being that is in and for itself。 This abstract result is elucidated by the exposition of its concrete
genesis； that exposition contains the nature of the Notion whose treatment it must have preceded。
The chief moments of this exposition （which has been given in detail in the Second Book of the
Objective Logic） can therefore only be briefly summarised here。
Substance is the absolute； the actuality that is in and for itself in itself as the simple identity of
possibility and actuality； absolute essence containing all actuality and possibility within itself； and
for itself； being this identity as absolute power or purely self…related negativity。 The movement of
substantiality posited by these moments consists in the following stages：
1。 Substance； as absolute power or self…related negativity； differentiates itself into a relationship in
which what were at first only simple moments are substances and original presuppositions。 Their
specific relationship is that of a passive substance； of the original immediacy of the simple
inwardness or in…itself which； powerless to posit itself； is only an original positedness and of an
active substance； the self…related negativity which as such has posited itself in the form of an other
and relates itself to this other。 This other is simply the passive substance which the active
substance through its own originative power has presupposed for itself as condition。 This
presupposing is to be understood in the sense that the movement of substance itself is； in the first
instance； under the form of one of the moments of its Notion； the in…itself； and the
determinateness of one of the substances standing in relationship is also the determinateness of
this relationship itself。
2。 The other moment is being…for…self； which means that the power posits itself as self…related
negativity； thereby sublating again what was presupposed。 The active substance is the cause； it
acts； that is； it now posits； whereas previously it only presupposed； so that （a） to the power is
now added the illusory show of power； to the positedness the illusory show of positedness。
What in the presupposition was original； becomes in causality； through the relation to an other；
what it is in itself； the cause produces an effect； and that； too； in another substance； it is now
power in relation to an other and thus appears as a cause； but is a cause only in virtue of this
appearing。 （b） The effect enters the passive substance； whereby it now also appears as a
positedness； but is a passive substance only as such positedness。
3。 But there is still more present in this than only this appearance； namely： （a） the cause acts on
the passive substance and alters its determination； but this is positedness； there is nothing else in it
to alter； the other determination； however； that it receives is causality； the passive substance
therefore becomes cause； power and activity： （b） the effect is posited in it by the cause； but that
which is posited by the cause is the cause itself which； in acting； is identical with itself； it is this that
puts itself in the place of the passive substance。 Similarly； with regard to the active substance； （a）
the action is the translation of the cause into the effect； into the other of the cause； into positedness；
and （b） the cause reveals itself in the effect as what it is； the effect is identical with the cause； is not
an other…； thus the cause in acting reveals the posited being as that which the cause essentially is。
Each side； therefore； in both its identical and negative relation to the other becomes the opposite
of itself； so that the other； and therefore also each； remains identical with itself。 But the identical
and the negative relations are both one and the same； substance is self…identical only in its opposite
and this constitutes the absolute identity of the substances posited as a duality。 Active substance；
through the act of positing itself as the opposite of itself； an act which is at the same time the
sublating of its presupposed otherness； of passive substance； is manifested as cause or originative
substantiality。 Conversely； through being acted on； posited being is manifested as posited； the
negative as negative； and therefore passive substance as self…related negativity； the cause meeting
in this other simply and solely with its own self。 Through this positing； then； the presupposed or
implicit originativeness becomes explicit or for itself； yet this being that is in and for itself is such
only in so far as this positing is equally a sublating of what was presupposed； in other words
absolute substance has returned to itself and so become absolute； only out of and in its
positedness。 Hence this reciprocity is the appearance that again sublates itself； the revelation that
the illusory being of causality in which the cause appears as cause； is illusory being。 This infinite
reflection…into…self； namely； that being is in and for itself only in so far as it is posited； is the
consummation of substance。 But this consummation is no longer substance itself but something
higher； the Notion； the subject。 The transition of the relation of substantiality takes place through
its own immanent necessity and is nothing more than the manifestation of itself； that the Notion is
its truth； and that freedom is the truth of necessity。
I have already mentioned in the Second Book of the Objective Logic that the philosophy which
adopts the standpoint of substance and stops there is the system of Spinoza。 I also indicated there
the defect of that system alike as to form and to matter。 But the refutation of the system is another
matter。 With respect to the refutation of a philosophical system I have elsewhere also made the
general observation that one must get rid of the erroneous idea of regarding the system as out and
out false； as if the true system by contrast were only opposed to the false。 The context itself in
which Spinoza's system here finds mention provides the true standpoint of the system and the
question whether it is true or false。 The relation of substance resulted from the nature of essence；
this relation and its exposition as a developed totality in a system is； therefore； a necessary
standpoint assumed by the absolute。 Such a standpoint； therefore； is not to be regarded as an
opinion； a subjective； arbitrary way of thinking of an individual； as an aberration of speculation； on
the contrary； speculative thinking in the course of its progress finds itself necessarily occupying that
standpoint and to that extent the system is perfectly true； but it is not the highest standpoint。 Yet
this does not mean that the system can be regarded as false； as requiring and being capable of
refutation； on the contrary； the only thing about it to be considered false is its claim to be the
highest standpoint。 Consequently； the true system cannot have the relation to it of being merely
opposed to it； for if this were so； the system； as this opposite； would itself be one…sided。 On the
contrary； the true system as the higher； must contain the subordinate system within itself。
Further； the refutation must not come from outside； that is； it must not proceed from assumptions
lying outside the system in question and inconsistent with it。 The system need only refuse to
recognise those assumptions； the defect is a defect only for him who starts from the requirements
and demands based on those assumptions。
Thus it has been said that for anyone who does not presuppose as an established fact the freedom
and self…subsistence of the self…conscious subject there cannot be any refutation of Spinozism。
Besides； a standpoint so lofty and so intrinsically rich as the relation of substance； far from ignoring
those assumptions even contains them： one of the attributes of Spinoza's substance is thinking。 On
the contrary； Spinozism knows how to resolve and assimilate the determinations in which these
assumptions conflict with it； so that they appear in the system； but in the modifications
appropriate to it。 The nerve； therefore； of the external refutation consists solely in clinging
stubbornly to the antitheses of these assumptions； for example； to the absolute self…subsistence of
the thinking individual as against the form of thought posited in absolute substance as identical with
extension。 The genuine refutation must penetrate the opponent's stronghold and meet him on his
own ground； no advantage is gained by attacking him somewhere else and defeating him where he
is not。 The only possible refutation of Spinozism must therefore consist； in the first place； in
recognising its standpoint as essential and necessary and then going on to raise that standpoint to
the higher one through its own immanent dialectic。 The relationship of substance considered simply
and solely in its own intrinsic nature leads on to its opposite； to the Notion。 The exposition of
substance （contained in the last book） which leads on to the Notion is； therefore； the sole and
genuine refutation of Spinozism。 It is the unveiling of substance； and this is the genesis of the
Notion； the chief moments of which have been brought together above。 The unity of substance is
its relation of necessity； but this unity is only an inner necessity； in positing itself through the
moment of absolute negativity it becomes a manifested or posited identity； and thereby the
freedom which is the identity of the Notion。 The Notion； the totality resulting from the reciprocal
relation； is the unity of the two substances standing in that relation； but in this unity they are now
free； for they no longer possess their identity as something blind； that is to say； as something
merely inner； on the contrary； the substances now have essentially the status of an illusory being；
of being moments of reflection； whereby each is no less immediately united with its other or its
positedness and each contains its positedness within itself； and consequently in its other is posited
as simply and solely identical with itself。
With the Notion； therefore； we have entered the realm of freedom。 Freedom belongs to the
Notion because that identity which； as absolutely determined； constitutes the necessity of
sub