shorter logic-第63部分

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subsists　and　only　has　proper　ties；　is　all　a　product　of　the　reflective　understanding
which；　while　it　observes　and　professes　to　record　only　what　it　observes；　is　rather
creating　a　metaphysic；　bristling　with　contradictions　of　which　it　is　unconscious。　




ESSENCE：　Second　Subdivision　of　The　Logic；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。　APPEARANCE



　　　　　　　World　of　Appearance　…　Content　&　Form　…　Relation



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§131

The　Essence　must　appear　or　shine　forth。　Its　shining　or　reflection　in　it　is　the
suspension　and　translation　of　it　to　immediacy；　which；　while　as　reflection…into…self
it　is　matter　or　subsistence；　is　also　form；　reflection…on…something…else；　a
subsistence　which　sets　itself　aside。　To　show　or　shine　is　the　characteristic　by　which
essence　is　distinguished　from　Being　…　by　which　it　is　essence；　and　it　is　this　show
which；　when　it　is　developed；　shows　itself；　and　is　Appearance。　Essence
accordingly　is　not　something　beyond　or　behind　appearance；　but　…　just　because　it　is
the　essence　which　exists　…　the　existence　is　Appearance　（Forth…shining）。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　131n
Existence　stated　explicitly　in　its　contradiction　is　Appearance。　But　appearance　（forth…showing）　is
not　to　be　confused　with　a　mere　show　（shining）。　Show　is　the　proximate　truth　of　Being　or
immediacy。　The　immediate；　instead　of　being；　as　we　suppose；　something　independent；　resting　on　its
own　self；　is　a　mere　show；　and　as　such　it　is　packed　or　summed　up　under　the　simplicity　of　the
immanent　essence。　The　essence　is；　in　the　first　place；　the　sum　total　of　the　showing　itself；　shining　in
itself　（inwardly）；　but；　far　from　abiding　in　this　inwardness；　it　comes　as　a　ground　forward　into
existence；　and　this　existence　being　grounded　not　in　itself；　but　on　something　else；　is　just　appearance。
In　our　imagination　we　ordinarily　combine　with　the　term　appearance　or　phenomenon　the　conception
of　an　indefinite　congeries　of　things　existing；　the　being　of　which　is　purely　relative；　and　which
consequently　do　not　rest　on　a　foundation　of　their　own；　but　are　esteemed　only　as　passing　stages。
But　in　this　conception　it　is　no　less　implied　that　essence　dose　not　linger　behind　or　beyond
appearance。　Rather　it　is；　we　may　say；　the　infinite　kindness　which　lets　its　own　show　freely　issue　into
immediacy；　and　graciously　allows　it　the　joy　of　existence。　The　appearance　which　is　thus　created
does　not　stand　on　its　own　feet；　and　has　its　being　not　in　itself　but　in　something　else。　。。。　

Appearance　is　in　every　way　a　very　important　grade　of　the　logical　idea。　It　may　be　said　to　be　the
distinction　of　philosophy　from　ordinary　consciousness　that　it　sees　the　merely　phenomenal　character
of　what　the　latter　supposes　to　have　a　self…subsistent　being。　The　significance　of　appearance
however　must　be　properly　grasped；　or　mistakes　will　arise。　To　say　that　anything　is　mere
appearance　may　be　misinterpreted　to　mean　that；　as　compared　to　what　is　merely　phenomenal；
there　is　greater　truth　in　the　immediate；　in　that　which　is。　Now；　in　strict　fact；　the　case　is　precisely　the
reverse。　

Appearance　is　higher　than　mere　Being　…　a　richer　category　because　it　holds　in　combination　the　two
elements　of　reflection…into…self　and　reflection…into…other：　whereas　Being　（or　immediacy）　is　still
mere　relationlessness；　and　apparently　rests　upon　itself　alone。　Still；　to　say　that　anything　is　only　an
appearance　suggests　a　real　flaw；　which　consists　in　this；　that　Appearance　is　still　divided　against　itself
and　without　intrinsic　stability。　Beyond　and　above　mere　appearance　comes　in　the　first　place
Actuality；　the　third　grade　of　Essence；　of　which　we　shall　afterwards　speak。　

In　the　history　of　Modern　Philosophy；　Kant　has　the　merit　of　first　rehabilitating　this　distinction
between　the　common　and　the　philosophic　modes　of　thought。　He　stopped　half…way；　however；
when　he　attached　to　Appearance　a　subjective　meaning　only；　and　put　the　abstract　essence
immovable　outside　it　as　the　thing…in…itself　beyond　the　reach　of　our　cognition。　

For　it　is　the　very　nature　of　the　world　of　immediate　objects　to　be　appearance　only。　Knowing　it　to
be　so；　we　know　at　the　same　time；　the　essence；　which；　far　from　staying　behind　or　beyond　the
appearance；　rather　manifests　its　own　essentiality　by　deposing　the　world　to　a　mere　appearance。
One　can　hardly　quarrel　with　the　plain　man　who；　in　his　desire　for　totality；　cannot　acquiesce　in　the
doctrine　of　subjective　idealism；　that　we　are　solely　concerned　with　phenomena。　
？
The　plain　man；　however；　in　his　desire　to　save　the　objectivity　of　knowledge；　may　very　naturally
return　to　abstract　immediacy　and　maintain　that　immediacy　to　be　true　and　actual。　In　a　little　work
published　under　the　title　A　Report；　Clear　as　Day；　to　the　Larger　Public　touching　the　Proper
Nature　of　the　Latest　Philosophy：　an　Attempt　to　force　the　Reader　to　understand；　Fichte
examined　the　opposition　between　subjective　idealism　and　immediate　consciousness　in　a　popular
form；　under　the　shape　of　a　dialogue　between　the　author　and　the　reader；　and　tried　hard　to　prove
that　the　subjective　idealist's　view　was　right。　In　this　dialogue　the　reader　complains　to　the　author　that
he　has　completely　failed　to　place　himself　in　the　idealist's　position；　and　is　inconsolable　in　the　thought
that　things　around　him　are　not　real　things　but　mere　appearances。　The　affliction　of　the　reader　can
scarcely　be　blamed　when　he　is　expected　to　consider　himself　hemmed　in　by　an　impervious　circle　of
purely　subjective　conceptions。　Apart　from　this　subjective　view　of　Appearance；　however；　we　have
all　reason　to　rejoice　that　the　things　which　environ　us　are　appearances　and　not　steadfast　and
independent　existences；　since　in　that　case　we　should　soon　perish　of　hunger；　both　bodily　and
mental。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（a）　The　World　of　Appearances　§132

The　Apparent　or　Phenomenal　exists　in　such　a　way　that　its　subsistence　is　ipso
facto　thrown　into　abeyance　or　suspended　and　is　only　one　stage　in　the　form　itself。
The　form　embraces　in　it　the　matter　or　subsistence　as　one　of　its　characteristics。　In
this　way　the　phenomenal　has　its　ground　in　this　（form）　as　its　essence；　its
reflection…into…self　in　contrast　with　its　immediacy；　but；　in　so　doing；　has　it　only　in
another　aspect　of　the　form。　This　ground　of　its　is　no　less　phenomenal　than　itself；
and　the　phenomenon　accordingly　goes　on　to　an　endless　mediation　of　subsistence
by　means　of　form；　and　thus　equally　by　non…subsistence。　This　endless
intermediation　is　at　the　same　time　a　unity　of　self…relation；　and　existence　is
developed　into　a　totality；　into　a　world　of　phenomena　…　of　reflected　finitude。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（b）　Content　and　Form
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§133

Outside　one　another　as　the　phenomena　in　this　phenomenal　world　are；　they　form　a
totality；　and　are　wholly　contained　in　their　self…relatedness。　In　this　way　the
self…relation　of　the　phenomenon　is　completely　specified；　it　has　the　Form　in　itself：
and　because　it　is　in　this　identity；　has　it　as　essential　subsistence。　So　it　comes　about
that　the　form　is　Content：　and　in　its　phase　is　the　Law　of　the　Phenomenon。　When
the　form；　on　the　contrary；　is　not　reflected　into　self；　it　is　equivalent　to　the　negative
of　the　phenomenon；　to　the　non…independent　and　changeable：