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is an instinctive activity； spirit is enmeshed in the bonds of its categories and is broken up into an
infinitely varied material。
Here and there in this mesh there are firm knots which give stability and direction to the life and
consciousness of spirit； these knots or nodes owe their fixity and power to the simple fact that
having been brought before consciousness； they are independent； self…existent Notions of its
essential nature。 The most important point for the nature of spirit is not only the relation of what it
is in itself to what it is actually； but the relation of what it knows itself to be to what it actually is；
because spirit is essentially consciousness； this self…knowing is a fundamental determination of its
actuality。
As impulses the categories are only instinctively active。 At first they enter consciousness separately
and so are variable and mutually confusing； consequently they afford to mind only a fragmentary
and uncertain actuality； the loftier business of logic therefore is to clarify these categories and in
them to raise mind to freedom and truth。
What we indicated as the beginning of the science ＇of logic＇ — a beginning which we have already
recognised as having a high value both on its own account and as a condition of genuine
knowledge…namely； the treatment of Notions generally and the moments of the Notion； that is； the
determinations of thought； primarily as forms which are distinct from the matter of thought and only
attached to it； this attitude directly reveals itself as intrinsically inadequate for the attainment of truth
— and the truth is the declared object of and aim of logic。 For； as such mere forms； as distinct
from the content； they are assumed to be standing in a determination which stamps them as finite
and makes them incapable of holding the truth which is in its own self infinite。 In whatever respect
the true may be associated with limitation and finitude； this is the aspect of its negation； of its
untruth and unreality； that is； of its end； not of the affirmation which； as the true； it is。？
Faced with the baldness of the merely formal categories； the instinct of healthy common sense has；
in the end； felt itself to be so much in the right that it has contemptuously abandoned
acquaintanceship with them to the domain of school logic and metaphysics； at the same time；
common sense fails to appreciate the value even of a proper awareness of these fragments and is
quite unaware that in the instinctive thinking of natural logic； and still more in the deliberate
rejection of any acquaintance with or knowledge of the thought determinations themselves； it is in
bondage to unclarified and therefore unfree thinking。 The simple basic determination or common
form of the collection of such forms is identity which； in the logic of this collection； is asserted as
the law of identity； as A = A； and as the principle of contradiction。 Healthy common sense has so
much lost its respect for the school which claims possession of such laws of truth and still busies
itself with them that it ridicules it and its laws and regards anyone as insufferable who can utter
truths in accordance with such laws： the plant is…a plant； science is…science。 It has also formed an
equally just estimate of the significance of the formulas which constitute the rules of syllogising
which in fact is a cardinal function of the understanding （although it would be a mistake not to
recognise that these have their place in cognition where they must be obeyed）； it knows that the
formulas quite as well serve impartially error and sophistry and that however truth may be defined；
they cannot serve higher； for example； religious truth…that generally speaking they concern only the
correctness of the knowledge of facts； not truth itself。
The inadequacy of this way of regarding thought which leaves truth on one side can only be made
good by including in our conception of thought not only that which is usually reckoned as
belonging to the external form but the content as well。 It is soon evident that what at first to
ordinary reflection is； as content； divorced from form； cannot in fact be formless； cannot be devoid
of inner determination； if it were； then it would be only vacuity； the abstraction of the thing…in…itself；
that； on the contrary； the content in its own self possesses form； in fact it is through form alone that
it has soul and meaning； and that it is form itself which is transformed only into the semblance of a
content； hence into the semblance of something external to this semblance。 With this introduction
of the content into the logical treatment； the subject matter is not things but their import； the
Notion of them。 But in this connection we can be reminded that there is a multitude of Notions； a
multitude of objects ＇Sache＇。 We have； however； already said how it is that restrictions are
imposed on this multitude； that the Notion； simply as thought； as a universal； is the immeasurable
abbreviation of the multitudes of particular things which are vaguely present to intuition and
pictorial thought； but also a Notion is； first； in its own self the Notion； and this is only one and is
the substantial foundation； secondly； a Notion is determinate and it is this determinateness in it
which appears as content： but the determinateness of the Notion is a specific form of this
substantial oneness； a moment of the form as totality； of that same Notion which is the foundation
of the specific Notions。
This Notion is not sensuously intuited or represented； it is solely an object； a product and content
of thinking； and is the absolute； self…subsistent object； the logos； the reason of that which is； the
truth of what we call things； it is least of all the logos which should be left outside of the science of
logic。
Therefore its inclusion in or omission from this science must not be simply a matter of choice。
When those determinations of thought which are only external forms are truly considered in
themselves； this can only result in demonstrating their finitude and the untruth of their supposed
independent self…subsistence； that their truth is the Notion。 Consequently； the science of logic in
dealing with the thought determinations which in general run through our mind instinctively and
unconsciously…and even when they become part of the language do not become objects of our
attention…will also be a reconstruction of those which are singled out by reflection and are fixed by
it as subjective forms external to the matter and import of the determinations of thought。
No subject matter is so absolutely capable of being expounded with a strict immanent plasticity as
is thought in its own necessary development； no other brings with it this demand in such a degree；
in this respect the Science of Logic must surpass even mathematics； for no subject matter has in its
own self this freedom and independence。 Such an exposition would demand that at no stage of the
development should any thought…determination or reflection occur which does not immediately
emerge at this stage and that has not entered this stage from the one preceding it…a requirement
which is satis