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HEGEL'S PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE EDITED AND TRANSLATED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND EXPLANATORY NOTES BY M. J. PETRY M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon.) VOLUME I LONDON . GEORGE ALLEN AND UNWIN LTD NEW YORK· HUMANITIES PRESS, INC FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1970 This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. This translation © George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1970 SBN 04 100021 PRINTED in BY 12 on IN 13 UNWIN WOKING GREAT 8 BRITAIN point Bembo type BROTHERS AND LIMITED LONDON PREFACE Without the patience and linguistic help of my wife, this book could never have been written. Her family, and the German friends I made at Elsinore, have helped me to avoid many of the flaws generally incident to English translations from the German. I should like to express my very deep gratitude for all the help that they have given me. Without the full co-operation of the Copenhagen Royal Natural Science Library and the University Library at Lund, I could never have undertaken the writing of the commentary. At one time it was, indeed, solely the cheerfulness, enthusiasm and efficiency with which their staffs helped me to trace references and acquire books, that encouraged me to believe that the work I had undertaken was completable. I should like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Father F. C. Copleston 5.]., whose perspicacity and tolerance made my work on Hegel at Oxford so rewarding and enjoyable, and to Sir Malcolm Knox and Professor W. B. Lockwood, who recommended my fmished labours to the publishers. M.J.P. Reading August 1968 CONTENTS PREFACE 7 INTRODUCTION a Encyclopaedias b Levels, Hierarchies and Spheres c Logic, Nature, Spirit d Development e The Notion r The Idea of Nature g Critics h Text and Sources Terminology 122 141 FOREWORD by K. 1. Michelet 179 THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE 19 1 Introduction to The Philosophy of Nature A Ways of regarding nature § 245-246 B The Notion of nature § 247-251 C The division of the philosophy of nature (Division) II II 21 40 63 85 105 II4 191 § 252 193 205 217 SECTION ONE MECHANICS § 253 Chapter One: Mathematical mechanics (Space and time) A Space § 254 § 255 Dimensions § 256 Figurations B Time § 257-259 C The union of space and time (Place and motion) § 260 Place § 261 Motion and matter 221 223 223 225 226 229 236 23 6 237 Chapter Two: Finite mechanics (Matter and motion) Gravity §262 241 A Inertia (Inert matter) § 263-264 244 B Impact § 265-266 246 C Fall § 267-268 253 A* CONTENTS Chapter Three: Astronomy (Absolute mechanics) § 269 Universal gravitation § 270 Kepler's laws § 270-27I The totality of the solar system 260 260 263 275 NOTES 28 4 INDEX TO TEXT 375 INDEX TO FOREWORD AND NOTES 383 The words in roman are those of Hegel's headings which appeared in the first edition of this work. The words in italics do not appear as headings in the text, but such identification of these passages was made on the contents page of the first edition of the work. INTRODUCTION Q. ENCYCLOPAEDIAS 'Systems