shorter logic-第34部分

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for　what　it　comes　from　and　what　it　becomes　are　one　and　the　same。　Thus
explained；　the　proposition　is　the　maxim　of　abstract　identity　as　upheld　by　the
understanding。　It　cannot　but　seem　strange；　therefore；　to　hear　such　maxims　as　'Out
of　nothing　comes　nothing：　Out　of　something　comes　something'　calmly　taught　in
these　days；　without　the　teacher　being　in　the　least　aware　that　they　are　the　basis　of
Pantheism；　and　even　without　his　knowing　that　the　ancients　have　exhausted　all　that
is　to　be　said　about　them。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　88n

Becoming　is　the　first　concrete　thought；　and　therefore　the　first　notion：　whereas　Being　and　Nought
are　empty　abstractions。　The　notion　of　Being；　therefore；　of　which　we　sometimes　speak；　must　mean
Becoming；　not　the　mere　point　of　Being；　which　is　empty　Nothing；　any　more　than　Nothing；　which　is
empty　Being》　in　Being　then　we　have　Nothing；　and　in　Nothing；　Being；　but　this　Being　which　does
not　lose　itself　in　Nothing　is　Becoming。　Nor　must　we　omit　the　distinction；　while　we　emphasise　the
unity　of　Becoming；　without　that　distinction　we　should　once　more　return　to　abstract　Being。
Becoming　is　only　the　explicit　statement　of　what　Being　is　in　its　truth。　

We　often　hear　it　maintained　that　thought　is　opposed　to　being。　Now；　in　the　face　of　such　a
statement；　our　first　question　ought　to　be；　what　is　meant　by　being。　If　we　understand　being　as　it　is
defined　by　reflection；　all　that　we　can　say　of　it　is　what　is　wholly　identical　and　affirmative。　And　if　we
then　look　at　thought；　it　cannot　escape　us　that　thought　also　is　at　least　what　is　absolutely　identical
with　itself。　Both　therefore；　being　as　well　as　thought；　have　the　same　attribute。　This　identity　of　being
and　thought　is　not　however　to　be　taken　in　a　concrete　sense；　as　if　we　could　say　that　a　stone；　so　far
as　it　has　being；　is　the　same　as　a　thinking　man。　A　concrete　thing　is　always　very　different　from　the
abstract　category　as　such。　And　in　the　case　of　being；　we　are　speaking　of　nothing　concrete：　for　being
is　the　utterly　abstract。　So　far　then　the　question　regarding　the　being　of　God　…　a　being　which　is　in
itself　concrete　above　all　measure　…　is　of　slight　importance。　

As　the　first　concrete　thought…form；　Becoming　is　the　first　adequate　vehicle　of　truth。　In　the　history　of
philosophy；　this　stage　of　the　logical　Idea　finds　its　analogue　in　the　system　of　Heraclitus。　When
Heraclitus　says　'All　is　flowing'；　he　enunciates　Becoming　as　the　fundamental　feature　of　all　existence；
whereas　the　Eleatics；　as　already　remarked；　saw　only　truth　in　Being；　rigid　processless　Being。
Glancing　at　the　principle　of　the　Eleatics；　Heraclitus　then　goes　on　to　say：　Being　is　no　more　than
not…Being；　a　statement　expressing　the　negativity　of　abstract　Being；　and　its　identity　with　not…Being；
as　made　explicit　in　Becoming；　both　abstractions　being　alike　untenable。　This　may　be　looked　upon
as　the　real　refutation　of　one　system　by　another。　To　refute　a　philosophy　is　to　exhibit　the　dialectical
movement　in　its　principle；　and　thus　reduce　it　to　a　constituent　member　of　a　higher　concrete　form　of
the　Idea。　

Even　Becoming　however；　taken　at　its　best　on　its　own　ground；　is　an　extremely　poor　term：　it　needs
to　grow　in　depth　and　weight　of　meaning。　Such　deepened　force　we　find　e。g。　in　Life。　Life　is　a
Becoming　but　that　is　not　enough　to　exhaust　the　notion　of　life。　A　still　higher　form　is　found　in　Mind。
Here　too　is　Becoming；　but　richer　and　more　intensive　than　mere　logical　Becoming。　The　elements
whose　unity　constitute　mind　are　not　the　bare　abstracts　of　Being　and　Nought；　but　the　system　of　the
logical　Idea　and　of　Nature。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）　Being　Determinate
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　89

In　Becoming；　the　Being　which　is　one　with　Nothing；　and　the　Nothing　which　is　one
with　Being；　are　only　vanishing　factors；　they　are　and　they　are　not。　Thus　by　its
inherent　contradiction　Becoming　collapses　into　the　unity　in　which　the　two
elements　are　absorbed。　This　result　is　accordingly　Being　Determinate　（Being
there　and　so）。　

In　this　first　example　we　must　call　to　mind；　once　for　all；　＇that＇：　the　only　way　to
secure　any　growth　and　progress　in　knowledge　is　to　hold　results　fast　in　their　truth。
There　is　absolutely　nothing　whatever　in　which　we　cannot　and　must　not　point　to
contradictions　or　opposite　attributes；　and　the　abstraction　made　by　understanding
therefore　means　a　forcible　insistence　on　a　single　aspect；　and　a　real　effort　to
obscure　and　remove　all　consciousness　of　the　other　attribute　which　is　involved。
Whenever　such　contradiction；　then；　is　discovered　in　any　object　or　notion；　the
usual　inference　is；　Hence　this　object　is　nothing。　

Thus　Zeno；　who　first　showed　the　contradiction　native　to　motion；　concluded　that
there　is　no　motion；　and　the　ancients；　who　recognised　origin　and　decease；　the　two
species　of　Becoming；　as　untrue　categories；　made　use　of　the　expression　that　the
One　or　Absolute　neither　arises　not　perishes。　Such　a　style　of　dialectic　looks　only　at
the　negative　aspect　of　its　result；　and　fails　to　notice；　what　is　at　the　same　time　really
present；　the　definite　result；　in　the　present　case　a　pure　nothing；　but　a　Nothing
which　includes　Being；　and；　in　like　manner；　a　Being　which　includes　Nothing。
Hence　Being　Determinate　is　（1）　the　unity　of　Being　and　Nothing；　in　which　we　get
rid　of　the　immediacy　in　these　determinations；　and　their　contradiction　vanishes　in
their　mutual　connection　…　the　unity　in　which　they　are　only　constituent　elements。
And　（2）　since　the　result　is　the　abolition　of　the　contradiction；　it　comes　in　the　shape
of　a　simple　unity　with　itself：　that　is　to　say；　it　also　is　Being　with　negation　or
determinateness：　it　is　Becoming　expressly　put　in　the　form　of　one　of　its　elements；
viz。；　Being。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　89n

Even　our　ordinary　conception　of　Becoming　implies　that　somewhat　comes　out　of　it；　and　that
Becoming　therefore　has　a　result。　But　this　conception　gives　rise　to　the　question；　how　Becoming
does　not　remain　mere　Becoming；　but　has　a　result？　

The　answer　to　this　question　follows　from　what　Becoming　has　already　shown　itself　to　be。　Becoming
always　contains　Being　and　Nothing　in　such　a　way；　that　these　two　are　always　changing　into　each
other；　and　reciprocally　cancelling　each　other。　Thus　Becoming　stands　before　us　in　utter　restlessness
…　unable　however　to　maintain　itself　in　this　abstract　restlessness：　for；　since　Being　and　Nothing　vanish
in　Becoming　（and　that　is　the　very　notion　of　Becoming）；　the　latter　must　vanish　also。　Becoming　is　as
it　were　a　fire；　which　dies　out　in　itself；　when　it　consumes　its　material。　The　result　of　this　process
however　is　not　empty　Nothing；　but　Being　identical　with　the　negation　…　what　we　call　Being
Determinate　（being　then　and　there）：　the　primary　import　of　which　evidently　is　that　it　has　become。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quality
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　90

（a）　Determinate　Being　is　Being　with　a　character　or　mode　…　which　simply　is；　and
such　unmediated　character　is　Quality。　And　as　reflected　into　itself　in　this　its
character　or　mode；　Determinate　Being　is　a　somewhat；　as　existent。　The　categories；
which　issue　by　a　closer　analysis　of　Determinate　Being；　need　only　be　mentioned
briefly。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　90n

Quality　may　be　described　as　the　determinate　mode　immediate　and　identical　with　Being　…　as
distinguished　from　Quantity　（to　come　afterwards）；　which；　although　a　mode　of　Being；　is　no　longer
immediately　identical　with　Being；　but　a　mode　indifferent　and　external　to　it。　A　something　is　what　it　is
in　virtue　of　its　quality；　and　losing　its　quality　it　ceases　to　be　what　it　is。　

Quality；　moreover；　is　completely　a　category　only　of　the　finite；　and　for　that　reason　too　it　has　its
proper　place　in　Nature；　not　in　the　world　of　the　Mind。　Thus；　for　example；　in　Nature　what　are　styled
elementary　bodies；　oxygen；　nitrogen；　etc。；　should　be　regarded　as　existing　qualities。　But　in　the
sphere　of　mind；　Quality　appears　in　a　subordinate　way　only；　and　not　as　if　its　qualitativeness　could
exhaust　any　specific　aspect　of　mind。　If；　for　example；　we　consider　the　subjective　mind；　which　forms
the　object　of　psychology；　we　may　describe　what　is　called　（moral　and　mental）　character；　as　in
logical　language　identical　with　Quality。　This　however　does　not　mean　that　character　is　a　mode　of
being　which　pervades　the　soul　and　is　immediately　identical　with　it；　as　is　the　case　in　the　natural
world　with　elementary　bodies　beforementioned。　Yet　a　more　distinct　manifestation　of　Quality　as
such；　in　mind　even；　is　found　in　the　case　of　besotted　or　morbid　conditions；　especially　in　states　of
passion　and　when　the　passion　rises　to　derangement。　The　state　of　mind　of　a　deranged　person；　being
one　mass　of　jealousy；　fear；　etc。；　may　suitably　be　described　as　Quality。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Reality；　Being…for…another　&　Being…for…self
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　91

Quality；　as　determinateness　which　is；　as　contrasted　with　the　Negation　which　is
involved　in　it　but　distinguished　from　it；　is　Reality。　Negation　is　no　longer　an
abstract　nothing；　but；　as　a　determinate　being　and　somewhat；　is　only　a　form　of
such　being　…　it　is　as　Otherness。　Since　this　otherness；　though　a　determination　of
Quality　itself；　is　in　the　first　instance　distinct　from　it；　Quality　is　Being…for…another
…　an　expansion　of　the　mere　point　of　Determinate　Being；　or　of　Somewhat。　The
Being　as　such　of　Quality；　contrasted　with　this　reference　to　somewhat　else；　is
Being…for…self　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　91n

The　foundation　of　all　determinateness　is　negation。　The　unreflecting　observer　supposes　that
determinate　things　are　merely　positive；　and　pins　them　down　under　the　form　of　being。　Mere　being
however　is　not　the　end　of　the　matter：　it　is；　as　we　have　already　seen；　utter　emptiness　and　instability
besides。　Still；　when　abstract　being　is　confused　in　this　way　with　being　modified　and　determinate；　it
implies　some　perception　of　the　fact　that；　though　in　determinate　being　there　is　involved　an　element
of　negation；　this　element　is　at　first　wrapped　up；　as　it　were；　and　only　comes　to　the　front　and
receives　its　due　in　Being…for…self。　If　we　go　on　to　consider　determinate　Being　as　a　determinateness
which　is；　we　get　in　this　way　what　is　called　Reality。　

We　speak；　for　example；　of　the　reality　of　a　plan　or　a　pur