philosophy of nature-第6部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　216。

The　difference　between　central　and　dependent　bodies　is　in　the　implicit　being　of　gravity；　whose
identical　nature　is　its　existence。　The　dependent　body　has　the　beginning　of　the　real　difference　as　the
being　outside　of　itself　of　the　gravity　identical　to　itself；　the　dependent　body　has　only　a　negative
centre　and　therefore　can　only　move　around　the　centre　simply　as　mass。　The　determinacy　of　its
motion　is　not　in　and　for　itself　but　refers　back　to　a　factor　which　is　the　mass　of　the　other；　so　that　their
sizes　can　be　exchanged；　and　the　motion　remains　the　same。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　217。

This　externality　of　determinate　being　constitutes　the　special　determinacy　of　matter。　But　in　this　it
does　not　remain　limited　by　a　quantitative　difference；　rather　the　difference　is　essentially　a　qualitative
one；　so　that　the　determinacy　of　matter　constitutes　its　being。　

The　empty　abstraction　of　formless　matter　contains　a　merely　quantitative　difference　and　views　its
further　determinacy　as　a　form　inessential　to　it。　Even　the　forces　of　attraction　and　repulsion　are
supposed　to　influence　it　externally。　Since　it　is　the　concept　positing　itself　outside　of　itself　it　is　so
identical　to　the　specific　form　that　the　form　constitutes　its　special　nature。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Elementary　Physics

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　218。

Gravity；　as　the　essence　of　matter　existing　in　itself　only　inner　identity；　transforms；　since　its　concept　is
the　essential　externality；　into　the　manifestation　of　the　essence。　As　such　it　is　the　totality　of　the
determinations　of　reflection；　but　these　as　thrown　apart　from　each　other；　so　that　each　appears　as
particular；　qualified　matter　which；　not　yet　determined　as　individuality；　is　a　formless　element。　

The　determination　of　an　element　is　the　being　for　itself　of　matter　as　it　finds　its　point　of　unity　in　the
concept；　though　this　does　not　yet　have　to　do　with　the　determination　of　a　physical　element；　which　is
still　real　matter；　a　totality　of　its　qualities　existing　in　itself。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（a）　Elementary　Particles
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　219。

（1）　Matter　in　its　first　elementary　state　is　pure　identity；　not　inwardly；　but　as　existing；　that　is；　the
relation　to　itself　determined　as　independent　in　contrast　to　the　other　determinations　of　totality。　This
existing　self　of　matter　is　light。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　220。

As　the　abstract　self　of　matter；　light　is　absolutely　lightweight；　and　as　matter；　infinite；　but　as　material
ideality　it　is　inseparable　and　simple　being　outside　of　itself。　

In　the　Oriental　intuition　of　the　substantial　unity　of　the　spiritual　and　the　natural；　the　pure　selfhood　of
consciousness；　thought　identical　with　itself　as　the　abstraction　of　the　true　and　the　good　is　one　with
light。　When　the　conception　which　has　been　called　realistic　denies　that　ideality　is　present　in　nature；　it
need　only　be　referred　to　light；　to　that　pure　manifestation　which　is　nothing　but　manifestation。　

Heavy　matter　is　divisible　into　masses；　since　it　is　concrete　identity　and　quantity；　but　in　the　highly
abstract　ideality　of　light　there　is　no　such　distinction；　a　limitation　of　light　in　its　infinite　expansion　does
not　suspend　its　absolute　connection。　The　conception　of　discrete；　simple；　rays　of　light；　and　of
particles　and　bundles　of　them　which　are　supposed　to　constitute　light　in　its　limited　expansion；
belongs　among　the　rest　of　the　conceptual　barbarism　which　has；　particularly　since　Newton；　become
dominant　in　physics。　The　indivisibility　of　light　in　its　infinite　expansion；　a　reality　outside　of　itself　that
remains　self…identical；　can　least　of　all　be　treated　as　incomprehensible　by　the　understanding；　for　its
own　principle　is　rather　this　abstract　identity。　

Astronomers　have　come　to　speak　of　celestial　phenomena　which　are　perceived　by　us　five　hundred
years　and　more　after　their　actual　occurrence。　In　this　one　can　see；　on　the　one　hand；　empirical
manifestations　of　the　propagation　of　light；　carried　over　from　a　sphere　where　they　obtain　into
another　where　they　have　no　meaning；　but　on　the　other　hand　a　past　which　has　become　present　in
ideal　fashion　as　in　memory。　

There　is　also　the　conception　of　light　which　suggests　that　from　each　point　of　a　visible　surface　beams
are　emitted　in　every　direction；　so　that　from　each　point　a　material　hemisphere　of　infinite　dimensions
is　formed；　and　that　all　of　these　infinitely　many　hemispheres　interpenetrate　each　other。　If　this　were
so　a　dense；　confused　mass　should　form　between　the　eye　and　the　object；　and　the　still…unexplained
visibility　would　rather；　on　the　basis　of　this　explanation；　give　way　to　invisibility。　The　whole
conception　reduces　to　an　absurdity；　somewhat　like　the　conception　of　a　concrete　body　which　is
presumed　to　consist　of　many　substances；　with　each　existing　in　the　pores　of　the　other；　in　which；
conversely；　the　others　exist　and　circulate。　Through　this　comprehensive　penetration　the　assumption
of　the　discrete　materiality　of　the　supposedly　real　substances　is　destroyed；　and　an　entirely　ideal
relationship　is　established。　

The　self…like　nature　of　light；　insofar　as　it　vitalises　natural　things；　individualises　them；　and　strengthens
and　holds　together　their　unfolding；　first　becomes　manifest　in　the　individualisation　of　matter；　for　the
initially　abstract　identity　is　only　as　return　and　suspension　of　particularity　the　negative　unity　of
individuality。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　221。

Light　behaves　as　a　general　identity；　initially　in　this　determination　of　diversity；　or　the　determination
by　the　understanding　of　the　moment　of　totality；　then　to　concrete　matter　as　an　external　and　other
entity；　as　to　darkening。　This　contact　and　external　darkening　of　the　one　by　the　other　is　colour。　

According　to　the　familiar　Newtonian　theory；　white；　or　colourless　light　consists　of　five　or　seven
colours；　…　the　theory　itself　can　not　say　exactly　how　many。　One　can　not　express　oneself　strongly
enough　about　the　barbarism；　in　the　first　place；　of　the　conception　that　with　light；　too；　the　worst　form
of　reflection；　the　compound；　was　seized　upon；　so　that　brightness　here　could　consist　of　seven
darknesses；　or　water　could　consist　of　seven　forms　of　earth。　Further；　the　ineptitude；　tastelessness；
even　dishonesty　of　Newton's　observations　and　experimentations　must　be　addressed；　as　well　as　the
equally　bad　tendency　to　draw　inferences；　conclusions；　and　proofs　from　impure　empirical　data。
Moreover；　the　blindness　of　the　admiration　given　to　Newton's　work　for　nearly　one　and　a　half
centuries　must　be　noted；　the　narrowmindedness　of　those　admirers　who　defend　his　conceptions；
and；　in　particular；　the　thoughtlessness　with　which　a　number　of　the　immediate　conclusions　of　that
theory　（for　example；　the　impossibility　of　an　achromatic　telescope）　were　dropped；　although　the
theory　itself　is　still　maintained。　Finally；　there　is　the　blindness　of　the　prejudice　that　the　theory　rests
on　something　mathematical；　as　if　the　partly　false　and　one…sided　measurements；　as　well　as　the
quantitative　determinations　brought　into　the　conclusions；　would　provide　any　basis　for　the　theory
and　the　nature　of　the　thing　itself。…A　major　reason　why　the　clear；　thorough；　and　learned　illumination
by　Goethe　of　this　darkness　concerning　light　has　not　had　a　more　effective　reception　is　doubtlessly
because　the　thoughtlessness　and　simplemindedness；　which　one　would　have　to　confess　for
following　Newton　for　so　long；　would　be　entirely　too　great。　

Instead　of　these　nonsensical　conceptions　disappearing；　they　have　recently　been　compounded　by
the　discoveries　of　Malus；　by　the　idea　of　a　polarisation　of　light；　the　notion　of　the　four…sidedness　of
sunbeams；　and　the　idea　that　red　beams　rotate　in　a　movement　to　the　left；　whereas　blue　beams
rotate　in　a　movement　to　the　right。　Such　simplistic　ideas　seem　justified　by　the　privilege　accorded　to
physics　to　generate　〃hypotheses。〃　But　even　as　a　joke　one　does　not　indulge　in　stupidities；　thus　so
much　the　less　should　stupidities　be　offered　as　hypotheses　which　are　not　even　meant　to　be　jokes。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　222。

Light　shapes　the　determinate　being　or　the　physical　meaning　of　the　body　of　abstract　centrality　in　the
determination　of　its　identity。　Light　is　the　active　identity　which　posits　everything　as　identical。　As　this
identity；　however；　is　still　wholly　abstract；　things　are　not　yet　really　identical；　but　are　for　an　other；
positing　their　identity　with　the　other　in　the　other。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　223。

This　abstract　identity　has　its　real　antithesis　outside　of　itself。　As　an　elementary　moment　of　reflection
it　falls　apart　into　itself　and　is　as　a　duality：　（a）　of　corporeal　diversity；　of　material　being　for　itself　of
rigidity；　（b）　of　opposition　as　such；　which；　existing　independently　and　uncontrolled　by　individuality；
has　merely　sunken　within　itself　and　is　thus　dissolution　and　neutrality。　The　former　is　the　lunar；　the
latter　is　the　cometary　body。　

As　relative　central　bodies　in　the　system　of　gravity　these　two　bodies　have　their　more　specific
significance；　which　is　based　on　the　same　concept　as　their　physical　significance　and　may　be　stated
here：　they　do　not　rotate　on　their　axes。　The　body　of　rigidity　has　only　a　formal　being　for　itself　which
is　independence　comprehended　in　antithesis　and　therefore　not　individuality。　Hence　it　is　subservient
to　another　body　whose　satellite　it　is；　and　in　which　it　has　its　axis。　The　body　of　dissolution；　on　the
other　hand；　the　opposite　of　the　body　of　rigidity；　behaves　aberrantly；　and　exhibits　contingency　in　its
eccentric　path　as　in　its　physical　existence。　One　can　therefore　suspect　of　these　bodies　that　the
proximity　of　a　large　planet　could　change　their　course。　They　show　themselves　to　be　a　superficial
concretion；　which　may　just　contingently　turn　itself　again　into　dust。　

The　moon　has　no　atmosphere　and　therefore　lacks　the　meteorological　process。　It　shows　only　high
mountains　and　craters；　and　the　combustion　of　this　rigidity　in　itself　It　has　the　shape　of　a　crystal；
which　Heim　（one　of　the　few　ingenious　geologists）　has　described　as　the　original　form　of　the　earth　as
a　merely　solid　body。　

The　comet　appears　as　a　formal　process　and　unstable　mass