Page:Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion volume 2.djvu/148

 the other hand, is individuality, the Universal, what is reflected into itself, the other side of which itself comprises all being in itself, so that it has returned into its own unity.

Reflection accordingly conceives of the unity of God as a characteristic quality, and seeks to demonstrate it. This, however, does not supply the form in which to express a proof of the existence of God. The One is distinguished from the substratum, and the point is simply to exhibit the characteristic of Being as One. Reflection lights upon this idea because One is just reflection into self.

Accordingly this characteristic or determination that God is only One has reference, to begin with, only to the Many with which it is contrasted, and so far also to the other Form, which will be dealt with as the second Form belonging to this stage. The disproof of the determination which comes later is thus given here in advance. This second form in itself and in the determination of its notion is undoubtedly more concrete; but as definite or determined Being in and for itself when it appears as Necessity is only something that ought to be, an ideal, and because it is only what ought to be is thus multiplicity, it has not as yet absolute reflection-into-self, and it is wanting in the characteristic of being One. Doubtless the characteristic of the One is also as yet one-sided, since it is only the abstract form in an actual state, for itself, and is not the developed form in the shape of content.

The development of the necessity of this characteristic of the One, the rising up to this one Subject as the One, is carried out thus. Being as One is conceived of as predicate, while God is presupposed as subject, and it is then shown that the characteristic of multiplicity is opposed to the presupposition of this subject. The relation belonging to the Many can thus be considered as consisting in their reference to each other; they are then thought