Note | Philosophy of Georg Hegel

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

Jean-François Revel, Histoire de la philosophie occidentale (Nil Éditions, 1994)

Luc Ferry & Claude Capelier, La plus belle histoire de la philosophie (Éditions Points, 2014)

Roger-Pol Droit, Une brève histoire de la philosophie (Flammarion, 2008)

Bertrand Russell, The History of Western Philosophy (Simon & Schuster, 1972)

Nigel Warburton, A Little History of Philosophy (Yale University Press, 2011)

Roger Scruton, A Short History of Modern Philosophy (Routledge, 2002)

Gen Kida, History of Anti-Philosophy (Kodansha Academic Library, 2000)

Seiji Takeda & Ken Nishi, The First Histoty of Philosophy: To Think Profoundly (Yuhikaku, 1998)

Shigeto Nuki, Illustrated & Standard History of Philosophy (Shinshokan, 2008)

Shigeto Nuki, Philosophy Map (Chikuma New Books, 2004)

Sumihiko Kumano, The History of Western Philosophy: From The Modern Ages to The Present Day (Iwanami New Books, 2006)

Thierry Paquot & François Pépin, Dictionnaire Larousse de la Philosophie (Éditions Larousse, 2011)

Simon Blackburn, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition Revised), (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Robert Audi, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

Thomas Mautner, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Penguin Books, 2005)

Related Posts and Pages

Spinoza’s Monism

Philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer

Timeline of Philosophy

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Note | Hume’s Skeptical Empiricism

Radical Skepticism

David Hume exhaustively criticized epistemology. He didn’t accept external things and the existence of the God as a cause of idea. He thought “Our perceptions can’t get out of our minds.” For John Locke and George Berkeley, experience is the path to catch ideas from the external world. But, by Hume, experience is movements themselves of ideas in a mind.

And Hume questioned identities of the world and personality, and their causality the basis of our ordinary life.

Perception, Impression and Idea

First, Hume called idea of Locke and Berkeley perception. And Hume divided perception into impression and idea.

Impression is perception has force and liveliness, and an original of idea , enters our senses, as a fondamental, original and vivid sensation in now and here. Idea is a copy of impression, remains in our minds.

Association of Ideas: Resemblance, Contiguity and Causality

Ideas reappear as a memory or an imagination. Ideas associate and unite each other, then make new impressions. Hume thought these associations or units are free also proper, and there is the universal principle of relation of ideasas resemblance, contiguity and cause and effect.

Ideas are produced by ideas and reflections called secondary impression. The process of impressions produce ideas, ideas produce impressions, and perceptions form themselves and develop continuously. This process of perceptions is experience of Hume.

Bundle of Perceptions

Hume thought perception is only certain thing. Also, even external object or personality isn’t a constant and unchangeable real existence.

Impressions which continue the same and changeless during our lives, isn’t exist. To observe internal of self, to deeply enter myself, we can grasp only perceptions of cool or warm, light and dark, love and hate, pleasure and pain. Hume stated “In any cases, we can’t grasp my self without perceptions in the least.”

For Hume, there is not a coherent mind or personality. Man is a bundle or collection of different perceptions in perpetual flux and movement, which succeed with an inconceivable rapidity.

Necessity of Cauality: Custum and Belief

Also Hume denied the objectivity of causality. There isn’t absolute necessity of unity of cause and result. Causality is only a subjective unity (one of a complex idea) based on custom (repetitions of experience). But by custom effects for imagination , we can infer another object from an object. Inference of causality is by the custom of mind. Causality is a connection of beliefs derive from custom, and is a kind of invention or fiction.

References

Jean-François Revel, Histoire de la philosophie occidentale (Nil Éditions, 1994)

Luc Ferry & Claude Capelier, La plus belle histoire de la philosophie (Éditions Points, 2014)

Roger-Pol Droit, Une brève histoire de la philosophie (Flammarion, 2008)

Bertrand Russell, The History of Western Philosophy (Simon & Schuster, 1972)

Nigel Warburton, A Little History of Philosophy (Yale University Press, 2011)

Roger Scruton, A Short History of Modern Philosophy (Routledge, 2002)

Gen Kida, History of Anti-Philosophy (Kodansha Academic Library, 2000)

Seiji Takeda & Ken Nishi, The First Histoty of Philosophy: To Think Profoundly (Yuhikaku, 1998)

Shigeto Nuki, Illustrated & Standard History of Philosophy (Shinshokan, 2008)

Shigeto Nuki, Philosophy Map (Chikuma New Books, 2004)

Sumihiko Kumano, The History of Western Philosophy: From The Modern Ages to The Present Day (Iwanami New Books, 2006)

Thierry Paquot & François Pépin, Dictionnaire Larousse de la Philosophie (Éditions Larousse, 2011)

Simon Blackburn, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition Revised), (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Robert Audi, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

Thomas Mautner, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Penguin Books, 2005)

Related Posts and Pages

Note | Locke’s Empiricist Epistemology

Note | Berkeley’s Subjective Idealism

Note | Philosophy of René Descartes

Note | A Definition of Philosophy

Timeline of Philosophy

Philosophy / Philosophie

Note | Berkeley’s Subjective Idealism

George Berkeley’s epistemology is monism of perception, immaterialism or subjective idealism. Berkeley criticized John Locke’s premise of objective existence of external things.

Human mind is a free and active thing can produce and erase ideas. But vivid ideas come to mind directly, a man can’t produce or erase them at will like imagination. Direct ideas should come from the other side. Berkeley thought that these direct ideas are produced by the God as the most free and active spirit than human spirits. First of all, ideas are created and sent by the God.

Berkeley thought, to investigate ideas in detail, we can certify the existence of the God.

But to think the cause of ideas is the external existence of the God must be an insufficient theory of epistemology equal to John Locke.

References

Jean-François Revel, Histoire de la philosophie occidentale (Nil Éditions, 1994)

Luc Ferry & Claude Capelier, La plus belle histoire de la philosophie (Éditions Points, 2014)

Roger-Pol Droit, Une brève histoire de la philosophie (Flammarion, 2008)

Bertrand Russell, The History of Western Philosophy (Simon & Schuster, 1972)

Nigel Warburton, A Little History of Philosophy (Yale University Press, 2011)

Roger Scruton, A Short History of Modern Philosophy (Routledge, 2002)

Gen Kida, History of Anti-Philosophy (Kodansha Academic Library, 2000)

Seiji Takeda & Ken Nishi, The First Histoty of Philosophy: To Think Profoundly (Yuhikaku, 1998)

Shigeto Nuki, Illustrated & Standard History of Philosophy (Shinshokan, 2008)

Shigeto Nuki, Philosophy Map (Chikuma New Books, 2004)

Sumihiko Kumano, The History of Western Philosophy: From The Modern Ages to The Present Day (Iwanami New Books, 2006)

Thierry Paquot & François Pépin, Dictionnaire Larousse de la Philosophie (Éditions Larousse, 2011)

Simon Blackburn, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition Revised), (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Robert Audi, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Cambridge University Press, 1995)

Thomas Mautner, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy (Second Edition), (Penguin Books, 2005)

Related Posts and Pages

Note | Locke’s Empiricist Epistemology

Note | Hume’s Skeptical Empiricism

Note | Philosophy of René Descartes

Note | A Definition of Philosophy

Timeline of Philosophy

Philosophy / Philosophie