shorter logic-第51部分

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obstinately　pursue　their　subjective　aims；　and　when　they　find　themselves　constrained　to　resign　the
hope　of　reaching　them；　console　themselves　with　the　prospect　of　a　reward　in　some　other　shape。
But　the　term　subjectivity　is　not　to　be　confined　merely　to　the　bad　and　finite　kind　of　it　which　is
contrasted　with　the　thing　（fact）。　In　its　truth　subjectivity　is　immanent　in　the　fact；　and　as　a　subjectivity
thus　infinite　is　the　very　truth　of　the　fact。　Thus　regarded；　the　doctrine　of　consolation　receives　a
newer　and　a　higher　significance。　It　is　in　this　sense　that　the　Christian　religion　is　to　be　regarded　as　the
religion　of　consolation；　and　even　of　absolute　consolation。　Christianity；　we　know　teaches　that　God
wishes　all　men　to　be　saved。　That　teaching　declares　that　subjectivity　has　an　infinite　value。　And　that
consoling　power　of　Christianity　just　lies　in　the　fact　that　God　himself　is　in　it　known　as　the　absolute
subjectivity；　so　that；　inasmuch　as　subjectivity　involves　the　element　of　particularity；　our　particular
personality　too　is　recognised　not　merely　as　something　to　be　solely　and　simply　nullified；　but　as　at　the
same　time　something　to　be　preserved。　The　gods　of　the　ancient　world　were　also；　it　is　true；　looked
upon　as　personal；　but　the　personality　of　a　Zeus　and　an　Apollo　is　not　a　real　personality：　it　is　only　a
figure　in　the　mind。　In　other　words；　these　gods　are　mere　personifications；　which；　being　such；　do　not
know　themselves；　and　are　only　known。　An　evidence　of　this　defect　and　this　powerlessness　of　the
old　gods　is　found　even　in　the　religious　beliefs　of　antiquity。　In　the　ancient　creeds　not　only　men；　but
even　gods；　were　represented　as　subject　to　destiny；　a　destiny　which　we　must　conceive　as　necessity
not　unveiled；　and　thus　as　something　wholly　impersonal；　selfless；　and　blind。　On　the　other　hand；　the
Christian　God　is　God　not　known　merely　but　also　self…knowing；　he　is　a　personality　not　merely
figured　in　our　minds；　but　rather　absolutely　actual。　

We　must　refer　to　the　Philosophy　of　Religion　for　a　further　discussion　of　the　points　here　touched。
But　we　may　note　in　passing　how　important　it　is　for　any　man　to　meet　everything　that　befalls　him　with
the　spirit　of　the　old　proverb　which　describes　each　man　as　the　architect　of　his　own　fortune　That
means　that　it　is　only　himself　after　all　of　which　a　man　has　the　usufruct。　The　other　way　would　be　to
lay　the　blame　of　whatever　we　experience　upon　other　men；　upon　unfavourable　circumstances；　and
the　like。　And　this　is　a　fresh　example　of　the　language　of　unfreedom；　and　at　the　same　time　the　spring
of　discontent。　If　man　saw；　on　the　contrary；　that　whatever　happens　to　him　is　only　the　outcome　of
himself；　and　that　he　only　bears　his　own　guilt；　he　would　stand　free；　and　in　everything　that　came　upon
him　would　have　the　consciousness　that　he　suffered　no　wrong。　A　man　who　lives　in　dispeace　with
himself　and　his　lot　commits　much　that　is　perverse　and　amiss；　for　no　other　reason　than　because　of
the　false　opinion　that　he　is　wronged　by　others。　No　doubt　too　there　is　a　great　deal　of　chance　in
what　befalls　us。　But　the　chance　has　its　root　in　the　'natural'　man。　So　long　however　as　a　man　is
otherwise　conscious　that　he　is　free；　his　harmony　of　soul　and　peace　of　mind　will　not　be　destroyed
by　the　disagreeables　that　befall　him。　It　is　their　view　of　necessity；　therefore；　which　is　at　the　root　of
the　discontent　of　men；　and　which　in　that　way　determines　their　destiny　itself。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　148
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Process　of　Necessity

Among　the　three　elements　in　the　process　of　necessity；　the　Condition；　the　Fact；
and　the　Activity：　

＇a＇　The　Condition　is　（a）　what　is　presupposed　or　ante…stated；　i。e。　it　is　not　only
supposed　or　stated；　and　so　only　a　correlative　to　the　fact；　but　also　prior；　and　so
independent；　a　contingent　and　external　circumstance　which　exists　without　respect
to　the　fact。　While　thus　contingent；　however；　this　presupposed　or　ante…stated　term；
in　respect　withal　of　the　fact；　which　is　the　totality；　is　a　complete　circle　of
conditions。　（b）　The　conditions　are　passive；　and　used　as　materials　for　the　fact；　into
the　content　of　which　they　thus　enter。　They　are　likewise　intrinsically　conformable
to　this　content；　and　already　contain　its　whole　characteristic。　

＇b＇　The　Fact　is　also　（a）　something　presupposed　or　ante…stated；　i。e。　is　it　at　first；
and　as　supposed；　only　inner　and　possible；　and　also；　being　prior；　as　independent
content　by　itself。　（b）　By　using　up　the　conditions；　it　receives　its　external　existence；
the　realisation　of　the　articles　of　its　content；　which　reciprocally　correspond　to　the
conditions；　so　that　while　it　presents　itself　out　of　these　as　the　facts；　it　also　proceeds
from　them。　

＇c＇　The　Activity　similarly　has　（a）　an　independent　existence　of　its　own　（as　man；　a
character）；　and　at　the　same　time　it　is　possible　only　where　the　conditions　are　and
the　fact。　（B）　It　is　the　movement　which　translates　the　conditions　into　fact；　and　the
latter　into　the　former　as　the　side　of　existence；　or　rather　the　movement　which
educes　the　fact　from　the　conditions　in　which　it　is　potentially　present；　and　which
gives　existence　to　the　fact　by　abolishing　the　existence　possessed　by　the　conditions。

In　so　far　as　these　three　elements　stand　to　each　other　in　the　shape　of　independent
existences；　this　process　has　the　aspect　of　an　outward　necessity。　Outward
necessity　has　a　limited　content　for　its　fact。　For　the　fact　is　this　whole；　in　phase　of
singleness。　But　since　in　its　form　this　whole　is　external　to　itself；　it　is
self…externalised　even　in　its　own　self　and　in　its　content；　and　this　externality；
attaching　to　the　fact；　is　a　limit　of　its　content。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　149
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Circle　of　Circumstances

Necessity；　then；　is　potentially　the　one　essence；　self…same；　but　not　full　of　content；
in　the　reflected　light　of　which　its　distinctions　take　the　form　of　independent
realities。　This　self…sameness　is　at　the　same　time；　as　absolute　form；　the　activity
which　reduces　into　dependency　and　mediates　into　immediacy。　Whatever　is
necessary　is　through　another；　which　is　broken　up　into　mediating　ground　（the　Fact
and　the　Activity）　and　an　immediate　actuality；　or　accidental　circumstance；　which　is
at　the　same　time　a　Condition。　The　necessary；　being　through　an　other；　is　not　in　and
for　itself：　hypothetical；　it　is　a　mere　result　of　assumption。　But　this　intermediation　is
just　as　immediate　however　as　the　abrogation　of　itself。　The　ground　and　contingent
condition　is　translated　into　immediacy；　by　which　that　dependency　is　now　lifted　up
into　actuality；　and　the　fact　has　closed　with　itself。　In　this　return　to　itself；　the
necessary　simply　and　positively　is；　as　unconditioned　actuality。　The　necessary　is
so；　mediated　through　a　circle　of　circumstances：　it　is　so；　because　the　circumstances
are　so；　and　at　the　same　time　it　is　so；　unmediated：　it　is　so；　because　it　is。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　（a）　The　Relationship　of　Substantiality
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　150
The　necessary　is　in　itself　an　absolute　correlation　of　elements；　i。e。　the　process
developed　in　the　preceding　paragraphs）；　in　which　the　correlation　also　suspends
itself　to　absolute　identity。　

In　its　immediate　form　it　is　the　relationship　of　Substance　and　Accident。　The
absolute　self…identity　of　this　relationship　is　Substance　as　such；　which　as　necessity
gives　the　negative　to　this　form　of　inwardness；　and　thus　invests　itself　with
actuality；　but　which　also　gives　the　negative　to　this　outward　thing。　In　this
negativity；　the　actual；　as　immediate；　is　only　an　accidental　which　through　this　bare
possibility　passes　over　into　another　actuality。　This　transition　is　the　identity　of
substance；　regarded　as　form…activity。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　151
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Substance

Substance　is　accordingly　the　totality　of　the　Accidents；　revealing　itself　in　them　as
their　absolute　negativity　（that　is　to　say；　as　absolute　power）　and　at　the　same　time
as　the　wealth　of　all　content。　This　content　however　is　nothing　but　that　very
revelation；　since　the　character　（being　reflected　in　itself　to　make　content）　is　only　a
passing　stage　of　the　form　which　passes　away　in　the　power　of　substance。
Substantiality　is　the　absolute　form…activity　and　the　power　of　necessity：　all　content
is　but　a　vanishing　element　which　merely　belongs　to　this　position；　where　there　is　an
absolute　revulsion　of　form　and　content　into　one　another。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　151n

In　the　history　of　philosophy　we　meet　with　Substance　as　the　principle　of　Spinoza's　system。　On　the
import　and　value　of　this　much…praised　and　no…less　decried　philosophy　there　has　been　great
misunderstanding　and　a　deal　of　talking　since　the　days　of　Spinoza。　The　atheism；　and　as　a　further
charge；　the　pantheism　of　the　system　has　formed　the　commonest　ground　of　accusation。　These　cries
arise　because　of　Spinoza's　conception　of　God　as　substance；　and　substance　only。　What　we　are　to
think　of　this　charge　follows；　in　the　first　instance；　from　the　place　which　substance　takes　in　the
system　of　the　logical　idea。　Though　an　essential　stage　in　the　evolution　of　the　idea；　substance　is　not
the　same　with　absolute　idea；　but　the　idea　under　the　still　limited　form　of　necessity。　
？　

It　is　true　that　God　is　necessity；　or；　as　we　may　also　put　it；　that　he　is　the　absolute　Thing：　he　is
however　no　less　the　absolute　Person。　That　he　is　the　absolute　Person　however　is　a　point　which　the
philosophy　of　Spinoza　never　reached：　and　on　that　side　it　falls　short　of　the　true　notion　of　God　which
forms　the　content　of　religious　consciousness　in　Christianity。　Spinoza　was　by　descent　a　Jew；　and　it
is　upon　the　whole　the　Oriental　way　of　seeing　things；　according　to　which　the　nature　of　the　finite
world　seems　frail　and　transient；　that　has　found　its　intellectual　expression　in　his　system。　This　Oriental
view　of　the　unity　of　substance　certainly　gives　the　basis　for　all　real　further　development。　Still　it　is　not
the　final　idea。　It　is　marked　by　the　absence　of　the　principle　of　the　Western　world；　the　principle　of
individuality；　which　first　appeared　under　a　philosophic　shape；　contemporaneously　with　Spinoza；　in
the　Monadology　of　Leibnitz。　

From　this　point　we　glance　back　to　the　alleged　atheism　of　Spinoza。　The　charge　will　be　seen　to　be
unf