it　is　essenceless　being；　it　is　illusory　being。
Thirdly；　this　illusory　being　is　not　something　external　to　or　other　than　essence；　on　the　contrary；　it　is
essence's　own　illusory　being。　The　showing　of　this　illusory　being　within　essence　itself　is　reflection。　

A　THE　ESSENTIAL　AND　THE　UNESSENTIAL

Essence　is　sublated　being。　It　is　simple　equality　with　itself；　but　only　in　so　far　as　it　is　the　negation　of
the　sphere　of　being　in　general。

Essence　thus　has　immediacy　confronting　it　as　an　immediacy　from　which　it　has　become　and　which
in　this　sublating　has　preserved　and　maintained　itself。　In　this　determination；　essence　itself　is　simply
affirmative　＇seiendes＇；　immediate　essence；　and　being　is　only　a　negative　in　relation　to　essence；
not　in　and　for　itself；　therefore　essence　is　a　determinate　negation。　In　this　way；　being　and　essence
are　again　related　to　each　other　as　others；　for　each　has　a　being；　an　immediacy；　and