science of logic-第24章

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which　is　posited　by　the　cause　is　the　cause　itself　which；　in　acting；　is　identical　with　itself；　it　is　this　that
puts　itself　in　the　place　of　the　passive　substance。　Similarly；　with　regard　to　the　active　substance；　（a）
the　action　is　the　translation　of　the　cause　into　the　effect；　into　the　other　of　the　cause；　into　positedness；
and　（b）　the　cause　reveals　itself　in　the　effect　as　what　it　is；　the　effect　is　identical　with　the　cause；　is　not
an　other…；　thus　the　cause　in　acting　reveals　the　posited　being　as　that　which　the　cause　essentially　is。
Each　side；　therefore；　in　both　its　identical　and　negative　relation　to　the　other　becomes　the　opposite
of　itself；　so　that　the　other；　and　therefore　also　each；　remains　identical　with　itself。　But　the　identical
and　the　negative　relations　are　both　one　and　the　same；　substance　is　self…identical　only　in　its　opposite
and　this　constitutes　the　absolute　identity　of　the　substances　posited　as　a　duality。　Active　substance；
through　the　act　of　positing　itself　as　the　opposite　of　itself；　an　act　which　is　at　the　same　time　the
sublating　of　its　presupposed　otherness；　of　passive　substance；　is　manifested　as　cause　or　originative
substantiality。　Conversely；　through　being　acted　on；　posited　being　is　manifested　as　posited；　the
negative　as　negative；　and　therefore　passive　substance　as　self…related　negativity；　the　cause　meeting
in　this　other　simply　and　solely　with　its　own　self。　Through　this　positing；　then；　the　presupposed　or
implicit　originativeness　becomes　explicit　or　for　itself；　yet　this　being　that　is　in　and　for　itself　is　such
only　in　so　far　as　this　positing　is　equally　a　sublating　of　what　was　presupposed；　in　other　words
absolute　substance　has　returned　to　itself　and　so　become　absolute；　only　out　of　and　in　its
positedness。　Hence　this　reciprocity　is　the　appearance　that　again　sublates　itself；　the　revelation　that
the　illusory　being　of　causality　in　which　the　cause　appears　as　cause；　is　illusory　being。　This　infinite
reflection…into…self；　namely；　that　being　is　in　and　for　itself　only　in　so　far　as　it　is　posited；　is　the
consummation　of　substance。　But　this　consummation　is　no　longer　substance　itself　but　something
higher；　the　Notion；　the　subject。　The　transition　of　the　relation　of　substantiality　takes　place　through
its　own　immanent　necessity　and　is　nothing　more　than　the　manifestation　of　itself；　that　the　Notion　is
its　truth；　and　that　freedom　is　the　truth　of　necessity。　

I　have　already　mentioned　in　the　Second　Book　of　the　Objective　Logic　that　the　philosophy　which
adopts　the　standpoint　of　substance　and　stops　there　is　the　system　of　Spinoza。　I　also　indicated　there
the　defect　of　that　system　alike　as　to　form　and　to　matter。　But　the　refutation　of　the　system　is　another
matter。　With　respect　to　the　refutation　of　a　philosophical　system　I　have　elsewhere　also　made　the
general　observation　that　one　must　get　rid　of　the　erroneous　idea　of　regarding　the　system　as　out　and
out　false；　as　if　the　true　system　by　contrast　were　only　opposed　to　the　false。　The　context　itself　in
which　Spinoza's　system　here　finds　mention　provides　the　true　standpoint　of　the　system　and　the
question　whether　it　is　true　or　false。　The　relation　of　substance　resulted　from　the　nature　of　essence；
this　relation　and　its　exposition　as　a　developed　totality　in　a　system　is；　therefore；　a　necessary
standpoint　assumed　by　the　absolute。　Such　a　standpoint；　therefore；　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　an
opinion；　a　subjective；　arbitrary　way　of　thinking　of　an　individual；　as　an　aberration　of　speculation；　on
the　contrary；　speculative　thinking　in　the　course　of　its　progress　finds　itself　necessarily　occupying　that
standpoint　and　to　that　extent　the　system　is　perfectly　true；　but　it　is　not　the　highest　standpoint。　Yet
this　does　not　mean　that　the　system　can　be　regarded　as　false；　as　requiring　and　being　capable　of
refutation；　on　the　contrary；　the　only　thing　about　it　to　be　considered　false　is　its　claim　to　be　the
highest　standpoint。　Consequently；　the　true　system　cannot　have　the　relation　to　it　of　being　merely
opposed　to　it；　for　if　this　were　so；　the　system；　as　this　opposite；　would　itself　be　one…sided。　On　the
contrary；　the　true　system　as　the　higher；　must　contain　the　subordinate　system　within　itself。　

Further；　the　refutation　must　not　come　from　outside；　that　is；　it　must　not　proceed　from　assumptions
lying　outside　the　system　in　question　and　inconsistent　with　it。　The　system　need　only　refuse　to
recognise　those　assumptions；　the　defect　is　a　defect　only　for　him　who　starts　from　the　requirements
and　demands　based　on　those　assumptions。
　

Thus　it　has　been　said　that　for　anyone　who　does　not　presuppose　as　an　established　fact　the　freedom
and　self…subsistence　of　the　self…conscious　subject　there　cannot　be　any　refutation　of　Spinozism。
Besides；　a　standpoint　so　lofty　and　so　intrinsically　rich　as　the　relation　of　substance；　far　from　ignoring
those　assumptions　even　contains　them：　one　of　the　attributes　of　Spinoza's　substance　is　thinking。　On
the　contrary；　Spinozism　knows　how　to　resolve　and　assimilate　the　determinations　in　which　these
assumptions　conflict　with　it；　so　that　they　appear　in　the　system；　but　in　the　modifications
appropriate　to　it。　The　nerve；　therefore；　of　the　external　refutation　consists　solely　in　clinging
stubbornly　to　the　antitheses　of　these　assumptions；　for　example；　to　the　absolute　self…subsistence　of
the　thinking　individual　as　against　the　form　of　thought　posited　in　absolute　substance　as　identical　with
extension。　The　genuine　refutation　must　penetrate　the　opponent's　stronghold　and　meet　him　on　his
own　ground；　no　advantage　is　gained　by　attacking　him　somewhere　else　and　defeating　him　where　he
is　not。　The　only　possible　refutation　of　Spinozism　must　therefore　consist；　in　the　first　place；　in
recognising　its　standpoint　as　essential　and　necessary　and　then　going　on　to　raise　that　standpoint　to
the　higher　one　through　its　own　immanent　dialectic。　The　relationship　of　substance　considered　simply
and　solely　in　its　own　intrinsic　nature　leads　on　to　its　opposite；　to　the　Notion。　The　exposition　of
substance　（contained　in　the　last　book）　which　leads　on　to　the　Notion　is；　therefore；　the　sole　and
genuine　refutation　of　Spinozism。　It　is　the　unveiling　of　substance；　and　this　is　the　genesis　of　the
Notion；　the　chief　moments　of　which　have　been　brought　together　above。　The　unity　of　substance　is
its　relation　of　necessity；　but　this　unity　is　only　an　inner　necessity；　in　positing　itself　through　the
moment　of　absolute　negativity　it　becomes　a　manifested　or　posited　identity；　and　thereby　the
freedom　which　is　the　identity　of　the　Notion。　The　Notion；　the　totality　resulting　from　the　reciprocal
relation；　is　the　unity　of　the　two　substances　standing　in　that　relation；　but　in　this　unity　they　are　now
free；　for　they　no　longer　possess　their　identity　as　something　blind；　that　is　to　say；　as　something
merely　inner；　on　the　contrary；　the　substances　now　have　essentially　the　status　of　an　illusory　being；
of　being　moments　of　reflection；　whereby　each　is　no　less　immediately　united　with　its　other　or　its
positedness　and　each　contains　its　positedness　within　itself；　and　consequently　in　its　other　is　posited
as　simply　and　solely　identical　with　itself。

With　the　Notion；　therefore；　we　have　entered　the　realm　of　freedom。　Freedom　belongs　to　the
Notion　because　that　identity　which；　as　absolutely　determined；　constitutes　the　necessity　of
substance；　is　now　also　sublated　or　is　a　positedness；　and　this　positedness　as　self…related　is　simply
that　identity。　The　mutual　opacity　of　the　substances　standing　in　the　causal　relationship　has　vanished
and　become　a　self…transparent　clarity；　for　the　originality　of　their　self…subsistence　has　passed　into　a
positedness；　the　original　substance　is　original　in　that　it　is　only　the　cause　of　itself；　and　this　is
substance　raised　to　the　freedom　of　the　Notion。

This　at　once　provides　us　with　a　more　precise　determination　of　mediately　the　Notion。　Because
being　that　is　in　and　for　itself　is　immediately　a　positedness；　the　Notion　in　its　simple　self…relation　is　an
absolute　determinateness　which；　however；　as　purely　self…related　is　no　less　immediately　a　simple
identity。　But　this　self…relation　of　the　determinateness　as　the　union　of　itself　with　itself　is　equally　the
negation　of　the　determinateness；　and　the　Notion　as　this　equality　with　itself　is　the　universal。　But　this
identity　has　equally　the　determination　of　negativity；　it　is　the　negation　or　determinateness　which　is
self…related；　thus　the　Notion　is　the　individual。　Each　of　them；　the　universal　and　the　individual；　is　the
totality；　each　contains　within　itself　the　determination　of　the　other　and　therefore　these　totalities　are
one　and　one　only；　just　as　this　unity　is　the　differentiation　of　itself　into　the　free　illusion　of　this
duality…of　a　duality　which；　in　the　difference　of　the　individual　and　the　universal；　appears　as　a
complete　opposition；　yet　an　opposition　which　is　so　entirely　illusory　that　in　thinking　and　enunciating
the　one；　the　other　also　is　immediately　thought　and　enunciated。

The　foregoing　is　to　be　regarded　as　the　Notion　of　the　Notion。　It　may　seem　to　differ　from　what　is
elsewhere　understood　by　'notion'　and　in　that　case　we　might　be　asked　to　indicate　how　that　which
we　have　here　found　to　be　the　Notion　is　contained　in　other　conceptions　or　explanations。　On　the
one　hand；　however；　there　can　be　no　question　of　a　confirmation　based　on　the　authority　of　the
ordinary　understanding　of　the　term；　in　the　science　of　the　Notion　its　content　and　character　can　be
guaranteed　solely　by　the　immanent　deduction　which　contains　its　genesis　and　which　already　lies
behind　us。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Notion　as　here　deduced　must；　of　course；　be　recognisable　in
principle　in　what　is　elsewhere　presented　as　the　concept　of　the　Notion。　But　it　is　not　so　easy　to
discover　what　others　have　said　about　the　nature　of　the　Notion。　For　in　the　main　they　do　not
concern　themselves　at　all　with　the　question；　presupposing　that　everyone　who　uses　the　word
…automatically　knows　what　it　means。　Latterly；　one　could　have　felt　all　the　more　relieved　from　any
need　to　trouble　about　the　Notion　since；　just　as　it　was　the　fashion　for　a　while　to　say　everything　bad
about　the　imagination；　and　then　the　memory；　so　in　philosophy　it　became　the　habit　some　time　ago；　a
habit　which　in　some　measure　still　exists；　to　heap　every　kind　of　slander　on　the　Notion；　on　what　is
supreme　in　thought；　while　the　incomprehensible　and　non…comprehension　are；　on　the　contrary；
regarded　as　the　pinnacle　of　science　and　morality。　I　will　confine　myself　here　to　a　remark　which　may
help　one　to　grasp　the　notions　here　developed　and　may　make　it　easier　to　find　one's　bearings　in
them。　The　Notion；　when　it　has　developed　into　a　concrete　existence　that　is　itself　free；　is　none　other
than　the　I　or　pure　self…consciousness。　True；　I　have　notions；　that　is　to　say；　determinate　notions；　but
the　I　is　the　pure　Notion　itself　which；　as　Notion；　has　come　into　existence。　When；　therefore；
reference　is　made　to　the　fundamental　determinations　which　constitute　the　nature　of　the　I；　we　may
presuppose　that　the　reference　is　to　something　familiar；　that　is；　a　commonplace　of　our　ordinary
thinking。　But　the　I　is；　first；　this　pure　self…related　unity；　and　it　is　so　not　immediately　but　only　as
making　abstraction　from　all　determinateness　and　content　and　withdrawing　into　the　freedom　of
unrestricted　equality　with　itself。　As　such　it　is　universality；　a