shorter logic-第66部分

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finite　nature　of　force　is　that　it　requires　solicitation　before　it　can　put　itself　forth。　That　through　which
the　force　is　solicited；　is　itself　another　exertion　of　force；　which　cannot　put　itself　forth　without　similar
solicitation。　This　brings　us　either　to　a　repetition　of　the　infinite　progression；　or　to　a　reciprocity　of
soliciting　and　being　solicited。　In　either　case　we　have　no　absolute　beginning　of　motion。　Force　is　not
as　yet；　like　the　final　cause；　inherently　self…determining：　the　content　is　given　to　it　as　determined；　and
force；　when　it　exerts　itself；　is；　according　to　the　phrase；　blind　in　its　working。　That　phrase　implies　the
distinction　between　abstract　force…manifestation　and　teleological　action。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　136n2
The　oft…repeated　statement；　that　the　exercise　of　the　force　and　not　the　force　itself　admits　of　being
known；　must　be　rejected　as　groundless。　It　is　the　very　essence　of　force　to　manifest　itself；　and　thus　in
the　totality　of　manifestation；　conceived　as　a　law；　we　at　the　same　time　discover　the　force　itself。　And
yet　this　assertion　that　force　in　its　own　self　is　unknowable　betrays　a　well…grounded　presentiment
that　this　relation　is　finite。　The　several　manifestations　of　a　force　at　first　meet　us　in　indefinite
multiplicity；　and　in　their　isolation　seem　accidental：　but；　reducing　this　multiplicity　to　its　inner　unity；
which　we　term　force；　we　see　that　the　apparently　contingent　is　necessary；　by　recognising　the　law
that　rules　it。　But　the　different　forces　themselves　are　a　multiplicity　again；　and　in　their　mere
juxtaposition　seem　to　be　contingent。　Hence　in　empirical　physics；　we　speak　of　the　forces　of　gravity；
magnetism；　electricity；　etc。；　and　in　psychology　of　the　forces　of　memory；　imagination；　will；　and　all
the　other　faculties。　All　this　multiplicity　again　excites　a　craving　to　know　these　different　forces　as　a
single　whole；　nor　would　this　craving　be　appeased　even　if　the　several　forces　were　traced　back　to
one　common　primary　force。　Such　a　primary　force　would　be　really　no　more　than　an　empty
abstraction；　with　as　little　content　as　the　abstract　thing…in…itself。　And　besides　this；　the　correlation　of
force　and　manifestation　is　essentially　a　mediated　correlation　（of　reciprocal　dependence）；　and　it
must　therefore　contradict　the　notion　of　force　to　view　it　as　primary　or　resting　on　itself。　

Such　being　the　case　with　the　nature　of　force；　though　we　may　consent　to　let　the　world　be　called　a
manifestation　of　divine　forces；　we　should　object　to　have　God　himself　viewed　as　a　mere　force。　For
force　is　after　all　a　subordinate　and　finite　category。　At　the　so…called　renaissance　of　the　sciences；
when　steps　were　taken　to　trace　the　single　phenomena　of　nature　back　to　underlying　forces；　the
Church　branded　the　enterprise　as　impious。　The　argument　of　the　Church　was　as　follows。　If　it　be　the
forces　of　gravitation；　of　vegetation；　etc。；　which　occasion　the　movements　of　the　heavenly　bodies；
the　growth　of　plants；　etc。；　there　is　nothing　left　for　divine　providence；　and　God　sinks　to　the　level　of
a　leisurely　onlooker；　surveying　this　play　of　forces。　The　students　of　nature；　it　is　true；　and　Newton
more　than　others；　when　they　employed　the　reflective　category　of　force　to　explain　natural
phenomena；　have　expressly　pleaded　that　the　honour　of　God；　as　the　Creator　and　Governor　of　the
world；　would　not　thereby　be　impaired。　Still　the　logical　issue　of　this　explanation　by　means　of　forces
is　that　the　inferential　understanding　proceeds　to　fix　each　of　these　forces；　and　to　maintain　them　in
their　finitude　as　ultimate。　And　contrasted　with　this　de…infinitised　world　of　independent　forces　and
matters；　the　only　terms　in　which　it　is　possible　still　to　describe　God　will　present　him　in　the　abstract
infinity　of　an　unknowable　supreme　Being　in　some　other　world　far　away。　This　Is　precisely　the
position　of　materialism；　and　of　modern　'freethinking'；　whose　theology　ignores　what　God　is　and
restricts　itself　to　the　mere　fact　that　he　is。　In　this　dispute　therefore　the　Church　and　the　religious　mind
have　to　a　certain　extent　the　right　on　their　side。　The　finite　forms　of　understanding　certainly　fail　to
fulfil　the　conditions　for　a　knowledge　either　of　Nature　or　of　the　formations　in　the　world　of　Mind　as
they　truly　are。　Yet　on　the　other　side　it　is　impossible　to　overlook　the　formal　right　which；　in　the　first
place；　entitles　the　empirical　sciences　to　vindicate　the　right　of　thought　to　know　the　existent　world　in
all　the　speciality　of　its　content；　and　to　seek　something　further　than　the　bare　statement　of　mere
abstract　faith　that　God　created　and　governs　the　world。　When　our　religious　consciousness；　resting
on　the　authority　of　the　Church；　teaches　us　that　God　created　the　world　by　his　almighty　will；　that　he
guides　the　stars　in　their　courses；　and　vouchsafes　to　all　his　creatures　their　existence　and　their
well…being；　the　question　Why？　is　still　left　to　answer。　Now　it　is　the　answer　to　this　；question　which
forms　the　common　task　of　empirical　science　and　of　philosophy。　When　religion　refuses　to　recognise
this　problem；　or　the　right　to　put　it；　and　appeals　to　the　unsearchableness　of　the　decrees　of　God；　it　is
taking　up　the　same　agnostic…　ground　as　is　taken　by　the　me…re　Enlightenment　of　understanding。
Such　an　appeal　is　no　better　than　an　arbitrary　dogmatism；　which　contravenes　the　express　command
of　Christianity；　to　know　God　in　spirit　and　in　truth；　and　is　prompted　by　a　humility　which　is　not
Christian；　but　born　of　ostentatious　bigotry。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§137

Force　is　a　whole；　which　is　in　its　own　self　negative　self…relation；　and　as　such　a
whole　it　continually　pushes　itself　off　from　itself　and　puts　itself　forth。　But　since　this
reflection…into…another　（corresponding　to　the　distinction　between　the　Parts　of　the
Whole）　is　equally　a　reflection…into…self；　this　out…putting　is　the　way　and　means　by
which　Force　that　returns　back　into　itself　is　as　a　Force。　The　very　act　of　out…putting
accordingly　sets　in　abeyance　the　diversity　of　the　two　sides　which　is　found　in　this
correlation；　and　expressly　states　the　identity　which　virtually　constitutes　their
content。　The　truth　of　Force　and　utterance　therefore　is　that　relation；　in　which　the
two　sides　are　distinguished　only　as　Outward　and　Inward。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§138
＇c＇　The　Inward　（Interior）　is　the　ground；　when　it　stands　as　the　mere　form　of　the
one　side　of　the　Appearance　and　the　Correlation　…　the　empty　form　of
reflection…into…self。　As　a　counterpart　to　it　stands　the　Outward　（Exterior）　…
Existence　…　also　as　form　of　the　other　side　of　the　correlation；　with　the　empty
characteristic　of　reflection…into…something…else。　But　Inward　and　Outward　are
identified：　and　their　identity　is　identity　brought　to　fullness　in　the　content；　that　unity
of　reflection…into…self　and　reflection…into…other　which　was　forced　to　appear　in　the
movement　of　force。　Both　are　the　same　one　identity；　and　this　unity　makes　them
the　content。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§139

In　the　first　place　then；　Exterior　is　the　same　content　as　Interior。　What　is　inwardly　is
also　found　outwardly；　and　vice　versa。　The　appearance　shows　nothing　that　is　not
in　the　essence；　and　in　the　essence　there　is　nothing　but　what　is　manifested。