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as the transition from the Notion of God to his existence； it should be borne in mind on the one
hand that the determinate content； God； makes no difference in the logical process； and the
ontological proof is merely an application of this logical process to the said content。 On the other
hand however it is essential to bear in mind the remark made above that the subject only obtains
determinateness and content in its predicate； until then； no matter what it may be for feeling；
intuition and pictorial thinking； for rational cognition it is only a name； but in the predicate with its
determinateness there begins； at the same time； realisation in general。 The predicates； however；
must be grasped as themselves still included within the Notion； hence as something subjective；
which so far has not emerged into existence； to this extent we must admit on the one hand that the
realisation of the Notion in the judgment is still not complete。 On the other hand however the
mere determination of an object by predicates； when that determination is not at the same time the
realisation and objectifying of the Notion； also remains something so subjective that it is not even
the genuine cognition and determination of the Notion of the object…subjective in the sense of
abstract reflection and uncomprehended pictorial thinking。 God； as the living God； and still more
as absolute spirit； is known only in his activity； man was early instructed to recognise God in his
works； only from these can proceed the determinations； which are called his properties； and in
which； too； his being is contained。 Thus the philosophical ＇begreifende＇ cognition of his activity；
that is； of himself； grasps the Notion of God in his being and his being in his Notion。 Being merely
as such； or even determinate being； is such a meagre and restricted determination； that the
difficulty of finding it in the Notion may well be the result of not having considered what being or
determinate being itself is。 Being as the wholly abstract； immediate relation to self； is nothing
else than the abstract moment of the Notion； which moment is abstract universality。 This
universality also effects what one demands of being； namely； to be outside the Notion； for though
this universality is moment of the Notion； it is equally the difference； or abstract judgment； of the
Notion in which it opposes itself to itself。
The Notion； even as formal； already immediately contains being in a truer and richer form； in
that； as self…related negativity； it is individuality。
But of course the difficulty of finding being in the Notion as such and equally in the Notion of God；
becomes insuperable when the being is supposed to be that which obtains in the context of outer
experience or in the form of sensuous perception； like the hundred dollars in my finances；
something to be grasped with the hand； not with the mind； something visible essentially to the
outer； not to the inner eye； in other words； when that being which things possess as sensuous；
temporal and perishable； is given the name of reality or truth。 A philosophising that in its view of
being does not rise above sense； naturally stops short at merely abstract thought； too； in its view of
the Notion； such thought stands opposed to being。
The custom of regarding the Notion merely as something one…sided； such as abstract thought is；
will already hinder the acceptance of what was suggested above； namely； to regard the transition
from the Notion of God to his being； as an application of the logical course of objectification of
the Notion presented above。 Yet if it is granted； as it commonly is； that the logical element as the
formal element constitutes the form for the cognition of every determinate content； then the above
relation must at least be conceded； unless in this opposition between Notion and objectivity； one
stops short at the untrue Notion and an equally untrue reality； as something ultimate。 But in the
exposition of the pure Notion； it was further made clear that this is the absolute； divine Notion
itself； so that in truth the relationship of our application would not obtain； and the logical process
in question would in fact be the immediate exposition of God's self…determination to being。 But on
this point it is to be remarked that if the Notion is to be presented as the Notion of God； it is to be
apprehended as it is when taken up into the Idea。 This pure Notion passes through the finite forms
of the judgment and syllogism because it is not yet posited as in its own nature explicitly one with
objectivity but is grasped only in process of becoming it。 Similarly this objectivity； too； is not yet
the divine existence； is not yet the reality that is reflected in the divine Idea。 Yet objectivity is just
that much richer and higher than the being or existence of the ontological proof； as the pure
Notion is richer and higher than that metaphysical void of the sum total of all reality。 But 1
reserve for another occasion the more detailed elucidation of the manifold misunderstanding that
has been brought by logical formalism into the ontological； as well as the other； so…called proofs of
God's existence； as also the Kantian criticism of them； and by establishing their true significance； to
restore the fundamental thoughts of these proofs to their worth and dignity。
As previously remarked； we have already met with several forms of immediacy； though in different
determinations。 In the sphere of being immediacy is being itself and determinate being； in the
sphere of essence it is existence； and then actuality and substantiality； in the sphere of the Notion；
besides immediacy as abstract universality； there is now objectivity。 When the exactitude of
philosophical distinctions of the Notion is not involved； these expressions may be used as
synonymous； but the determinations mentioned have issued from the necessity of the Notion。
Being is in general the first immediacy； and determinate being is the same plus the first
determinateness。 Existence； along with things； is the immediacy that issues from the ground…from
the self…sublating mediation of the simple reflection of essence。 But actuality and substantiality is
the immediacy that has issued from the sublated difference of the still unessential Existence as
Appearance and its essentiality。 Finally； objectivity is the immediacy to which the Notion
determines itself by the sublation of its abstraction and mediation。 Philosophy has the right to select
from the language of common life which is made for the world of pictorial thinking； such
expressions as seem to approximate to the determinations of the Notion。 There cannot be any
question of demonstrating for a word selected from the language of common life that in common
life； too； one associates with it the same Notion for which philosophy employs it； for common life
has no Notions； but only pictorial thoughts and general ideas； and to recognise the Notion in what
is else a mere general idea is philosophy itself。 It must suffice therefore if pictorial thinking； in the
use of its expressions that are employed for philosophical determinations； has before it some vague
idea of their