Fragmentary Notes §17—§18

§17

Hegel writes,

“The nature of Spirit may be understood by a glance at its direct opposite—Matter. As the essence of Matter is Gravity, so, on the other hand, we may affirm that the substance, the essence of Spirit is Freedom. All will readily assent to the doctrine that Spirit, among other properties, is also endowed with Freedom; but philosophy teaches that all the qualities of Spirit exist only through Freedom; that all are but means for attaining Freedom; that all seek and produce this and this alone. It is a result of speculative Philosophy that Freedom is the sole truth of Spirit. Matter possesses gravity in virtue of its tendency toward a central point. It is essentially composite; consisting of parts that exclude each other. It seeks its Unity; and therefore exhibits itself as self-destructive, as verging toward its opposite [an indivisible point]. If it could attain this, it would be Matter no longer, it would have perished. It strives after the realization of its Idea; for in Unity it exists ideally.” Spirit, on the contrary, may be defined as that which has its center in itself. It has not a unity outside itself, but has already found it; it exists in and with itself. Matter has its essence out of itself; Spirit is self-contained existence. Now this is Freedom, exactly. For if I am dependent, my being is referred to something else which I am not; I cannot exist independently of something external. I am free, on the contrary, when my existence depends upon myself. This self-contained existence of Spirit is none other than self-consciousness—consciousness of one’s own being. Two things must be distinguished in consciousness; first, the fact that I know; secondly, what I know. In self consciousness these are merged in one; for Spirit knows itself. It involves an appreciation of its own nature, as also an energy enabling it to realize itself; to make itself actually that which it is potentially.” (Hegel, Introduction to the Philosophy of History, 18)

As I understand this passage, Hegel is here illustrating something which I have touched upon elsewhere:

(A) Matter is that which is exhaustively differentiated “out-of-itself.” (e.g. “Partes extra partes”) 

(B) Experience is that which is exhaustively differentiated “into-itself.” (e.g. “Partes intra partes”)

§18

Contrary to the nature of Experience, the nature of Matter is exhausted by the reciprocal exclusion and repulsion of its composite parts; for, parts of Matter exemplify nothing other than flatness, out-spreadedness, and side-by-sidedness. Matter is neither “transparent-to-itself,” nor does it return either “into-itself” or “into-its-parts.” Matter, contra Experience, is always “outside-of-itself,” and is never at home with itself. (Cf. Fragmentary Notes §11–§14)