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On the Abstract

If by "the abstract" generally one properly means either an (abstract) aspect or a (concrete) constituent of the concrete, then, taking the second sense of the phrase, one may say that whatever is by definition constituent of a larger, more inclusive concrete whole is--relative is—relative to this whole, at least--abstractleast—abstract. Thus all ordinary events and individuals, being by definition not all-inclusive, would be, in that sense, abstract relative to God (or to God's events of concrescence) as the extraordinary and hence all-inclusive individual (or events).

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Actually, science may be said to be triply abstract insofar as it also abstracts from the meaning of things for us---whence us—whence Heidegger's distinction between das Zuhandene and das Vorhandene ("Das Erkennen dringt erst über das im Besorgen Zuhandene zur Freilegung des nur noch Vorhandenen vor." "Im wissenschaftlichen VerhaIten sehen wir das begegnende Zuhandene 'neu' an, als Vorhandenes.").

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