philosophy of nature-第11章

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sensory　qualities　of　inorganic　nature。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　281。

The　senses　and　the　theoretical　processes　are　therefore：　（1）　the　sense　of　the　mechanical　sphere　of
gravity；　of　cohesion　and　its　variation；　of　heat；　and　feeling　as　such；　（2）　the　senses　of　antithesis；　of
the　particularised　principle　of　air；　and　of　equally　realised　neutrality；　of　water；　and　of　the　antitheses
of　its　dissolution；　—　smell　and　taste；　（3）　the　sense　of　the　pure；　essential；　but　exterior　identity；　of　the
side　belonging　to　the　materials　of　gravity：　fire；　light；　and　colour；　and　（4）　the　sense　for　the　depiction
of　subjective　reality；　or　of　the　independent　inner　ideality　of　the　body　standing　in　opposition；　the
sense　of　hearing。　

The　threefold　moments　of　the　concept　therefore　convert　here　into　a　fivefold　number；　because　the
moment　of　particularity　or　of　the　antithesis　in　its　totality　is　itself　threefold。　Another　reason　for　the
transition　is　that　the　animal　organism　is　the　reduction　of　inorganic　nature　split　apart　from　itself　but　at
the　same　time　it　is　its　developed　totality。　Because　it　is　still　natural　subjectivity；　the　moments　of
nature's　developed　totality　exist　separately；　but　as　an　infinite　unity。　The　determinations　of　this
subjectivity；　therefore；　have　the　sense　of　touch　as　their　particular　sense；　the　most　fundamental；
general　sense；　which　thus　could　also　better　be　called　feeling。　Particularity　is　the　antithesis；　and　this
is　the　identity　and　the　antithesis　itself　Thus　the　sense　of　light　belongs　to　this　particularity；　an　identity
which　constitutes　one　side　of　the　antithesis；　as　abstract；　but　precisely　therefore　determines　itself。
Also　belonging　here　are　the　two　senses　of　the　antithesis　itself　as　such；　air　and　water；　both　like　the
others　in　their　embodied　specification　and　individualisation。　To　the　sense　of　individuality　belongs
that　subjectivity　which；　as　purely　self…demonstrating　subjectivity；　is　tone。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　282。

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　material　substances　as　the　conditions　and　the　activity　remain　externally　in　opposition　to
each　other；　and　lack　living；　absolute　unity。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　285。

In　the　first　place；　because　the　living　organism　is　the　general　power　over　the　nature　external　and
opposed　to　it；　assimilation　is　the　immediate　fusion　of　the　ingested　material　with　animality；　an
infection　by　the　latter　and　simple　transformation　（cf。　§　278）。　Secondly；　since　the　power　of　the
living　organism　is　the　relation　of　itself　to　itself　in　mediation；　assimilation　is　digestion。　It　is　the
opposition　of　the　subject　to　its　immediate　assimilation；　so　that　the　former　stimulates　itself　on　the
other　hand　as　a　negative；　and　emerges　as　the　process　of　the　antithesis；　the　process　of　animal　water
（of　stomach　and　pancreatic　juices；　animal　lymph　as　such）　and　of　animal　fire　（of　the　gall；　in　which
the　accomplished　return　of　the　organism　into　itself　from　its　concentration　in　the　spleen　is
determined　as　being　for　itself　as　active　consumption）。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　286。

This　animal　stimulation　is　turned　at　first　against　the　external　potency；　which；　however；　is　placed
immediately　on　the　side　of　the　organism　by　the　infection　（§　277）。　But　this　stimulus；　as　the　antithesis
and　the　being　for　itself　of　the　process；　has　at　the　same　time　the　determination　of　externality　over
against　the　generality　and　simple　self…relation　of　the　living　organism。　Both　aspects　together；　initially
appearing　on　the　side　of　the　subject　as　means；　actually　constitute　therefore　the　object　and　the
negative　side　in　conflict　with　the　organism；　which　has　to　overcome　and　to　digest。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　287。

This　inversion　of　attitude　is　the　reflection　of　the　organism　into　itself　the　negation　of　its　own
negativity　of　outwardly　directed　activity。　As　a　natural　being　it　combines　the　individuality　which　it
reaches　in　the　process　with　its　generality　as　disjunctive；　in　such　a　way　that　on　the　one　hand　it
separates　from　itself　the　first　negation；　the　externality　of　the　object　and　its　ow