Philosophy of Hegel
Georg Hegel is a German philosopher completed the modern philosophy. He critically succeeded Kantian philosophy, and adopted the Greek philosophy, Neo-platonism, Baruch Spinoza and so on. For Hegel, philosophy is an act grasp the whole reality, so philosophy must be a system.
On Kantian philosophy there are many dichotomies such as subject and object, reason and sensibility, being and action. In spite of this, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Schelling comprehended all things by a sole principle as self or the nature to solve the dichotomies. By contrast, Hegel employed dialectic, a producing process which involves dichotomies and connects various principles but does not lost its totality.
Dialectic
Dialectic is a method of dialogue, discussion and argument at first. On a discussion or an argument, the object is correspond of opinions finally. An assertion si objected by the opponents then it stated a third opinion involves either also exceeds them. The first assertion is called thesis, the counterargument is called antithesis, the third opinion which respects either, solves opposition of two and is added a new view of time spending is called Synthesis.
The process of dialectic raises things as upper dimension and keeps core elements of thesis and antithesis also solves the problems between two. This process is called Aufheben (Sublation).
Absolute Knowledge
Absolute spirit is fully grown or fully developed spirit or mind. On Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel wrote the process of dialectic from sense-certainty to absolute knowledge. The process resembles growth of a man from child to experienced adult.
To live in the modern society as a fully fledged adult, he must have decent knowledge of natural phenomenon and responsibility to a society and others, and understand certain amount of various things such as philosophy, religion and art. In this process, a thing that a man believe it absolute is denied. But this experience is worthwhile subsequent. The end of this mechanism and process, it appears absolute spirit there, the being covers everything.
Hegelian System
Different to the Kantian philosophy, the Hegelian system covers whole and contains everything, the dialectic forms the unity of totality. From a natural thing to the absolute existence of the cosmic reason, Hegel connected all phases of beings by a principle of revelation.
Logic is the entrance of the Hegelian system. The Hegelian logic is not formal logic or Kantian transcendental logic. The Logic shows a mechanism of which thinking gives a rule for self and it forms the self. Each of contents of the Kantian categories, such as being, essence, quality and quantity are grasped as things are produced by themselves in the process of dialectics. As the result, it shows the mechanism of thinking produces content of self and sets up the basis of self.
Hegel’s philosophy of history is a representative one of the dynamism of Hegel which which links reason and the real world. The World History by Hegel is the process of reason develops to an object. And the object of History is freedom.
Freedom thought by Hegel is not free will of individual, it is realized objectively tradition, law and moral. To complete it, an activity of individual become a tool for teleological realization of the history, and there’s List der Vernunft (cunning of reason).
Idea of absolute spirit expresses by religion, philosophy and art. Aesthetics is metaphysics of art. Beauty for Hegel is sensual expression of absolute being itself, is produced by absolute demand of human desire for make objectification everything.
References
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