Single Idea 21769

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 6. Metaphysics as Conceptual]

Full Idea

The beginning must be an absolute - an abstract beginning; and so it may not presuppose anything, must not be mediated by anything or have a ground; rather it is itself to be the ground of the entire science. ...The beginning therefore is pure being.

Gist of Idea

We must start with absolute abstraction, with no presuppositions, so we start with pure being

Source

Georg W.F.Hegel (Science of Logic [1816], p.70), quoted by Stephen Houlgate - An Introduction to Hegel 03 'Logic'

Book Reference

Houlgate,Stephen: 'An Introduction to Hegel' [Blackwell 2005], p.49


A Reaction

This is the 'presuppositionless' beginning of Hegel's metaphysics, which Houlgate emphasises. Hegel's logic is very obviously a direct descendent of Descartes' Cogito. But it is pure thought, with no mention of a Self.

Related Idea

Idea 21765 The ground of a thing is not another thing, but the first thing's substance or rational concept [Hegel, by Houlgate]