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In point of fact the need for a reconstruction of logic has long since been felt。 In form and in
content； logic； as exhibited in the text…books； may be said to have fallen into contempt。 It is still
dragged in； but more from a feeling that one cannot dispense with logic altogether and because the
tradition of its importance still survives； rather than from a conviction that such commonplace
content and occupation with such empty forms is valuable and useful。
The additions of psychological； pedagogic and even physiological material which logic received in
the past have subsequently been recognised almost universally as disfigurements。 A great part of
these psychological； pedagogic and physiological observations； laws and rules； whether they occur
in logic or anywhere else； must appear very shallow and trivial in themselves； and without
exception all those rules such as； for example； that one must think out and test what one reads in
books or hears by word of mouth； that when one's sight is not good one should help one's eyes by
wearing spectacles — rules which in textbooks of so…called applied logic were solemnly set out in
paragraphs and put forward as aids to the attainment of truth — these must strike everyone as
superfluous — except only the writer or teacher who finds difficulty in expanding by some means
or other the otherwise scanty and life…less content of logic。'
Regarding this content； the reason why logic is so dull and spiritless has already been given above。
Its determinations are accepted in their unmoved fixity and are brought only into external relation
with each other。 In judgments and syllogisms the operations are in the main reduced to and
founded on the quantitative aspect of the determinations； consequently everything rests on an
external difference； on mere comparison and becomes a completely analytical procedure and
mechanical calculation。 The deduction of the so…called rules and laws； chiefly of inference； is not
much better than a manipulation of rods of unequal length in order to sort and group them
according to size — than a childish game of fitting together the pieces of a coloured picture puzzle。
Consequently； this thinking has been equated； not incorrectly； with reckoning； and reckoning again
with this thinking。 In arithmetic； numbers are regarded as devoid of any concrete conceptual
content； so apart from their wholly external relationship they have no meaning； and neither in
themselves nor in their interrelationships are thoughts。 When it is calculated in mechanical fashion
that three…fourths multiplied by two…thirds makes one…half； this operation contains about as much
and as little thought as calculating whether in a logical figure this or that kind of syllogism is valid。
Before these dead bones of logic can be quickened by spirit； and so become possessed of a
substantial； significant content； its method must be that which alone can enable it to be pure
science。 In the present state of logic one can scarcely recognise even a trace of scientific method。
It has roughly the form of an empirical science。 The empirical sciences have found for their own
appropriate purposes their own peculiar method； such as it is； of defining and classifying their
material。 Pure mathematics； too； has its method which is appropriate for its abstract objects and
for the quantitative form in which alone it considers them。 I have said what is essential in the
preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit about this method and； in general； the subordinate form
of scientific method which can be employed in mathematics； but it will also be considered in more
detail in the logic itself。 Spinoza； Wolff and others have let themselves be misled in applying it also
to philosophy and in making the external course followed by Notion…less quantity； the course of
the Notion； a procedure which is absolutely contradictory。
Hitherto philosophy had not found its method； it regarded with envy the systematic structure of
mathematics； and； as we have said； borrowed it or had recourse to the method of sciences which
are only amalgams of given material； empirical propositions and thoughts — or even resorted to
crude rejection of all method。
However； the exposition of what alone can be the true method of philosophical science falls within
the treatment of logic itself； for the method is the consciousness of the form of the inner
self…movement of the content of logic。
In the Phenomenology of Mind I have expounded an example of this method in application to a
more concrete object； namely to consciousness。 Here we are dealing with forms of consciousness
each of which in realising itself at the same time resolves itself； has for its result its own negation —
and so passes into a higher form 。 All that is necessary to achieve scientific progress — and it is
essential to strive to gain this quite simple insight — is the recognition of the logical principle that
the negative is just as much positive； or that what is self…contradictory does not resolve itself into a
nullity； into abstract nothingness； but essentially only into the negation of its particular content； in
other words； that such a negation is not all and every negation but the negation of a specific
subject matter which resolves itself； and consequently is a specific negation； and therefore the
result essentially contains that from which it results； which strictly speaking is a tautology； for
otherwise it would be an immediacy； not a result。 Because the result； the negation； is a specific
negation； it has content。 It is a fresh Notion but higher and richer than its predecessor； for it is
richer by the negation or opposite of the latter； therefore contains it； but also something more； and
is the unity of itself and its opposite。 It is in this way that the system of Notions as such has to be
formed — and has to complete itself in a purely continuous course in which nothing extraneous is
introduced。
I could not pretend that the method which I follow in this system of logic — or rather which this
system in its own self follows — is not capable of greater completeness； of much elaboration in
detail； but at the same time I know that it is the only true method。 This is self…evident simply from
the fact that it is not something distinct from its object and content； for it is the inwardness of the
content； the dialectic which it possesses within itself； which is the mainspring of its advance。 It is
clear that no expositions can be accepted as scientifically valid which do not pursue the course of
this method and do not conform to its simple rhythm； for this is the course of the subject matter
itself。
In conformity with this method； I would point out that the divisions and headings of the books；
sections and chapters given in this work as well as the explanations associated with them； are
made to facilitate a preliminary survey and strictly are only of historical value。 They do not belong
to the content and body of the science but are compilations of an external reflection which has
already run through the whole of the exposition and consequently knows and indicates in advance
the sequence of its momen