Understanding vs. Reason

Understanding [Verstand] is analytical, separating, fixating thought. It establishes fixed determinations, draws boundaries, distinguishes — and in this it is necessary and valuable. But it comes to a halt at the separations it makes. Reason [Vernunft], by contrast, is synthesizing, dialectical, speculative thought. It recognizes the transitions, the unity of opposites, the movement. Reason sublates understanding: it preserves its distinctions, overcomes its rigidity, and elevates them to the level of the concept.