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reflected。 Measure; ' having thus realised its own Notion; has passed into essence。
At first; measure is only an immediate unity of quality and quantity; so that: (1); we have a
quantum with a qualitative significance; a measure。 The progressive determining of this consists in
explicating what is only implicit in it; namely; the difference of its moments; of its qualitatively and
quantitatively determined being。 These moments further develop themselves into wholes of
measure which as such are self…subsistent。 These are essentially in relationship with each other;
and so measure becomes (2); a ratio of specific quanta having the form of self…subsistent
measures。 But their self…subsistence also rests essentially on quantitative relation and quantitative
difference; and so their self…subsistence becomes a transition of each into the other; with the result
that measure perishes in the measureless。 But this beyond of measure is the negativity of measure
only in principle; this results (3); in the positing of the indifference of the determinations of
measure; and the positing of real measure … real through the negativity contained in the indifference
… as an inverse ratio of measures which; as self…subsistent qualities; are essentially based only on
their quantity and on their negative relation to one another; thereby demonstrating themselves to be
only moments of their truly self…subsistent unity which is their reflection…into…self and the positing
thereof; essence。
The development of measure which has been attempted in the following chapters is extremely
difficult。 Starting from immediate; external measure it should; on the one hand; go on to develop
the abstract determination of the quantitative aspects of natural objects (a mathematics of
nature); and on the other hand; to indicate the connection between this determination of measure
and the qualities of natural objects; at least in general; for the specific proof; derived from the
Notion of the concrete object; of the connection between its qualitative and quantitative aspects;
belongs to the special science of the concrete。 Examples of this kind concerning the law of falling
bodies and free; celestial motion will be found in the Encyclopedia。 of the Phil。 Sciences; 3rd
ed。; Sections 267 and 270; Remark。 In this connection the general observation may be made that
the different forms in which measure is realised belong also to different spheres of natural reality。
The complete; abstract indifference of developed measure; i。e。 the laws of measure; can only be
manifested in the sphere of mechanics in which the concrete bodily factor is itself only abstract
matter; the qualitative differences of such matter are essentially quantitatively determined; space
and time are the purest forms of externality; and the multitude of matters; masses; intensity of
weight; are similarly external determinations which have their characteristic determinateness in the
quantitative element。 On the other hand; such quantitative determinateness of abstract matter is
deranged simply by the plurality of conflicting qualities in the inorganic sphere a rid still more even
in the organic world。 But here there is involved not merely a conflict of qualities; for measure here
is subordinated to higher relationships and the immanent development of measure tends to be
reduced to the simple form of immediate measure。 The limbs of the animal organism have a
measure which; as a simple quantum; stands in a ratio to the other quanta of the other limbs; the
proportions of the human body are the fixed ratio of such quanta。 Natural science is stil1 far from
possessing an insight into the connection between such quantities and the organic functions on
which they wholly depend。 But the readiest example of the reduction of an immanent measure to a
merely externally determined magnitude is motion。 In the celestial bodies it is free motion; a
motion which is determined solely by the Notion and whose quantitative elements therefore equally
depend solely on the Notion (see above); but such free motion is reduced by the living creature to
arbitrary or mechanically regular; i。e。 a wholly abstract; formal motion。
And in the realm of spirit there is still less to be found a characteristic; free development of
measure。 It is quite evident; for example; that a republican constitution like that of Athens; or an
aristocratic constitution tempered by democracy; is suitable only for States of a certain size; and
that in a developed civil society the numbers of individuals belonging to different occupations stand
in a certain relations to one another; but all this yields neither laws of measure nor characteristic
forms of it。 In the spiritual sphere as such there occur differences of intensity of character;
strength of imagination; sensations; general ideas; and so on; but the determination does not go
beyond the indefiniteness of strength or weakness。 How insipid and completely empty the
so…called laws turn out to be which have been laid down about the relation of strength and
weakness of sensations; general ideas; and so on; comes home to one on reading the psychologies
which occupy themselves with such laws。
Chapter 1: Specific Quantity
A The Specific Quantum
B Specifying Measure
(a) The Rule
(b) Specifying Measure
(c) Relation of the Two Sides as Qualities
Remark
The exposition here of the connection between the qualitative nature of something and its
quantitative determination has its application in the already indicated example of motion。 First of
all; in velocity as the direct ratio of space traversed and time elapsed; the magnitude of time is
taken as denominator while that of space is taken as numerator。 If velocity as such is only a ratio
of the space and time in a motion; it is immaterial which of the two moments is to be considered as
amount or as unit。 Space; however; like weight in specific gravity; is an external; real whole as
such … hence amount … whereas time; like volume; is the ideal; negative factor; the side of unity。
But here there essentially belongs the more important ratio; that which holds between the
magnitudes of space and time in free motion; at first; in the still conditioned motion of a falling
body where the time factor is determined as a root and the space factor as a square; or in the
absolutely free motion of the celestial bodies where the period of revolution is lower by one power
than the distance from the sun; the former being a square and the latter a cube。 Fundamental
relationships of this kind rest on the nature of the interrelated qualities of space and time and on the
kind of relation in which they stand; either as a mechanical motion; i。e。 as an unfree motion which
is not determined by the Notion of the moments of space and time; or as the descent of a falling
body; i。e。 as a conditionally free motion; or as the absolutely free celestial motion。 These kinds of
motion; no less than their laws; rest on the development of the Notion of their moments; of space
and time; since these qualities as such (space and time) prove to be in themselves; i。e。 in their
Notion; inseparable and their q