Hegel’s Actuality Chapter of the Science of Logic: A Commentary

126 Pages·2018·1.34 MB·English

by  Nahum Brown

Hegel’s Actuality Chapter
of the Science of Logic

Hegel’s Actuality Chapter
of the Science of Logic
A Commentary
Nahum Brown
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Name:Brown,Nahum,author.
Title:Hegel’sactualitychapterofthescienceoflogic:acommentary/NahumBrown.
Description:Lanham,MD:LexingtonBooks,2018.|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2018046750(print)|LCCN2018048342(ebook)|ISBN9781498560573(elec-
tronic)|ISBN9781498560566(cloth:alk.paper)
Subjects:LCSH:Hegel,GeorgWilhelmFriedrich,1770–1831.|Modality(Logic)|Hegel,Georg
WilhelmFriedrich,1770-1831.WissenschaftderLogik.
Classification:LCCB2948(ebook)|LCCB2948.B7652018(print)|DDC160—dc23
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Contents
Abbreviations ix
WorksbyHegel ix
CommentatorsoftheActualitychapter ix
OtherWorks x
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction xiii
DivisionsofThisBookandHowtoReadIt xiv
The“Actuality”ChapterinContext xvi
InDefenseofLocalArguments xix
AnOverviewofCommentators xx
Hegel’sArgumentfromModality(TheShortVersion) xxiii
Notes xxvi
1 FormalModality 1
1.Whatisactualisexistence. 1
2.Whatisactualispossible. 2
3.Ifwhatisactualispossible,thenthepossibleisthe
reflectionoftheactualintoitself. 4
4.Butifthepossibleisonlythereflectionoftheactual,it
lacksitselfandrequiresitscompletioninactuality. 5
5.Becauseitisreflection,possibilityistherelatingground
betweentheactualandthenegationoftheactual. 6
6.IfthepossibleAcontainsthepossible-A,thenwhatis
possibleisalsoimpossible. 9
7.Actualizationcannotmaintainthiscontradictionofthe
possibleastheimpossible. 12
v
vi Contents
8.Becauseofthiscontradiction,actualitybecomesreflected
actuality.Reflectedactualityisanactualityof
possibilityitself. 13
9.Theproblemwithreflectedactualityisthatsinceitisthe
possibleitself,itisanactualthatcannotbecomeactual. 14
10.Hegelturnsinsteadtocontingentactuality,wherethe
actualaswhatisimmediatelygivenpositsitsotheras
whatcouldhavebeen. 16
11.Iftheotheroftheactualequallyexists,thereisno
reasonwhythisactualisandwhyitsotherisnot.
Therefore,contingencyhasnoground. 18
12.Butiftheotheroftheactualequallyexists,thenactually
dependsuponwhatcouldhavebeen. 19
13.Formalnecessityisthesourceofthesetwoarguments
fromcontingency.Formalnecessityisthecoincidence
ofactualityandpossibility. 21
Notes 23
2 RealModality 27
14.Realactualityresultsfromthenecessaryformthat
actualizationtakestoactualizepossibility. 27
15.Realactualityisrealpossibility. 31
16.Realpossibilityisanexistingmultiplicity. 35
17.Becauseofexistingmultiplicity,possibilitiesare
dispersedintheactualityofothers.Theconsequence
isthatsomething’spossibilitiesarenotitsownbutare
alwaysdeferredtoothers. 37
18.Sincethepossibilitiesofdispersedactualitydonotseem
toresideanywhereatall,somethingbecomesactual
throughpossibilitiesthataredispersedinitsconditions. 41
19.Whatisinitialcanonlybecomeactualifitdoesnot
contradicttheconditionsthatmakeitpossible. 48
20.Butsinceeachconditioncontainsamultiplicityofother
actuals,tobecomeactualistobecomeincontradiction. 49
21.Somethinginitialbecomesactualifallofitsconditions
arepresent.Therefore,whatisreallypossiblecanno
longerbeotherwise.Thispossibilityisrealnecessity. 52
22.Contingencyisneverthelessthereasonbehindwhy
whatisreallypossiblecannolongerbeotherwise. 55
Notes 58
3 AbsoluteModality 61
Contents vii
23.Absoluteactualityisanactualityoftheentireprocess
oncealloftheconditionsarepresent.Itistheunityof
contingencyandnecessity. 61
24.Necessity,notpossibility,isthereflectionofabsolute
actualityintoitself. 63
25.Necessityisthein-itselfbecauseabsoluteactuality
alreadyincludesallpossibilities.Thisactualityisas
muchpossibilityasitisactuality.Hegelcallsthis
possibilityabsolutepossibility. 65
26.Ifabsoluteactualityisabsolutepossibility,thenecessity
ofthisactualitybecomesabsolutenecessity. 67
27.Becauseabsolutenecessityisthetotalinclusionof
everypossibilitywhatsoever,absolutecontingencyis
thefinalconsequenceofHegel’sargument. 69
Conclusion:Absolutenecessityandcontingencyarethesame. 77
Notes 79
Appendix:APremise-by-PremiseOverviewofthe“Actuality”Chapter 81
Bibliography 91
WorksbyHegel 91
WorksonHegel 91
OtherWorks 93
Index 95
AbouttheAuthor 97

Abbreviations
WORKSBYHEGEL
EL TheEncyclopaediaLogic.TranslatedbyT.F.Geraets,W.
A.Suchting,andH.S.Harris.Indianapolis:Hackett
Publishing,1991.
PS PhenomenologyofSpirit.TranslatedbyA.V.Miller.
Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1977.
SL Hegel’sScienceofLogic.TranslatedbyA.V.Miller.
Amherst:HumanityBooks,1969.
WL WerkeinzwanzigBänden,6:WissenschaftderLogikII.
FrankfurtamMain:SuhrkampVerlag,1969.
COMMENTATORSOFTHEACTUALITYCHAPTER
SC Burbidge,JohnW.Hegel’sSystematicContingency.New
York:PalgraveMacmillan,2007.
CC DiGiovanni,George.“TheCategoryofContingencyinthe
HegelianLogic.”InArtandLogicinHegel’sPhilosophy.
EditedbyWarrenE.Steinkraus,179–200.Atlantic
Highlands:HumanitiesPress,1980.
NC Houlgate,Stephen.“NecessityandContingencyinHegel’s
ScienceofLogic.”OwlofMinerva27(1995):37–49.
ix