shorter logic-第52部分

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recognise　in　it　the　speculative　spirit　of　our　language　rising　above　the　me　'either…or'　of
understanding。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§97

＇b＇　The　relation　of　the　negative　to　itself　is　a　negative　relation；　and　so　a
distinguishing　of　the　One　from　itself；　the　repulsion　of　the　One；　that　is；　it　makes
Many　Ones。　So　far　as　regards　the　immediacy　of　the　self…existents；　these　Many
are：　and　the　repulsion　of　every　One　of　them　becomes　to　that　extent　their
repulsion　against　each　other　as　existing　units　…　in　other　words；　their　reciprocal
exclusion。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§97n

Whenever　we　speak　of　the　One；　the　Many　usually　come　into　our　mind　at　the　same　time。　Whence；
then；　we　are　forced　to　ask；　do　the　Many　come？　This　question　is　unanswerable　by　the
consciousness　which　pictures　the　Many　as　a　primary　datum；　and　treats　the　One　as　only　one　among
the　Many。　But　the　philosophic　notion　teaches；　contrariwise；　that　the　One　forms　the　presupposition
of　the　Many：　and　in　the　thought　of　the　One　is　implied　that　it　explicitly　make　itself　Many。　。。。　
？

The　One；　as　already　remarked；　just　is　self…exclusion　and　explicit　putting　itself　as　the　Many。　Each　of
the　Many　however　is　itself　a　One；　and　in　virtue　of　its　so　behaving；　this　all　rounded　repulsion　is　by
one　stroke　converted　into　its　opposite　…　Attraction。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　98
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Attraction　and　Repulsion

＇c＇　But　the　Many　are　one　the　same　as　another：　each　is　One；　or　even　one　of　the
Many；　they　are　consequently　one　and　the　same。　Or　when　we　study　all　that
Repulsion　involves；　we　see　that　as　a　negative　attitude　of　many　Ones　to　one
another；　it　is　just　as　essentially　a　connective　reference　of　them　to　each　other；　and
as　those　to　which　the　One　is　related　in　its　act　of　repulsion　are　ones；　it　is　in　them
thrown　into　relation　with　itself。　The　repulsion　therefore　has　an　equal　right　to　be
called　Attraction；　and　the　exclusive　One；　or　Being…for…self；　suppresses　itself。　The
qualitative　character；　which　in　the　One　or　unit　has　reached　the　extreme　point　of　its
characterisation；　has　thus　passed　over　into　determinateness　（quality）　suppressed；
i。e。　into　Being　as　Quantity。　

The　philosophy　of　the　Atomists　is　the　doctrine　in　which　the　Absolute　is
formulated　as　Being…for…self；　as　One；　and　many　ones。　And　it　is　the　repulsion；
which　shows　itself　in　the　notion　of　the　One；　which　is　assumed　as　the　fundamental
force　in　these　atoms。　But　instead　of　attraction；　it　is　Accident；　that　is；　mere
unintelligence；　which　is　expected　to　bring　them　together。　So　long　as　the　One　is
fixed　as　one；　it　is　certainly　impossible　to　regard　its　congression　with　others　as
anything　but　external　and　mechanical。　The　Void；　which　is　assumed　as　the
complementary　principle　to　the　atoms；　is　repulsion　and　nothing　else；　presented
under　the　image　of　the　nothing　existing　between　the　atoms。　Modern　Atomism　…
and　physics　is　still　in　principle　atomistic　…　has　surrendered　the　atoms　so　far　as　to
pin　its　faith　on　molecules　or　particles。　In　doing　so；　science　has　come　closer　to
sensuous　conception；　at　the　cost　of　losing　the　precision　of　thought。　To　put　an
attractive　by　the　side　of　a　repulsive　force；　as　the　moderns　have　done；　certainly
gives　completeness　to　the　contrast：　and　the　discovery　of　this　natural　force；　as　it　is
called；　has　been　a　source　of　much　pride。　But　the　mutual　implication　of　the　two；
which　makes　what　is　true　and　concrete　in　them；　would　have　to　be　wrested　from
the　obscurity　and　confusion　in　which　they　were　left　even　in　Kant's　Metaphysical
Rudiments　of　Natural　Science。　In　modern　times　the　importance　of　the　atomic
theory　is　even　more　evident　in　political　than　in　physical　science。　According　to　it；
the　will　of　individuals　as　such　is　the　creative　principle　of　the　State：　the　attracting
force　is　the　special　wants　and　inclinations　of　individuals；　and　the　Universal；　or　the
State　itself；　is　the　external　nexus　of　a　compact。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§98n1

The　Atomic　philosophy　forms　a　vital　stage　in　the　historical　evolution　of　the　Idea。　The　principle　of
that　system　may　be　described　as　Being…for…itself　in　the　shape　of　the　Many。　At　present；　students　of
nature　who　are　anxious　to　avoid　metaphysics　turn　a　favourable　ear　to　Atomism。　But　it　is　not
possible　to　escape　metaphysics　and　cease　to　trace　nature　back　to　terms　of　thought；　by　throwing
ourselves　into　the　arms　of　Atomism。　The　atom；　in　fact；　is　itself　a　thought；　and　hence　the　theory
which　holds　matter　to　consist　of　atoms　is　a　metaphysical　theory。　

Newton　gave　physics　an　express　warning　to　beware　of　metaphysics；　it　is　true；　but　to　his　honour　be
it　said；　he　did　not　by　any　means　obey　his　own　warning。　The　only　mere　physicists　are　the　animals：
they　alone　do　not　think：　while　man　is　a　thinking　being　and　a　born　metaphysician。　The　real　question
is　not　whether　we　shall　apply　metaphysics；　but　whether　our　metaphysics　are　of　the　right　kind：　in
other　words；　whether　we　are　not；　instead　of　the　concrete　logical　Idea；　adopting　one…sided　forms
of　thought；　rigidly　fixed　by　understanding；　and　making　these　the　basis　of　our　theoretical　as　well　as
our　practical　work。　It　is　on　this　ground　that　one　objects　to　the　Atomic　philosophy。　

The　old　Atomists　viewed　the　world　as　a　many；　as　their　successors　often　do　to　this　day。　On　chance
they　laid　the　task　of　collecting　the　atoms　which　float　about　in　the　void。　But；　after　all；　the　nexus
binding　the　many　with　one　another　is　by　no　means　a　mere　accident：　as　we　have　already　remarked；
the　nexus　founded　on　their　very　nature。　

To　Kant　we　owe　the　completed　theory　of　matter　as　the　unity　of　repulsion　and　attraction。　The
theory　is　correct；　so　far　as　it　recognises　attraction　to　be　the　other　of　the　two　elements　involved　in
the　notion　of　being…for…self：　and　to　be　an　element　no　less　essential　than　repulsion　to　constitute
matter。　Still；　this　dynamic　construction　of　matter；　as　it　is　termed；　has　the　fault　of　taking　for　granted；
instead　of　deducing；　attraction　and　repulsion。　Had　they　been　deduced；　we　should　then　have　seen
the　How　and　Why　of　a　unity　which　is　merely　asserted。　Kant　。。。　＇insisted　that＇　matter　must　be
regarded　as　consisting　solely　in　their　unity。　

German　physicists　for　some　time　accepted　this　pure　dynamic。　But　in　spite　of　this；　the　majority　of
these　physicists　in　modern　times　have　found　it　more　convenient　to　return　to　the　Atomic　point　of
view；　and　in　spite　of　the　warnings　of　K？stner；　one　of　their　number；　have　begun　to　regard　Matter
as　consisting　of　infinitesimally　small　particles；　termed　'atoms　which　atoms　have　then　to　be　brought
into　relation　with　one　another　by　the　play　of　forces　attaching　to　them…attractive；　repulsive；　or
whatever　they　may　be。　This　too　is　metaphysics；　and　metaphysics　which；　for　its　utter　unintelligence；
there　would　be　sufficient　reason　to　guard　against。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quantity　and　Quality
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§98n2

The　transition　from　Quality　to　Quantity；　indicated　in　the　paragraph　before　us；　is　not　found　in　our
ordinary　way　of　thinking；　which　deems　each　of　these　categories　to　exist　independently　beside　the
other。　We　are　in　the　habit　of　saying　that　things　are　not　merely　qualitatively；　but　also　qua