Negation of the Negation
Hegel (Dialectics)
The double negation does not lead back to the starting point, but to sublation on a higher level. Thesis --- antithesis (first negation) --- synthesis (negation of the negation). But not mechanically!
Origin
Hegel's basic dialectical structure. Often misunderstood as a formal scheme.
In Hegel
Enc. §95; SL Vol. 1, Quality