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and the earth transforms itself into fertile individuality.
The thunderstorm is the complete manifestation of this process, whereas the other meteorological phenomena
are beginnings or moments and undeveloped elaborations of it. Concerning thunderstorms, however, physics
has so far been unable to propose a satisfactory explanation-since it limits its perspective to the conditions of
the external process-, neither of rain formation (in spite of de Luc's observations and the conclusions drawn
from them, and, among the Germans, the arguments made by the clever Lichtenberg against the theory of
dissolution, whose conclusions have at least been retained to some extent) nor of lightning and thunder. It has
had just as little success with other meteorological phenomena, in particular with meteorites, in which the
process progresses as far as the beginning of an earthly core.
§ 233.
The concept of matter, gravity, sets out its moments in elemental nature, initially in the form of independent
realities. The earth is initially the abstract ground of individuality, and posits itself in its process as the
negative unity of the abstract, mutually separating elements, and consequently as the real ground and
actuality of individualisation. Now, in this actuality, the elements present themselves as being unified
together in concrete points of unity.
C. The Physics of Individuality
§ 234.
The individual body is matter, brought together by the particularity of the elements out of the generality of
gravity and into individuality. Thus it is determined in and for itself and has by virtue of its individuality a
characteristic form which constitutes the unity of the differentiation of a body. -- This individuality is (a)
immediate or at rest, a shape; (b) its separation into the diversity of features and the tension of differences; (c)
process, in which the shape dissolves just as much as, in its determinateness in and for itself emerges.
(a) Shape
§ 235.
The individuality of matter in its immediate existence is the immanent form, which gives its own determinate
difference to that material of the body which itself has in the first place only a superficial unit, and then one
II. Inorganic Physics 16
The Philosophy of Nature
particular determinacy as its essence.
This is the shape, the specific kind of inward coherence of matter and its external border in space; -- the
individuality of the mechanism.
The specification of matter as an element is at this point shapeless, because it is still only a singularity.
Regarding the form of the shape, and individuality in general, it is preferable to avoid the image of an
external, mechanical style and composition. It may help in this case to distinguish between the externality of
style and the inwardness of the shape's coherence, but the essential point is to remember the peculiar
differentiation which arises from this distinction, which at the same time constitutes a determinate,
self-identical unity in the relation.
§ 236.
The abstract specification is the specific gravity or density of matter, the relation of the weight of its mass to
the volume. In this relation the material selfhood tears itself away from the abstract, general relations to the
central body, ceases to be the uniform filling of space, and opposes a specific being in itself to an abstract
being apart from itself
The varying density of matter is often explained by the assumption of pores; - though "to explain" means in
general to refer a phenomenon back to the accepted, familiar determinations of the understanding, and no
conceptions are more familiar than those of "composition," "pieces and their details," and "emptiness."
Therefore nothing is clearer than to use the imaginative invention of pores to comprehend the densification of
matter. These would be empty interstices, though physics does not demonstrate them, despite its attempt to
speak of them as at hand and its claim to be based on experience and observation. What is beyond these and
is merely assumed is the matter of thought. It does not occur to physics, however, that it has thoughts, which
is true in at least two senses and here in a third sense: the pores are only imaginative inventions.
An immediate example of the peculiar specification of gravity offered by physics is furnished by the
phenomenon that, when a bar of iron, evenly balanced on its fulcrum, is magnetised, it loses its equilibrium
and shows itself to be heavier at one pole than at the other.-The axioms presupposed by physics in its mode
of representing density are: (1) that equal amounts of equally large material parts weigh the same;-in this
way the formal identity of gravity remains consistent-(2) the measure of the number of parts is the amount of
weight, but (3) also of space, so that bodies of equal weight occupy equal amounts of space; (4) consequently,
when equal weights are found in different volumes, the equality of the spaces is preserved by the assumption
of pores which fill the space.
Kant has already contrasted intensity to the quantitative determination of the amount, and, instead of positing
that the heavier body contains more particles in a certain space, he has assumed that in the heavier body the
same number of particles fill space to a greater degree. In this way he created "dynamic physics." At least the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
and the earth transforms itself into fertile individuality.
The thunderstorm is the complete manifestation of this process, whereas the other meteorological phenomena
are beginnings or moments and undeveloped elaborations of it. Concerning thunderstorms, however, physics
has so far been unable to propose a satisfactory explanation-since it limits its perspective to the conditions of
the external process-, neither of rain formation (in spite of de Luc's observations and the conclusions drawn
from them, and, among the Germans, the arguments made by the clever Lichtenberg against the theory of
dissolution, whose conclusions have at least been retained to some extent) nor of lightning and thunder. It has
had just as little success with other meteorological phenomena, in particular with meteorites, in which the
process progresses as far as the beginning of an earthly core.
§ 233.
The concept of matter, gravity, sets out its moments in elemental nature, initially in the form of independent
realities. The earth is initially the abstract ground of individuality, and posits itself in its process as the
negative unity of the abstract, mutually separating elements, and consequently as the real ground and
actuality of individualisation. Now, in this actuality, the elements present themselves as being unified
together in concrete points of unity.
C. The Physics of Individuality
§ 234.
The individual body is matter, brought together by the particularity of the elements out of the generality of
gravity and into individuality. Thus it is determined in and for itself and has by virtue of its individuality a
characteristic form which constitutes the unity of the differentiation of a body. -- This individuality is (a)
immediate or at rest, a shape; (b) its separation into the diversity of features and the tension of differences; (c)
process, in which the shape dissolves just as much as, in its determinateness in and for itself emerges.
(a) Shape
§ 235.
The individuality of matter in its immediate existence is the immanent form, which gives its own determinate
difference to that material of the body which itself has in the first place only a superficial unit, and then one
II. Inorganic Physics 16
The Philosophy of Nature
particular determinacy as its essence.
This is the shape, the specific kind of inward coherence of matter and its external border in space; -- the
individuality of the mechanism.
The specification of matter as an element is at this point shapeless, because it is still only a singularity.
Regarding the form of the shape, and individuality in general, it is preferable to avoid the image of an
external, mechanical style and composition. It may help in this case to distinguish between the externality of
style and the inwardness of the shape's coherence, but the essential point is to remember the peculiar
differentiation which arises from this distinction, which at the same time constitutes a determinate,
self-identical unity in the relation.
§ 236.
The abstract specification is the specific gravity or density of matter, the relation of the weight of its mass to
the volume. In this relation the material selfhood tears itself away from the abstract, general relations to the
central body, ceases to be the uniform filling of space, and opposes a specific being in itself to an abstract
being apart from itself
The varying density of matter is often explained by the assumption of pores; - though "to explain" means in
general to refer a phenomenon back to the accepted, familiar determinations of the understanding, and no
conceptions are more familiar than those of "composition," "pieces and their details," and "emptiness."
Therefore nothing is clearer than to use the imaginative invention of pores to comprehend the densification of
matter. These would be empty interstices, though physics does not demonstrate them, despite its attempt to
speak of them as at hand and its claim to be based on experience and observation. What is beyond these and
is merely assumed is the matter of thought. It does not occur to physics, however, that it has thoughts, which
is true in at least two senses and here in a third sense: the pores are only imaginative inventions.
An immediate example of the peculiar specification of gravity offered by physics is furnished by the
phenomenon that, when a bar of iron, evenly balanced on its fulcrum, is magnetised, it loses its equilibrium
and shows itself to be heavier at one pole than at the other.-The axioms presupposed by physics in its mode
of representing density are: (1) that equal amounts of equally large material parts weigh the same;-in this
way the formal identity of gravity remains consistent-(2) the measure of the number of parts is the amount of
weight, but (3) also of space, so that bodies of equal weight occupy equal amounts of space; (4) consequently,
when equal weights are found in different volumes, the equality of the spaces is preserved by the assumption
of pores which fill the space.
Kant has already contrasted intensity to the quantitative determination of the amount, and, instead of positing
that the heavier body contains more particles in a certain space, he has assumed that in the heavier body the
same number of particles fill space to a greater degree. In this way he created "dynamic physics." At least the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]