中英对照哲学辞典：绝对与绝对概念
1.Absolute
[ from Latin ： absolutus ，in turn originating from ab. away. from and solvere free, loosen; free from limitations. qualifications or conditions ] To call something absolute is to say that it is unconditional or universal, in contrast to what is relative, comparative or varying according ro circumstancps. In metaphysics, the Absolute, as a technical term, is a single entity which is ultimate, unchanging, overriding and all-comprehensive. Nicholas of Cusa uses this expression to refer to God. Subsequently, the Absolute is always associated with concepts such as the one, the perfect, the eternal, the uncaused and the infinite and has been regarded as the reality underlying appearance and providing rational ground for appearance.
The revival of the notion of the Absolute in modern philosophy derives from the debate in the 1770s between Mendelssohn and Jacobi about Spinoza's definition of substance, Schelling, employing Spinoza's notion of substance, defines the absolute as a neutral identity which underlies both subject(mind) and object (nature). Everything that is mental or physical is an attribute of the Absolute or of “indefinite substance”. He further claims that the Absolute is a living force, an organism, and something that is self generating rather than mechanisric. Hegel claimed that the Absolute is the unity of substance and its modes, of the infinjte and the finite. Such an Absolute is both a substance and a subject, developing from the underlying reality to the phenomenal world and reaching absolute knowledge as its highest phase. Thus, the Absolute is a self-determining activiry, a spirit, and a concrete dynamic totality. Its development mirrors the development of knowledge. Hegel's metaphysics sought to work out the process and implications of this development.
In this century, this term is particularly associated with Bradley, who conceives the Absolute to be a single, self differentiating whole. Anti-metaphysical thought argues for the elimination of the Absolute as an entity which cannot be observed and which performs no useful function in philosophy.
“Absolutes are the limits of explanation, and as such they have been the main theme of traditional philosophy,”Findlay，Ascent to the Absolute, 1970. p. 19.
「绝对」：【源自拉丁文 absolutus，后者源自ab(离去.来自)加 solvere (放，松懈）；字面意义是没存界定、限制或条件】称某物为绝对的是说它是无条件的或普遍的，反之则是相对的、相比较而言的或随环境变化而变化的事物。在形而上学中，“绝讨”作为一个专门术语，是指那终极的、不变的、主宰性的以及包罗万象的单一实体。库萨的尼古拉用这一术语指上帝。此后，“绝对”始终是与诸如一、完美、永恒、自因以及无限等概念联系在一起的，并一直被认为是在现象背后并为现象提供理性根据的实在。
绝对概念在近代哲学中的复兴归因于17世纪70年代门德尔松和雅各比之间关于斯宾诺莎本体定义的争论。谢林采用斯宾诺莎的本体概念把“绝对”定义为是支撑主体（心灵）和客体（自然）的中性同一体。每一心灵的或物理的东西都是“绝对”或“不定本体”的属性。他还进一步认为，“绝对”是一种生命力，一个有机体，是自我生成的而不是机械的。黑格尔认为，“绝对”是本体和它的样式的统一，是有限和无限的统一。这样一个“绝对”既是本体，又是主体，从 支撑性的实在发展到现象世界并以绝对知识为最高阶段。因此，“绝讨”是一种自主的活动,一种精神，是具体的、充满活力的整体。它的发展反映了知识的发展。黑格尔的形而上学旨在阐发这一发展的过程及其意义。
在这一世纪，这一术语特别与布拉德雷联系、他把“绝对”设想成是一个单一的、自我分化的大全。而反形而上学者则主张，“绝对”是一个观察不到的实体，对哲学没有用处，所以应予拒斥。
“绝对是解释的界限，因而它们一直是传统哲学的中心主题。” --芬德雷:《上升到绝对》，1970年，第19页。
2.Absolute conception
A term introduced by Bernard Willianms in his study of Descartes for a conception of reality as it is independent of our experience and to which all representations of reality can be related . To gain such a conception requires evercoming the limitations of our enquiry and any systematic bias , distortion or partielity in our outlook . Such a conception may enable us to view our representations as one set among others and to avoid assessing the view of others from our own standpoint . Williams claims that our notion of knowledge implies that such a conception is possible .
" This notion of an absolute conception can serve to make effective a distinction between ' the world as it seems to us ' ." —Williams , Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy , 1986 , p. 139.
「绝对概念」：B.威廉姆斯在他的笛卡尔研究中第一次采用的词。这是一个把实在看作是独立于我们的经验，而所有关于实在的表象都与它相关的概念。获得这样一个概念需要克服我们研究的局限，以及我们世界观中的任何系统的偏见，扭曲或偏爱。这样一个概念能够使我们把我们的表象看做是许多表象中的一组，并且使我们避免从自己的立场上去评价其他人的观点。威廉姆斯宣称，我们关于知识的观念隐含着这样一个概念的可能。
“这样一个绝对概念的观念能够用来有效地区分‘独立于我们经验的世界’与‘我们所看到的世界’。”——威廉姆斯：《伦理学与哲学的限度》，1986年，第139页。
[ from Latin ： absolutus ，in turn originating from ab. away. from and solvere free, loosen; free from limitations. qualifications or conditions ] To call something absolute is to say that it is unconditional or universal, in contrast to what is relative, comparative or varying according ro circumstancps. In metaphysics, the Absolute, as a technical term, is a single entity which is ultimate, unchanging, overriding and all-comprehensive. Nicholas of Cusa uses this expression to refer to God. Subsequently, the Absolute is always associated with concepts such as the one, the perfect, the eternal, the uncaused and the infinite and has been regarded as the reality underlying appearance and providing rational ground for appearance.
The revival of the notion of the Absolute in modern philosophy derives from the debate in the 1770s between Mendelssohn and Jacobi about Spinoza's definition of substance, Schelling, employing Spinoza's notion of substance, defines the absolute as a neutral identity which underlies both subject(mind) and object (nature). Everything that is mental or physical is an attribute of the Absolute or of “indefinite substance”. He further claims that the Absolute is a living force, an organism, and something that is self generating rather than mechanisric. Hegel claimed that the Absolute is the unity of substance and its modes, of the infinjte and the finite. Such an Absolute is both a substance and a subject, developing from the underlying reality to the phenomenal world and reaching absolute knowledge as its highest phase. Thus, the Absolute is a self-determining activiry, a spirit, and a concrete dynamic totality. Its development mirrors the development of knowledge. Hegel's metaphysics sought to work out the process and implications of this development.
In this century, this term is particularly associated with Bradley, who conceives the Absolute to be a single, self differentiating whole. Anti-metaphysical thought argues for the elimination of the Absolute as an entity which cannot be observed and which performs no useful function in philosophy.
“Absolutes are the limits of explanation, and as such they have been the main theme of traditional philosophy,”Findlay，Ascent to the Absolute, 1970. p. 19.
「绝对」：【源自拉丁文 absolutus，后者源自ab(离去.来自)加 solvere (放，松懈）；字面意义是没存界定、限制或条件】称某物为绝对的是说它是无条件的或普遍的，反之则是相对的、相比较而言的或随环境变化而变化的事物。在形而上学中，“绝讨”作为一个专门术语，是指那终极的、不变的、主宰性的以及包罗万象的单一实体。库萨的尼古拉用这一术语指上帝。此后，“绝对”始终是与诸如一、完美、永恒、自因以及无限等概念联系在一起的，并一直被认为是在现象背后并为现象提供理性根据的实在。
绝对概念在近代哲学中的复兴归因于17世纪70年代门德尔松和雅各比之间关于斯宾诺莎本体定义的争论。谢林采用斯宾诺莎的本体概念把“绝对”定义为是支撑主体（心灵）和客体（自然）的中性同一体。每一心灵的或物理的东西都是“绝对”或“不定本体”的属性。他还进一步认为，“绝对”是一种生命力，一个有机体，是自我生成的而不是机械的。黑格尔认为，“绝对”是本体和它的样式的统一，是有限和无限的统一。这样一个“绝对”既是本体，又是主体，从 支撑性的实在发展到现象世界并以绝对知识为最高阶段。因此，“绝讨”是一种自主的活动,一种精神，是具体的、充满活力的整体。它的发展反映了知识的发展。黑格尔的形而上学旨在阐发这一发展的过程及其意义。
在这一世纪，这一术语特别与布拉德雷联系、他把“绝对”设想成是一个单一的、自我分化的大全。而反形而上学者则主张，“绝对”是一个观察不到的实体，对哲学没有用处，所以应予拒斥。
“绝对是解释的界限，因而它们一直是传统哲学的中心主题。” --芬德雷:《上升到绝对》，1970年，第19页。
2.Absolute conception
A term introduced by Bernard Willianms in his study of Descartes for a conception of reality as it is independent of our experience and to which all representations of reality can be related . To gain such a conception requires evercoming the limitations of our enquiry and any systematic bias , distortion or partielity in our outlook . Such a conception may enable us to view our representations as one set among others and to avoid assessing the view of others from our own standpoint . Williams claims that our notion of knowledge implies that such a conception is possible .
" This notion of an absolute conception can serve to make effective a distinction between ' the world as it seems to us ' ." —Williams , Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy , 1986 , p. 139.
「绝对概念」：B.威廉姆斯在他的笛卡尔研究中第一次采用的词。这是一个把实在看作是独立于我们的经验，而所有关于实在的表象都与它相关的概念。获得这样一个概念需要克服我们研究的局限，以及我们世界观中的任何系统的偏见，扭曲或偏爱。这样一个概念能够使我们把我们的表象看做是许多表象中的一组，并且使我们避免从自己的立场上去评价其他人的观点。威廉姆斯宣称，我们关于知识的观念隐含着这样一个概念的可能。
“这样一个绝对概念的观念能够用来有效地区分‘独立于我们经验的世界’与‘我们所看到的世界’。”——威廉姆斯：《伦理学与哲学的限度》，1986年，第139页。
