phenomenology of mind-第63章

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elasticity；　the　capacity　to　exercise　the　function　of　reacting　simultaneously　with　self…reflexion；　and
expresses；　in　contrast　to　the　previous　state　of　being　passively　and　inertly　within　itself；　the　condition
of　being　explicitly　actualized…a　realization；　where　that　abstract　existence　for　its　own　sake　is　an
existence　for　something　else。　Reproduction；　however；　is　the　operation　of　this　entire　self…reflected
organism；　its　activity　as　having　its　purpose　in　itself；　its　activity　qua　genus；　wherein　the　individual
repels　itself　from　itself；　where　in　procreating　it　repeats　either　the　organic　parts　or　the　whole
individual。　Reproduction；　taken　in　the　sense　of　self…preservation　in　general；　expresses　the　formal
principle　or　conception　of　the　organic；　or　the　fact　of　Sensibility；　but　it　is；　properly　speaking；　the
realized　notion　of　organic　existence；　or　the　whole；　which　either　qua　individual　returns　into　itself
through　the　process　of　producing　individual　parts　of　itself；　or　qua　genus　does　so　through　the
production　of　distinct　individuals。　

The　other　significance　of　these　organic　elements；　viz。　as　outer；　is　their　embodiment　in　a　given
shape；　here　they　assume　the　form　of　actual　but　at　the　same　time　universal　parts；　or　appear　as
organic　systems。　Sensibility　is　embodied　in　the　form；　for　instance；　of　a　nervous　system；　irritability；
of　a　muscular　system；　reproduction；　of　an　intestinal　system　for　the　preservation　of　the　individual
and　the　species。　

Laws　peculiar　to　organic　life；　accordingly；　concern　a　relation　of　the　organic　moments；　taking
account　of　their　twofold　significanceviz。　of　being　in　one　respect　a　part　of　definite　organic
formation　or　embodiment；　and　in　another　respect　a　continuous　universal　element　of　a　determinate
kind；　running　through　all　those　systems。　Thus　in　giving　expression　to　a　law　of　that　sort；　a　specific
kind　of　sensibility；　e。g。　would　find；　qua　moment　of　the　whole　organism；　its　expression　in　a
determinately　formed　nervous　system；　or　it　would　also　be　connected　with　a　determinate
reproduction　of　the　organic　parts　of　the　individual　or　with　the　propagation　of　the　whole；　and　so　on。
Both　aspects　of　such　a　law　can　be　observed。　The　external　is　in　its　very　conception　being　for
another；　sensibility；　e。g。　finds　its　immediately　realized　form　in　the　sensitive　system；　and；　qua
universal　property；　it　is　in　its　outer　expressions　an　objective　fact　as　well。　The　aspect　which　is　called
〃inner〃　has　its　own　outer〃　aspect；　which　is　distinct　from　what　is　in　general　called　the　outer。　

Both　the　aspects　of　an　organic　law　would　thus　certainly　be　open　to　observation；　but　not　the　laws
of　their　relation。　And　observation　is　inadequate　to　perceive　these　laws；　not　because；　qua
observation；　it　is　too　short…sighted；　i。e。　not　because；　instead　of　proceeding　empirically；　we　ought　to
start　from　the　〃Idea〃for　such　laws；　if　they　were　something　real　must；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　be
actual；　and　must　thus　be　observable；　it　is　rather　because　the　thought　of　laws　of　this　sort　proves　to
have　no　truth　at　all。　

The　relation　assumed　the　role　of　a　law　in　the　case　where　the　universal　organic　property　had
formed　itself　in　an　organic　system　into　a　thing　and　there　found　its　own　embodied　image　and　copy；
so　that　both　were　the　same　reality；　present；　in　the　one　case；　as　universal　moment；　in　the　other；　as
thing。　But　besides；　the　inner　aspect　is　also　by　itself　a　relation　of　several　aspects；　and　hence　to　begin
with　there　is　presented　the　idea　of　a　law　as　a　relation　of　the　universal　organic　activities　or
properties　to　one　another。　Whether　such　a　law　is　possible　has　to　be　decided　from　the　nature　of
such　a　property。　Such　a　property；　however；　being　universal　and　of　a　fluid　nature；　is；　on　the　one
hand；　not　something　restricted　like　a　thing；　keeping　itself　within　the　distinction　of　a　definite　mode　of
existence；　which　is　to　constitute　its　shape　and　form：　sensibility　goes　beyond　the　nervous　system
and　pervades　all　the　other　systems　of　the　organism。　On　the　other　hand；　such　a　property　is　a
universal　moment；　which　is　essentially　undivided；　and　inseparable　from　reaction；　or　irritability；　and
reproduction。　For；　being　reflection　into　self；　it　eo　ipso　already　implies　reaction。　Merely　to　be
reflected　into　itself　is　to　be　a　passive；　or　lifeless　being；　and　not　；sensibility；　just　as　actionwhich　is
the　same　as　reactionwhen　not　reflected　into　self；　is　not　irritability。　Reflexion　in　action　or　reaction；
and　action　or　reaction　in　reflexion；　is　just　that　whose　unity　constitutes　the　organic　being；　a　unity
which　is　synonymous　with　organic　reproduction。　It　follows　from　this　that　in　every　mode　of　the
organism's　actuality　there　must　be　present　the　same　quantity　of　sensibilitywhen　we　consider；　in
the　first　instance；　the　relation　of　sensibility　and　irritability　to　one　anotheras　of　irritability；　and　that
an　organic　phenomenon　can　be　apprehended　and　determined　or；　if　we　like；　explained；　just　as
much　in　terms　of　the　one　as　of　the　other。　What　one　man　takes　for　high　sensibility；　another　may　just
as　rightly　consider　high　irritability。　and　an　irritability　of　the　same　degree。　If　they　are　called　factors；
and　this　is　not　to　be　a　meaningless　phrase；　it　is　thereby　expressly　stated　that　they　are　moments　of
the　notion；　in　other　words；　the　real　object；　the　essential　nature　of　which　this　notion　constitutes；
contains　them　both　alike　within　it；　and　if　the　object　is　in　one　way　characterized　as　very　sensitive；　it
must　be　also　spoken　of　in　the　other　way　as　likewise　very　irritable。　

If　they　are　distinguished；　as　they　must　be；　they　are　so　in　their　true　nature　（dem　Begriffe；　nach）；
and　their　opposition　is　qualitative。　But　when；　besides　this　true　distinction；　they　are　also　set　down
as　different；　qua　existent　and　for　thought；　as　they　might　be　if　made　aspects　of　the　law；　then　they
appear　quantitatively　distinct。　Their　peculiar　qualitative　opposition　thus　passes　into　quantity；　and
hence　arise　laws　of　this　sort；　e。g。　that　sensibility　and　irritability　stand　in　inverse　quantitative
relations；　so　that　as　the　one　increases　the　other　diminishes；　or　better；　taking　directly　the　quantity
itself　as　the　content；　that　the；　magnitude　of　something　increases　as　its　smallness　diminishes。　

Should　a　specific　content　be　given　to　this　law；　however；　by　saying；　for　example；　that　the　size　of　a
hole　increases　the　more　we　decrease　what　it　is　filled　with；　then　this　inverse　relation　might　be　just　as
well　changed　into　a　direct　relation　and　expressed　in　the　form　that　the　quantity　of　a　hole　increases　in
direct　ratio　to　the　amount　of　things　we　take　awaya　tautological　proposition；　whether　expressed
as　a　direct　or　an　inverse　relation；　so　expressed　it　comes　merely　to　this　that　a　quantity　increases　as
this　quantity　increases。　The　hole　and　what　fills　it　and　is　removed　from　it　are　qualitatively　opposed；
but　the　real　content　there　and　its　specific　quantity　are　in　both　one　and　the　same；　and　similarly　the
increase　of　magnitude　and　decrease　of　smallness　are　the　same；　and　their　meaningless　opposition
runs　into　a　tautology。　In　like　manner　the　organic　moments　are　equally　inseparable　in　their　real
content；　and　in　their　quantity　which　is　the　quantity　of　that　reality。　The　one　decreases　only　with　the
other；　and　only　increases　with　it；　for　one　has　literally　a　significance　only　so　far　as　the　other　is
present。　Or　rather；　it　is　a　matter　of　indifference　whether　an　organic　phenomenon　is　considered　as
irritability　or　as　sensibility；　this　is　so　in　general；　and　likewise　when　its　magnitude　is　in　question：　just
as　it　is　indifferent　whether　we　speak　of　the　increase　of　a　hole　as　an　increase　of　the　hole　qua
emptiness　or　as　an　increase　of　the　filling　removed　from　it。　Or；　again；　a　number；　say　three；　is　equally
great；　whether　I　take　it　positively　or　negatively；　and　if　I　increase　the　three　to　four；　the　positive　as
well　as　the　negative　becomes　four：　just　as　the　south　pole　in　the　case　of　a　magnet　is　precisely　as
strong　as　its　north　pole；　or　a　positive　electricity　or　an　acid；　is　exactly　as　strong　as　its　negative；　or
the　base　on　which　it　operates。　

An　organic　existence　is　such　a　quantum；　like　the　number　three　or　a　magnet；　etc。　It　is　that　which　is
increased　or　diminished；　and　if　it　is　increased；　then　both　its　factors　are　increased；　as