Overview of Determination

Determination (Bestimmung) refers to the way something expresses its essential quality through its relation to others, yet remains inwardly defined and self-related. Hegel emphasizes that this internal quality is not merely imposed by external forces but is intrinsic to the thing’s being—its vocation or destiny. In contrast, constitution captures the external side of these relations, aspects that belong to a thing’s existence but do not stem from its essence.