philosophy of nature-第17部分

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The　real　process　of　inorganic　nature　begins　equally　with　feeling；　namely；　the　feeling　of　real
externality；　and　with　this　feeling　the　negation　of　the　subject；　which　is　at　the　same　time　the　positive
relation　to　itself　and　its　certainty　in　contrast　to　its　negation。　It　begins　with　the　feeling　of　a　lack；　and
the　drive　to　suspend　the　lack；　which　is　the　condition　of　being　stimulated　externally。　

Only　what　is　living　feels　a　lack；　for　it　alone　in　nature　is　the　concept；　the　unity　of　itself　and　of　its
specific　opposite；　in　this　relation　it　is　a　subject。　Where　there　is　a　limitation；　it　is　a　negation　only　for
a　third；　an　external　reflection。　It　is　lack；　however；　insofar　as　in　one　sense　the　overcoming　of　the
lack　is　also　at　hand；　and　the　contradiction　is　posited　as　such。　A　being　which　is　capable　of　having
and　enduring　the　contradiction　of　itself　in　itself　is　the　subject；　this　constitutes　its　finitude。　—　Reason
proves　its　infinitude　precisely　at　that　point　when　reference　is　made　to　finite　reason；　since　it
determines　itself　as　finite。　For　negation　is　finitude　and　a　lack　only　for　that　which　is　the　suspended
being　of　itself　the　infinite　relation　to　itself。　Thoughtlessness；　however；　stops　short　at　the　abstraction
of　the　limitation；　and　in　life；　too；　where　the　concept　itself　enters　into　existence；　it　fails　to　grasp　the
concept；　but　remains　fixed　on　the　determinations　of　representation：　drives；　instincts；　and　needs。　

An　important　step　towards　a　true　representation　of　the　organism　is　the　substitution　of　the　category
of　stimulation　by　external　forces　for　the　category　of　the　intervention　of　external　causes。　This　latter
contains　the　beginning　of　idealism；　the　assertion　that　nothing　at　all　can　have　a　positive　relation　to
the　living　if　the　living　being　is　not　in　and　for　itself　the　possibility　of　the　relation　itself　that　is；　not
determined　by　the　concept；　and　thus　in　general　not　immanent　to　the　subject。　

But　perhaps　the　most　unphilosophical　of　any　such　scientific　concoctions　of　the　reflective　categories
is　the　introduction　of　such　formal　and　material　relationships　into　the　theory　of　stimulation；　which　has
long　been　regarded　as　philosophical。　This　includes　for　example　the　entirely　abstract　antithesis　of
receptivity　to　active　capacity；　which　supposedly　stand　to　each　other　as　factors　in　inverse　relations
of　magnitude。　The　result　of　this　is　to　reduce　all　differences　in　the　organism　to　the　formalism　of　a
merely　quantitative　differentiation；　involving　increase　and　decrease；　strengthening　and　weakening；
in　other　words；　removing　all　possible　traces　of　the　concept。　A　theory　of　medicine　built　on　these
and　determinations　of　the　understanding　is　complete　in　half　a　dozen　propositions；　and　it　is　no
wonder　that　it　spread　rapidly　and　found　many　adherents。　

The　cause　of　this　philosophical　confusion；　which　initiated　the　tendency　to　befriend　nature；　lay　in　the
basic　error　of　initially　determining　the　absolute　as　the　absolute　indifference　of　subject　and　object；
and　then　treating　all　determinations　as　only　quantitative　differences。　It　is　the　case；　rather；　that　the
absolute　form；　the　concept　and　the　principle　of　life；　has　for　its　soul　only　the　qualitative　difference
which　consumes　itself　in　itself　But　because　this　truly　infinite　negativity　was　not　recognised；　it　was
believed　that　the　absolute　identity　of　life；　as　the　attributes　and　the　modes　in　the　external
understanding　are　for　Spinoza；　can　not　be　fixed　without　making　the　difference　into　a　merely
external　difference　of　the　reflection。　In　this　way；　however；　life　is　left　altogether　lacking　the　salient
point　of　selfhood；　the　principle　of　self…movement；　the　differentiation　of　the　self　and　the　principle　of
individuality　in　general。　

Another　crude　and　utterly　unphilosophical　procedure　is　the　one　which　attempted　to　give　the　formal
determinations　a　real　meaning　by　replacing　the　conceptual　determinations　with　carbon　and
nitrogen；　oxygen　and　hydrogen；　and　determined　the　difference　previously　characterised　as
intensive　as　now　more　or　less　of　the　one　or　another　substance；　whereas　the　active　and　positive
relation　of　the　external　stimulus　would　be　the　addition　of　a　lacking　substance。　One　example　is　the
assertion　that　in　an　asthenia；　or　a　nerve　fever；　nitrogen　has　the　upper　hand　in　the　organism　because
the　brain　and　nerves　are　supposedly　in　general　intensified　nitrogen；　since　chemical　analysis　has
shown　this　to　be　the　principal　ingredient　of　these　organic　structures。　The　ingestion　of　carbon　is
therefore　supposedly　indicated　in　order　to　restore　the　balance　of　these　substances；　in　other　words；
in　order　to　restore　health。　The　remedies　which　have　been　shown　to　work　empirically　against　nerve
fever　are；　for　this　same　reason；　regarded　as　belonging　to　the　side　of　carbon；　and　this　superficial
compilation　and　opinion　are　presented　as　explanation　and　proof　The　crudity　of　this　procedure
consists　in　taking　the　external　Caput　mortuum；　the　dead　substance；　a　dead　life　which　chemistry
has　already　destroyed　a　second　time；　for　the　essence　of　a　living　organ；　and　indeed；　for　its　concept。

This　last　argument　gives　rise　to　that　highly　facile　formalism　which　replaces　the　determinations　of　the
concept　with　sensuous　materials　like　chemical　substances；　as　well　as　relationships　belonging　to　the
sphere　of　inorganic　nature；　like　the　north　and　south　polarity　of　magnetism；　or　the　differences
between　magnetism　and　electricity。　This　is　a　formalism　which　conceives　the　natural　universe　and
develops　its　conception　in　such　a　way　that　it　attaches　a　readymade　schema　of　north　and　south　or
east　and　west　polarities　externally　to　the　spheres　and　differences　it　uses。　For　this　purpose　there　is　a
great　variety　of　forms　possible。　For　it　remains　a　matter　of　choice　whether　one　employs　the
determinations　of　the　totality　for　the　schema；　as　they　appear　for　example　in　the　chemical　sphere；
oxygen；　hydrogen；　and　so　on；　and　transfers　them　to　magnetism；　mechanism；　electricity；　and　the
masculine　and　the　feminine；　contraction　and　expansion；　and　so　on；　then　applies　them　to　the　other
spheres。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　283。

Need　and　excitement　are　connected　to　the　relation　between　the　universal　and　the　particular
mechanism　（sleeping　and　waking）；　the　relation　to　air　（breathing　and　skin　processes）；　water　（thirst）；
and　the　individualised　earth；　namely；　the　particular　forms　of　the　earth　（cf。　hunger；　§　275）。　Life；　the
subject　of　these　moments　of　totality；　develops　inwardly　a　tension　between　itself　as　concept　and　the
moments　of　a　reality　external　to　itself　and　is　the　ongoing　conflict　in　which　it　overcomes　this
externality。　Because　the　animal　can　only　exist　as　an　essentially　individual　entity；　and　this　only
individually；　this　objectification　is　not　adequate　to　its　concept　and　therefore　turns　back　constantly
from　its　satisfaction　to　the　condition　of　need。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　284。

The　mechanical　seizure　of　the　external　object　is　only　the　beginning　of　the　unification　of　the　object
with　the　living　animal。　Since　the　animal　is　hence　a　subject；　the　simple　negativity　of　the　punctured
unity；　the　assimilation　can　be　neither　of　a　mechanical　nor　a　chemical　nature；　for　in　these　processes
both　the　m