244 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



is the mere abstract form of externality. So far as spirit 

 externalizes itself, so far it must adapt itself to or make 

 use of space-relations; or rather, the truth is, that in exter- 

 nalizing itself, spirit gives rise to space-relations. 



On the other hand, spirit, as such, possesses modes of 

 activity wholly independent of space-relations. When 

 thought concentrates upon itself and investigates its own 

 more complex properties and powers, it is thus far engaged 

 in a process that has no reference to space at all. Whence 

 space, equally with time, proves to be but a subordinate 

 mode of the spirit's activity. Only the less adequate 

 phases of spirit present themselves in the externality of 

 the world in space; though these phases, of course, belong 

 none the less essentially to the complete realization of 

 Spirit as the 4ruth of the world. 



To these phases we now turn with the purpose of indi- 

 cating the fundamental relations involved in them. And 

 first in regarding the World-Energy as simple potency, we 

 seize upon the characteristic of universality involved in 

 that energy, and hold fast to that characteristic as its 

 truth. 



As potency, however, it must act. And as universal 

 potency, it must specialize, or differentiate, or determine 

 itself in particular forms of reality. But this particulari- 

 zation or differentiation is necessarily a self -separation a 

 self-repulsion. The universal Potency gives proof of itself 

 as such by externalizing itself. That is, the simplest 

 phase of its self-realization is that of externality, that of 

 space-filling forms. 



But as universal, the potency is not a special, limited, 

 particular fact. On the contrary, as universal potency, it 

 is primarily, in its simplest relation to space, everywhere 



