shorter logic-第59部分

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restrict　it　to　the　special　physical　department　from　which　it　derives　its　name。　There　is　no　harm　done；
for　example；　in　directing　attention　to　mechanical　actions；　such　as　that　of　gravity；　the　lever；　etc。；
even　in　departments；　notably　in　physics　and　in　physiology；　beyond　the　range　of　mechanics　proper。
It　must　however　be　remembered　that　within　these　spheres　the　laws　of　mechanism　cease　to　be　final
or　decisive；　and　sink；　as　it　were；　to　a　subservient　position。　To　which　may　be　added　that　in　Nature；
when　the　higher　or　organic　functions　are　in　any　way　checked　or　disturbed　in　their　normal
efficiency；　the　otherwise　subordinate　category　of　mechanism　is　immediately　seen　to　take　the　upper
hand。　Thus　a　sufferer　from　indigestion　feels　pressure　on　the　stomach；　after　partaking　of　certain
food　in　slight　quantity；　whereas　those　whose　digestive　organs　are　sound　remain　free　from　the
sensation；　although　they　have　eaten　as　much。　The　same　phenomenon　occurs　in　the　general　feeling
of　heaviness　in　the　limbs；　experienced　in　bodily　indisposition。　Even　in　the　world　of　Mind；
mechanism　has　its　place；　though　there；　too；　it　is　a　subordinate　one。　We　are　right　in　speaking　of
mechanical　memory；　and　all　sorts　of　mechanical　operations；　such　as　reading；　writing；　playing　on
musical　instruments；　etc。　In　memory；　indeed；　the　mechanical　quality　of　the　action　is　essential：　a
circumstance　of　which　the　neglect　has　not　unfrequently　caused　great　harm　in　the　training　of　the
young；　from　the　misapplied　zeal　of　modern　educationalists　for　the　freedom　of　intelligence。　It　would
betray　bad　psychology；　however；　to　have　recourse　to　mechanism　for　an　explanation　of　the　nature
of　memory；　and　to　apply　mechanical　laws　straight　off　to　the　soul。　The　mechanical　feature　in
memory　lies　merely　in　the　fact　that　certain　signs；　tones；　etc。；　are　apprehended　in　their　purely
external　association；　and　then　reproduced　in　this　association；　without　attention　being　expressly
directed　to　their　meaning　and　inward　association。　To　become　acquainted　with　these　conditions　of
mechanical　memory　requires　no　further　study　of　mechanics；　nor　would　that　study　tend　at　all　to
advance　the　special　inquiry　of　psychology。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　196

The　want　of　stability　in　itself　which　allows　the　object　to　suffer　violence；　is
possessed　by　it　（see　preceding　§）　only　in　so　far　as　it　has　a　certain　stability。　Now
as　the　object　is　implicitly　invested　with　the　character　of　notion；　the　one　of　these
characteristics　is　not　merged　into　its　other；　but　the　object；　through　the　negation　of
itself　（its　lack　of　independence）；　closes　with　itself；　and　not　till　it　so　closes；　is　it
independent。　Thus　at　the　same　time　in　distinction　from　the　outwardness；　and
negativing　that　outwardness　in　its　independence；　does　this　independence　form　a
negative　unity　with　self　…　Centrality　（subjectivity）。　So　conceived；　the　other　itself
has　direction　and　reference　towards　the　external。　But　this　external　object　is
similarly　central　in　itself；　and　being　so；　is　no　less　only　referred　towards　the　other
centre；　so　that　it　no　less　has　its　centrality　in　the　other。　This　is　（2）　Mechanism
with　Affinity　（with　bias；　or　'difference'）；　and　may　be　illustrated　by　gravitation；
appetite；　social　instinct；　etc。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　197

This　relation；　when　fully　carried　out；　forms　a　syllogism。　In　that　syllogism　the
immanent　negativity；　as　the　central　individuality　of　an　object　（abstract　centre）
relates　itself　to　non…independent　objects；　as　the　other　extreme；　by　a　mean　which
unites　the　centrality　with　the　non…independence　of　the　objects　（relative　centre）。
This　is　（3）　Absolute　Mechanism。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　198

The　syllogism　thus　indicated　（I　…　P　…　U）　is　a　triad　of　syllogisms。　The　wrong
individuality　of　non…independent　objects；　in　which　formal　Mechanism　is　at　home；
is；　by　reason　of　that　non…independence；　no　less　universality；　though　it　be　only
external。　Hence　these　objects　also　form　the　mean　between　the　absolute…and　the
relative　centre　（the　form　of　syllogism　being　U　…　I　…　P）：　for　it　is　by　this　want　of
independence　that　those　two　are　kept　asunder　and　made　extremes；　as　well　as
related　to　one　another。　Similarly　absolute　centrality；　as　the　permanently
underlying　universal　substance　（illustrated　by　the　gravity　which　continues
identical）；　which　as　pure　negativity　equally　includes　individuality　in　it；　is　what
mediates　between　the　relative　centre　and　the　non…independent　objects　（the　form
of　syllogism　being　P　…　U　…　I）。　It　does　so　no　less　essentially　as　a　disintegrating
force；　in　its　character　of　immanent　individuality；　than　in　virtue　of　universality；
acting　as　an　identical　bond　of　union　and　tranquil　self…containedness。　Like　the　solar
system；　so　for　example　in　the　practical　sphere　the　state　is　a　system　of　three
syllogisms。　

（1）　The　Individual　or　person；　through　his　particularity　or　physical　or　mental　needs
（which　when　carried　out　to　their　full　development　give　civil　society）；　is　coupled
with　the　universal；　i。e。　with　society；　law；　right；　government。　

（2）　The　will　or　action　of　the　individuals　is　the　intermediating　force　which　procures
for　these　needs　satisfaction　in　society；　in　law；　etc。；　and　which　gives　to　society；
law；　etc。；　their　fulfilment　and　actualisation。　

（3）　But　the　universal；　that　is　to　say　the　state；　government；　and　law；　is　the
permanent　underlying　mean　in　which　the　individuals　and　their　satisfaction　have
and　receive　their　fulfilled　reality；　intermediation；　and　persistence。　Each　of　the
functions　of　the　notion；　as　it　is　brought　by　intermediation　to　coalesce　with　the
other　extreme；　is　brought　into　union　with　itself　and　produces　itself：　which
production　is　self…preservation。　It　is　only　by　the　nature　of　this　triple　coupling；　by
this　triad　of　syllogisms　with　the　same　terming　that　a　whole　is　thoroughly
understood　in　its　organisation。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　199

The　immediacy　of　existence；　which　the　objects　have　in　Absolute　Mechanism；　is
implicitly　negatived　by　the　fact　that　their　independence　is　derived　from；　and　due
to；　their　connections　with　each　other；　and　therefore　to　their　own　want　of　stability。
Thus　the　object　must　be　explicitly　stated　as　in　its　existence　having　an　Affinity　（or
a　bias）　towards　its　other　…　as　not…indifferent。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）　Chemism
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　200

The　not…indifferent　（biased）　object　has　an　immanent　mode　which　constitutes　its
nature；　and　in　which　it　has　existence。　But　as　it　is　invested　with　the　character　of
total　notion；　it　is　the　contradiction　between　this　totality　and　the　special　mode　of　its
existence。　Consequently　it　is　the　constant　endeavour　to　cancel　this　contradiction
and　to　make　its　definite　being　equal　to　the　notion。　

Chemism　is　a　category　of　objectivity　which；　as　a　rule；　is　not　particularly　emphasised；　and　is
generally　put　under　the　head　of　mechanism。　The　common　name　of　mechanical　relationship　is
applied　to　both；　in　contradistinction　to　the　teleological。　There　is　a　reason　for　this　in　the　common
feature　which　belongs　to　mechanism　and　chemism。　In　them　the　notion　exists；　but　only　implicit　and
latent；　and　they　are　thus　both　marked　off　from　teleology　where　the　notion　has　real　independent
existence。　This　is　true：　and　yet　chemism　and　mechanism　are　very　decidedly　distinct。　The　object；　in
the　form　of　mechanism；　is　primarily　only　an　indifferent　reference　to　self；　while　the　chemical　object
is　seen　to　be　completely　in　reference　to　something　else。　No　doubt　even　in　mechanism；　as　it
develops　itself；　there　spring　up　references　to　something　else：　but　the　nexus　of　mechanical　objects
with　one　another　is　at　first　only　an　external　nexus；　so　that　the　objects　in　connection　with　one
another　still　retain　the　semblance　of　independence。　

In　nature；　for　example；　the　several　celestial　bodies；　which　form　our　solar　system；　compose　a
kinetic　system；　and　thereby　show　that　they　are　related　to　one　another。　Motion；　however；　as　the
unity　of　time　and　space；　is　a　connection　which　is　purely　abstract　and　external。　And　it　seems
therefore　as　if　these　celestial　bodies；　which　are　thus　externally　connected　with　each　other；　would
continue　to　be　what　they　are；　even　apart　from　this　reciprocal　relation。　The　case　is　quite　different
with　chemism。　Objects　chemically　biased　are　what　they　are　expressly　by　that　bias　alone。　Hence
they　are　the　absolute　impulse　towards　integration　by　and　in　one　another。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　201

The　product　of　the　chemical　process　consequently　is　the　Neutral　object；　latent　in
the　two　extremes；　each　on　the　alert。　The　notion　or　concrete　universal；　by　means
of　the　bias　of　the　objects　（the　particularity）；　coalesces　with　the　individuality　（in　the
shape　of　the　product）；　and　in　that　only　with　itself。　In　this　process　too　the　other
syllogisms　are　equally　involved。　The　place　of　mean　is　taken　both　by　individuality
as　activity；　and　by　the　concrete　universal；　the　essence　of　the　strained　extremes；
which　essence　reaches　definite　being　in　the　product。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　202

Chemism；　as　it　is　a　reflectional　nexus　of　objectivity；　has　pre…supposed；　not　merely
the　bias　or　non…indifferent　nature　of　the　objects；　but　also　their　immediate
independence。　The　process　of　chemism　consists　in　passing　to　and　fro　from　one
form　to　another；　which　forms　continue　to　be　as　external　as　before。　In　the　neutral
product　the　specific　properties；　which　the　extremes　bore　towards　each　other；　are
merged。　But　although　the　product　is　conformable　to　the　notion；　the　inspiring
principle　of　active　differentiation　does　not　exist　in　it；　for　it　has　sunk　back　to
immediacy。　The　neutral　body　is　therefore　capable　of　disintegration。　But　the
discerning　principle；　which　breaks　up　the　neutral　body　into　biased　and　strained
extremes；　and　which　gives　to　the　indifferent　object　in　general　its　affinity　and
animation　towards　another；　that　principle；　and　the　process　as　a　separation　with
tension；　falls　outside　of　that　first　process。　

The　chemical　process　does　not　rise　above　a　conditioned　and　finite　process。　The　notion　as　notion　is
only　the　heart　and　core　of　the　process；　and　does　not　in　this　stage　come　to　an　existence　of　its　own。
In　the　neutral　prod