Welcome to this lecture on Aspects of Western
Philosophy, module 25.
So, in
continuation with the topics which we have
covered in the last lecture this lecture will
again concentrate on the works of Hegel, particularly
the two topics which we are going
to address, which we are going to discuss
in this lecture are the concept of absolute
idealism and then the major theme of the phenomenology
or spirit which is the progress
from consciousness to self consciousness and
from there ultimately to reason, so the
three stages of evolution of spirit.
So these are the topics which we are going
to primarily
cover in this lecture.
As I have already mentioned in the previous
lecture Hegelian philosophy or Hegel has a
philosopher, is very interesting thinker because
a particularly for Indians, because he is
very close to India’s vedantic tradition
with concept of absolute or geist or universal
mind, which encompasses the whole of reality.
And in that sense Hegel very important
thinker Hegel is very special thinker for
Indians, number one.
And another thing is that
Hegel follows a period which is immediately
after enlightenment or rather at peak of
enlightenment.
Particularly, after Immanuel Kant introduced
his very important influential philosophy,
critical philosophy or transcendental critical
philosophy in German philosophical circles.
And Hegel is trying to respond to some of
the concerns which Kant himself has raised,
or
Kant himself has responded to at the same
time trying to improve upon Kant trying to
resolve certain issue which Kantian transcendental
philosophy or enlightenment
philosophy as such could not rather resolve.
So, as I mentioned in the previous lecture
Hegel is adopting a kind of totalizing approach
to philosophy and he has a concept which encompasses
all reality under one umbrella
concept that is absolute.
So, we will start with that concept absolute
idealism; and here this is as it is evident
from
an introduction Hegel, Hegel’s primary aim
is to arrive at an all encompassing theory
to
bridge the finite with the infinite.
Again, we can see this with as a response
to
enlightenment philosophy.
In enlightenment this is very clear for example;
Kant has
maintained a distinction between finite and
the infinite, the phenomena and the noumena.
The phenomena reality is finite that which
is experienced, that which is appears in front
of us, and something which does not appear
something which lies behind it something
which infinite.
So, this division is fundamental to enlightenment
thought and also to Kantian
philosophy, but Hegelian system is trying
to address to this issue and trying to resolve
this and or trying to bridge this gap between,
finite and infinite.
It is only the whole is
real this is again very celebrated Hegelian
slogan only the whole is real, all particular
facts and concepts are incomplete are only
are partially true, each concept taken in
the
isolation, each concept taken in abstraction
is in complete and untrue the whole alone
is
true, that is the fundamental Hegelian absolute
and what is this whole?
This whole is the
absolute the spirit the mind.
And again Hegel’s new way of thinking, he
can take the irrational approach to
contradicting ourselves which we are already
examine in the previous lecture the method
of dialectics.
So, to understand or comprehend reality which
is rational in essence,
human reason can do that Hegel has the faith
in human reason he is a has confidence in
human reason that human mind can apprehend,
can comprehend reality, because reality
essentially shares rational structure with
the human mind because human mind is always
part of it.
Now how does the human mind approach reality,
there should be a method and this
method, is the method of dialectics were we
allow a sort of he taken irrational approach,
contradicting ourselves apparently irrational
approach, that because you are dealing with
absolute which encompasses everything all
different entities are under that absolute.
So,
once you try to understand those reality a
phenomena which include everything, it is
bound to include also difference different
entities, entities which are different from
each
other and even some times contradict each
other concepts which contradict each other.
So, naturally we have to adopt an irrational
approach and cosmic history consists in the
life history of spirit or geist which is the
absolute, and the geist is a process a rational
process.
We have already examine this in the previous
lecture, a little bit when we talked
about reality conceiving reality as a process
not as static entity as Immanuel Kant
conceived it, it is a process; it is a process
which involves the interaction between the
subject and object.
So, the fundamental distinction between subject
and object is blood in
Hegelian philosophy because it is processes
were this interaction subject and object is
also part of it.
Again the absolute encompasses everything,
everything.
So, all different entity
contradicting aspects concepts everything
is part of that everything, I just quote
everything that from eternity has happened
in heaven and earth the life of God and all
the
deeds of time are simply the struggle of spirit
you know itself and to find itself.
So, Hegel presence conception of reality as
an absolute, has an absolute entity which
is
not an entity as such, because in order to
be an entity something needs to limit itself,
but
absolute is and unlimited indefinite substance
entity, but of course, different from the
concept of infinite substance advocated by
Spinoza and many others here the substance
involved differences the differences and contradiction
are real they are not unreal in
Hegel and it is a process; it is a process
it is moving dynamic process according to
him.
And again what is this process?
This process as a meaning in every stage the
process
characterized by a movement of realization
and in each stage it realizes the higher stages
from lower to higher.
So, there is a teleology that being unraveled
in the process and
towards the end it culminates in the absolute.
So, it is a process were spirit the absolute
realizes itself knows itself and to find itself,
again spirit is universal and concrete within
itself it is intelligence comprehension of
itself, it is intelligent comprehension of
itself.
So, every unraveling of spirit or evolution
stage of evolution nothing, but intelligent
comprehension of itself, is at the same time
the
progression of the total evolving reality.
And here we can see in this figure a summary
of Hegelian project, Hegelian philosophy
Hegel divide philosophy into three, three
basic headings – Logic, which deals with
account of the forms of the thought where
he also include dialectic and other aspect
of it
which we have already discussed.
The second one is nature of philosophy, where
it deals
with the natural sciences as the manifestation
of the forms of the thought all natural
science are nothing, but as the manifestation
of this universal thinking, and again the
philosophy of geist deals with the manifestation
of forms of in society so it is a historical
process.
So, in one sense Hegel wants to comprehended
everything, comprehensibly bring
everything put everything together under this
notion of philosophy which philosopher
can know.
Logic, the account of the form of thought
Naturphilosophie deal with natural sciences
as
the manifestation of the form of thought,
and philosophy of geist deal with manifestation
of the forms of thought in society.
What are important theories is all the three
section
deal with forms of thought and the fundamental
of unity of the rational forms
emphasized by Hegel.
So, everything is rational so I mention in
the previous lecture that Hegel and one
vocation he says that proclaims one of the
very important insights of Hegelian
philosophy the rational is real and the real
is rational.
The rational forms are the real
forms rationally understanding the world consist
in understanding the world deeply into
the dipper levels of reality; you actually
delve into the deeper level of reality through
this
through by applying the rational approach
everything coincides in the absolute.
And the absolute is the ultimately real which
is whole process that encompasses the
subjective and the objective, it is the same
rational structure are in me they my thinking,
my rational thinking, my thoughts, fallow
the same rational structure, which is
manifested in reality in world in nature,
in human history in all that man engaged in
doing like architecture, arts, philosophy,
religion, everywhere the same reality is
manifested the ultimately real, which is the
whole process that encompasses the
subjective the objective internal and external
and all three dimensions of time, it is a
complex of organic system.
So, Hegel emphasis the word organic, because
the kind of unity he was trying to
envisage is kind of organic unity constituted
of individual separate things that are real
their reality consisting in them being an
aspect the whole.
So, each object is real unlike
Spinoza, in Spinoza’s substance we have
seen that you know the final analysis substance
alone is real everything sought of becomes
unimportant, but here the separate things
are
real the reality consisting in them being
an aspect of the whole.
There is a kind of
interconnectedness without the whole the finite
independent entities never exists, but
without these finite independent entities
the infinite also never exist there is an
interconnectedness, there is logical interconnectedness
between this is what makes the
infinite; infinite is the finite.
It is the relation with the finite the infinite
becomes in infinite and vice versa,
incorporates the both the finite and the infinite
bridges the finite with the infinite so that
is one of the primary purposes of Hegelian
system.
Now, again absolute idealism does not talk
about the reality that appears before
something which Kant would talk about, the
phenomena reality which appear before us
which is not thing in itself, which is not
things in themselves, which is not the nominal
ultimately real, the all encompassing theory
of absolute idealism cannot be approached
with the model of cognition advocated by enlightenment
rationality.
Enlightenment
rationality functions on the basis of certain
fundamental dichotomies between finite and
infinite, between appearance and reality something
which you can never seen, and all
such you know internal and external, mind
and the world all such sort of dichotomies
are
fundamental for enlightenment rationality,
which Hegel cannot accept.
Hegelian
approach is to totalize everything to bring
everything together compressive approach he
adopts.
Turn inward to our understanding to arrive
at the true source of philosophical
knowledge.
So, it is a kind of in that sense you know
very close to Kantian approach,
Kant also does this he also turns involved
trying to understand what is there I mean
is on the consciousness the Kantian philosophy
as well, but Hegel
refers to or rather he goes a little further
then Immanuel Kant, and our understanding
to
arrive at the true sources of philosophical
knowledge what is that, what is that rational
structure which constitutes everything that
is what his aim is allow contradiction to
take
place and reconcile them this we have already
examined, and allow the process of
progress and manifest itself in thinking and
in reality.
Now, the concept of reality is it is a very
interesting notion he has, which is again
drastically different from the enlightenment
conception, because the enlightenment
conception never adopts a theological approach
so.
But for Hegel’s the notion reality he
advocates is govern by the principle of technological
causality, and not mechanical
efficient causality of the enlightenment tradition
cause effect relationship as it is explain
in the enlightenment tradition, but here is
the emphasis more on the interconnectedness
it
is on the whole.
The meaning of each stage is realized in the
whole, which is the rational, which is the
absolute.
So, there is always a notion of absolute,
which is not something yet to be
arrived at, but it is a process the absolute
is not actually independent of these
independent entities, which are in a process
of realizing or actualizing their potentialities,
but everything put together is what constitute
absolute.
So, here we can see the influence
of Aristotle a revision of conception of rationality
and to overcome Kantian separation
between noumena and phenomena, finite and
infinite, internal and external, appearance
and reality, all those which I have already
mentioned.
So, Hegelian notion of reality is comprehensive
concept which is envisaged to overcome
all these fundamental dichotomies, which Kantian
philosophy has presupposed.
Again theological causality the identification
of the reality as essentially spiritual not
material, reality is essentially spiritual
and when you say reality essentially spiritual
not
material everything, every change every movement
that takes place in nature can be
conceived not merely mechanically, but containing
a meaning.
So, everything that
happens has a meaning because nothing is mechanical
nothing is purely mechanical have
things are spiritual.
So, the spiritual aspects are emphasized like
Aristotle.
So, it is a theological conception were Aristotle
originally identified identification of
fully substance being with spirit within it
is essence is activity potentiality to actuality
which Aristotle has explained which we have
already discussed as part of this lecture
series in one of the early lecture things
have a meaning.
So, this is again another seminal
feature of teleological conception everything
has a meaning, it is not a mechanical
present their every process happen in the
world is rational purposive and with full
of
meaning so every stage contains the past and
also the future in it.
So, every stage is meaningful process or meaningful
stage in a process that begins from
somewhere and is going to culminate in somewhere
else, and again since reality is
rational we can understand unity of logic
and metaphysics understanding try to
understand reality by employing a method is
a rational method, that is where logic comes
into picture and the conception of reality
is where your metaphysics comes into picture.
So, metaphysics and logic coincides in Hegelian
philosophy, now again little bit more
about theological process I think I should
explain this.
Reality world thought and reason are not static,
like as it was in the case of
enlightenment of many of these enlightenment
philosophers it is static, but here it is
not
static, but are dynamic and they move and
they involved it is not just blind movement,
but it is a meaningful evolution that happens.
So, that is why the approach is teleological
it is evolution and hence teleological
evolutionary process something that is undeveloped
undifferentiated homogenous and
hence abstract, develops differentiates splits
up assumes many different forms this is
what happens when we deal with reality, reality
as absolute reality as spirit as geist is
a
dynamic reality which is a process not a static
entity.
But a process which is process in
which the undeveloped undifferentiated homogenous
and abstract reality develops into
by means of differentiating itself splitting
up and assuming many different forms and
these different finite forms may contradict
each other until at last they are unified
in the
absolute.
So, in one sense the absolute is not something
which is yet to be achieved it is already
there, but on the other hand each movement
is a process of self realization contagious
process the absolute realize itself we can
put it in that way and absolute is thus a
unity in
diversity.
So, again we will just in walk this slogan,
real is rational and rational is real which
we
have already mention in the previous lecture
the absolute spirit or God is the ultimate
reality the geist or objective mind reality
is a complex totality of rational concepts
consisting absolute spirit.
The real is the rational and the rational
is real this totality of thought is absolute
and
infinite unlike the finite minds of humans.
So, here what Hegel means by rational is that
every aspect of reality or every event of
reality has a structure, and this structure
according to him is a rational structure it
exhibits the rational structure that is what
he
means by reality is rational and rational
is real.
Now, reality is rational conceptual totality
and an integrated and total structure of
conceptual truths.
So, everything both the subject and object
everything is moving
dynamic reality, it is a conceptual totality
it constitutes a conceptual totality and then
integrated and total structure of conceptual
truths, the totality of conceptual truth reveals
itself in all areas of human experience and
knowledge, whether it is history or physics
or
any discipline any intellectual or other interval
human beings are engaged in it is this
totality of conceptual truth reveals itself.
And again reality is rational the vast structure
of rational concepts that includes all areas,
the real is rational but not different from
what existent.
See again it is a very interesting
contrasts between the enlightenment philosophy
particularly Kantian, philosophy and
Hegelian thought.
In Kantian philosophy the real is different
from what is existent, what is being perceived
what is being experienced and seen in front
of us or rather to put it in other weights
what
is appearing in front of us, but here real
is rational, but it is not different from
what is
existent rational is the existent object more
deeply understood.
So, Hegel refers to the
depth understanding the deep understanding
of all that is existent, the deeper
understanding of the vast realms of physical
and organic nature and the society is what
this absolute reality is constitutive of,
and again rational concepts are not independent
or
transcendental apart from the concrete world.
So, they are unlike Kantian forms which are
transcendental they are not independent of
it
rational concepts constitute their rational
core of the world of things.
So, they are
everything that is why Hegel approaches philosophy
with the historian approach.
So, everything every human reality you would
find the presence of this rational
structures, reality is knowable it is rational
structures are knowable this is where you
know he is again significantly different from
Kantian approach, where reality is not
knowable Kant is an agnostic is says that
real things in themselves are unknowable one
cannot know it.
But for an absolute idealist of Hegelian kind
reality is knowable, because
it is rational structures are knowable it
is the same rational structures which are
human
thinking or human thoughts share.
So, since there is a commonality between these
one is
only a manifestation of the other, it is knowable
the absolute reality manifest itself to us
in ordinary experience in logic.
And natural science in psychology politics
and history in painting, poetry, and
architecture, and in religion, and in philosophy,
in short in all possible human intervals
the absolute being is the common root of the
categories or pure concepts again it is the
emptiest and at the same time the most comprehensive
reality.
So, when we talk about the absolute this is
a very interesting aspect that comes to our
mind, that we can never miss noticing because
on the one hand Hegel says it is a root of
the categories of pure concept, everything
it encompasses everything and in that sense,
it
is not something very specific we can identify
what is this absolute, we cannot say that
it
is x or y, we cannot specify it, we cannot
determine it.
Because it is indeterminate it
involves everything something which is everything
cannot be something, something
which is everything cannot be everything,
because to be anything something has to be
something, which means we need to determine
it cannot be indeterminate.
But here, absolute is essentially indeterminate,
and in that sense it is emptiest and at the
same time the most comprehensive reality the
most comprehensive is bound to be empty,
because in order to be something it has to
be determinate the most abstract and most
real
at the same time the most elementary and the
most exalted notion all our concepts
express modes of being and are transformation
of the idea of being.
So, the absolute
being is dot something specific or determinate,
because all our concepts are nothing, but
expressions of modes of this absolute being.
Now, every stage in the process contains all
the preceding stages and foreshadows all the
future stages.
So, this is what I said there is a continuity
a meaningful continuity, where
potentialities are actualized.
So, every stage in the process contains all
the presiding
stages and for the shadows the future stages,
every finite stage is both a product and a
prophecy.
The lower form is negated in the higher, but
also preserved in the higher we
have already discussed this when we have discussed
the dialectical method in the
previous lecture, where how in the process
of dialectic or in dialectic method the thesis
and antithesis culminates in the synthesis
with a process that involves negation
preservation and elevation the three important
in the dialectical method.
So, I am not going to the details here so
it is a same thing the lower form is negated
in
the higher, but is also preserved in the higher
or rather even elevated in the higher, it
has
been carried over and sublated in the higher.
So, in the process of evolution ends our purposes
of are realize this is case with all
teleological process, there is something a
purpose a meaning is realized a purpose is
realized in that process, the purpose of universal
reason is realized in the process the
truth lies in the whole the truth of organism.
And here we can see that you know the fall
a false in abstract divisions of reality which
philosophers often, subscribe to this is the
false abstract divisions like between essence
and appearance, which is very classically
done by the enlightenment philosophers inner
and outer realities substance and attributes,
infinite and finite, force and it is expressions,
mind and matter, god and the world.
So, all these are classical examples where
philosophers are maintained divisions in philosophy.
According to Hegel the concept reality includes
all these things.
So, these divisions are
not really true false and abstract divisions
philosophers make, reality is the whole.
Once
you graduate to this conception of reality
into an all encompassing all comprehending
reality then these divisions apparently do
not figure in as philosophically significant
in
your scheme of things.
The absolute in that sense is a spiritual
and logical process of
evolution; it is to comprehend reality we
need to experience this process in ourselves.
So, something which is again against the enlightenment
conception which envisages that
all understanding consist in the kind of subject
object relationship where the subject is
posited over against the object looks at it
this passionately.
So, this notion of subject
object, epistemological distinction is again
canceled in Hegel where to comprehend
reality we need to experience the process
the spiritual and logical process of evolution
which is nothing, but reality we need to experience
it in us our minds need to experience
it in us and we can do that because, we also
share our thoughts share the rational
structure which is nothing, but the structure
of reality.
By reproducing the rational necessity in all
thought and in reality in our thinking by
dialectic, something which we have already
explored in the previous lecture the process
of dialog actually does it by inventing or
by encountering the contradictions, thinking
evolves rationally moves logically genetically
and dialectically.
So, thinking is not a
static process not a mechanical process which
starts from one end and reaches the other
end, but it is a kind of interactive process,
it moves logically and rationally, but at
the
same time genetically and dialectically.
So, in that way it is interactive, it is historical
it is a process and again the absolute of
geist is the creative logos or reason it contains
in it the entire logical dialectical process,
which unfolds itself in the world all the
laws of evolution are outlined in the absolute
and
hence, find expression in the form of objective
existence.
So, the laws of it is evolution
the process of evolution the process of the
evolution of the absolute which is nothing,
but
world deeds everything that happens in this
world everything that goes on in this world
is
nothing, but a part of this process of the
evolution of the world which is nothing, but
an
evolution of the absolute or the process that
is absolute.
So, the evolution is outline in the absolute
hence find expression in the form of objective
existence.
So, whatever exist things or processes or
events are nothing, but manifestation
of this process which is absolute.
In this context very interesting to see what
is God?
God is not separate from the world,
God is the living and moving reason of the
world, God reveals himself in the world in
nature and in history nature and history are
necessary stages in the evolution of God into
self consciousness.
And again God and world are not eternally
separated as conceived by enlightenment
reason.
So, the concepts of absolute even encompass
this concept so in one sense we can
say that this absolute is God.
So, in that sense God and the world are not
separate from
each other the world is also part of that
process which absolute is, but God is not
absorbed in the world not the world absorbed
in God, God cannot be without creating a
world and without knowing himself in his other
the dialectic and absolute is unity of
opposition.
So, before we conclude our lecture or this,
this is an interesting aspect which would
actually take us to the next topic, the phenomenology
of mind or the phenomenology of
the spirit the relationship between world
God and the human mind.
So, again as a
Hegelian totalizing philosophy emphasize they
cannot be different from each other at the
same time they are different.
So, it is unity in difference in one since
because the
absolute involves everything, but at the same
time different things maintain their
differences the unique identities, these unique
identities these differences these
dichotomies and these contradictions are not
final they can be resolved and move on only
by resolving these differences and dichotomies
the process can move on to higher stages
moving to higher stages is extremely important
for Hegelian philosophy, because
ultimately the unity needs to be obtained.
So, human mind is mere inferior dependent
entity as it is conceived in many other
philosophical traditions, here the interesting
aspect is that the divine idea is enriched
by it
is self expressions in nature and history
and rises through them to self consciousness
and
the absolute thinks itself in it is object,
it comes to know it is own essence only in
evolution and this happen only in man.
So, this is a interesting aspect of the
interrelationship between God world and human
mind the divine idea is enrich by it is
self expression in nature and history and
rises through them to self consciousness.
So, it is a process that goes on and on to
higher and higher levels of self consciousness
the absolute the process is where the absolute
thinking itself in it is objects.
So, the
absolute itself is in the process of thinking
by being part of process or by being the
process itself it comes to know it is own
essence only in evolution and this happens
only
in man.
Now, this expression of universal reason the
rational structures or rational forms which
Hegel was emphasizing, it is visible in nature
individuals human institutions history law
morality custom ethical observance everything
all over, all aspects of human life
customs, conventions, believes, religious,
tradition, everywhere you will find the
expression of the universal reason in also
such instance the universal spirit realizes,
it is
purpose in a rational dialectical movement
and the supreme stage is the evolution of
the
logical idea is the absolute mind from conceiving
it as the culmination of the process is
the absolute mind, but the absolute mind involves
everything.
Now, with this understanding in the backdrop
now will try to understand this very
important aspect of Hegelian philosophy the
phenomenology of spirit, which is actually
an attempt to outline biography of the spirit
of humanity as Hegel already mentioned or
all human endeavors or all human achievements,
human history itself is nothing, but a
process since the process is stereological.
It can be also understood as a kind of evolution
from lower stages to higher and higher stages
and finally, to the higher stage which is
the
ultimate synthesis of everything.
So, the phenomenology of spirit is in attempt
present the biography of the spirit of
humanity the evolution of human spirit from
lesser stages of existence and realization
to
higher and ultimately to the higher stage.
The phenomenology is important as only in
the
mind of man one comes to know it is own evolution,
the absolute comes to know even
God comes to know it is on evolution, and
to described a history of consciousness.
So, what is phenomenology see when we try
to understand our mind, our mind alone
when we conduct an examination of a study
of mind, we call it psychology, but mind is
an entity which comes into contact with the
objects in the world or the entire world mind
is in contact with?
So, when you try to understand the mind in
connection with the
objects to which it is related, then it is
not purely psychology then it is you are trying
to
approach in from a different perspective when
we try to understand our own
understanding of the world that is where we
become conscious about ourselves.
So,
consciousness is being studied.
So, what happens here is that phenomenology
studies
mind in relation to external or internal objects
what happens, when the mind comes into
contact with external as well as internal
objects there is a consciousness about these
objective.
So, that consciousness is being studied so
in one sense we can say that phenomenology
is
a science of consciousness phenomenology is
actually not Hegel’s invention, but Hegel
significantly contributes to the development
of phenomenology, which by 19th century,
let into new domains and now a days is in
today current contemporary philosophy
phenomenology is a very significant philosophical
approach.
But the Hegelian sense it is
consist of three main parts corresponding
with the three main phases of consciousness,
the three main phases of consciousness are
one is consciousness, where your just
conscious of something see am conscious of
these chair in front of me or a camera in
front of me, or various other thing in front
of me, just a kind of you know consciousness
about something which is their present.
The second stage is it is called self consciousness,
I am conscious of the fact that I am
conscious and the third stage is reason, I
will explain that in due course.
The first one is called consciousness, where
as I said it is a stage of sense certainty
something is there, the chair is there in
front of me, the camera is there in front
of me, or
the world of things are there in front of
me.
So, there is a kind of sense certainty preset
at
this stage it is an uncritical apprehension
by the senses of particular objects, I am
not
reflecting upon, what it is, what the process
is going on say when I see the camera in
front me or a chair in front of me, I am not
really reflecting what is happening that
process and jus understanding that is camera
or a chair.
So, it is a kind of uncritical
apprehension by the senses of a particular
object and appears to the naïve consciousness
as the most certain and basics form of knowledge,
I never doubted there is a chair in
front of me, there is a camera in front of
me, I never doubt that that is a something
which
so certain as per as am concerned.
But now the movements I try to describe it
when I try to describe certain objects, see
there is a camera in front of me, or there
are 20 chairs in front of me, there is one
human
being standing in front of me.
So, when I the movement I try to describe
these
experiences which I have, these sense certainties
which I have, in order to describe such
an object of immediate acquaintance we need
to employ universal categories.
So, when I
say 20 chairs in front of me.
So, I am employing the universal category
of quantity 20, 20 is a universal it is nothing
very peculiar to these chairs here, it is
a universal I can even say 20 human beings
or 20
days 20 hours.
So, all these are I mean, I am employing a
universal category of quantity,
which is very Kantian in that senses.
So, that Hegel reminds us is that this level
of static
sense certainty will not take us further the
movement we try to describe our sense
certainty our experiences, we have to actually
refer back to universal categories and
these universal categories are to be found
within ourselves.
They are not there the chairs
are there, but the 20 chairs to understand
it has a chair as a blue chair with the certain
feature I mean to understand an object as
chair is to understand it as a certain object
with
certain features, which means my mind is able
to categorize it as something to categorize
it something this knowledge should come from
within from my mind.
So, it is my contribution so, what Hegel says
is that often we invoke metaphenomenal or
unobservable entities to explain sense phenomena
say for example, nowadays we talked
about nano technology he refer to nano particles
of objects.
So, an understanding of a particular of object
or a understanding of particular process is
possible invoking this notion of nano particles.
So, when I do that what I am trying to do
is that this category of you know particles
category of nano particles they are all
something which is their my contribution,
the contribution of my consciousness the
source of such categories are my own understanding
they are not in the world they are in
my own understanding consciousness is thus
turned back to itself.
So, in this way I am
actually force to turn back to myself.
So, which is Kantian process, it becomes self
conscious or self, consciousness we can say.
And now the summary of this discussion is
sense certainty can say that an object is,
but
not what it is, there is an object, but what
it is; it is a chair it is an apple, it is
a camera, so
all such categorization are done by me they
are my contribution.
Now, we come to self consciousness, the self
is concerned with the external objects the
self subordinates the object to itself and
approach the object to comprehend it and use
it
to it is purpose see, when I see a chair,
I subordinate the object to myself and it
is a chair
it something which I can use for serving my
own purposes, I would rather use the word
I
objectified everything in front of me objectified
I have a use with it I can appropriate it,
tries to appropriate it and consume it.
So, and using it for my own purposes it is
an object
form me, I distinguish myself from that object
that object is only an object while I am a
subject, I am a self.
Now, as far as chairs and tables and cameras
are concerned this is all right, this approach
is fundamentally all right there is absolutely
no problem in it, but the moment I
encounter another human being encounters a
threat when the self confronts other selves
which are different from objects, instead
of chair I have a human being in front of
me
that movement there is a threat I cannot objectified
that human being, because that
human being is not just like a chair, but
he or she is like me like a subject and he
or she
can also objectify me.
So, if I want to assert my own self foot my
own distinguished
identity as a self, as a subject, and not
just a mere object, then I will have to make
him or
her object.
So, my attempt to objectify him I will definitely
attempt objectify him, but the
problem is that, if I try to objectify him
then the possibility that he would also try
to
objectify me is actually posing a threat to
my own existence.
So, the recognition and the realization that
the world is constitutive of subjects like
me
and not just objects like chairs and tables
that poses a threat to my own existence.
So,
that is way second stage encounters a kind
of what you call dilemma or a kind of crises
in it is existence.
Encountering the other self the self feels
a desire to cancel out or annihilate the other
self
as means to the assert it is own selfhood,
in order to assert my selfhood, I am trying
to
cancel that other self so, but this is count
of predictive the consciousness of one’s
own
selfhood demands as a condition the recognition
of this selfhood by another self.
So, for me to exist as a self so that I can
assert my selfhood, I need the other person
who
would recognize me as a self.
So, all my attempts to cancel his or her selfhood
assuming
that his or her selfhood is a potential threat
to my own selfhood is bound be count of
predictive, because if I annihilate him if
I make him non self then who is that to
recognize me as self.
So, it is going to be count of predictive,
the master slave relationship is invoked here
in
this context famously by Hegel’s it says
that in order to assert one’s own self hood
one
enslave the other.
So, one possibility is that I encounter along
with chairs and tables and
other objects in the world a human being who
is also a self like me, now that possess a
threat to me and I wont to assert my selfhood.
So, in order to assert my selfhood what I
will do is that I will enslave the other person,
by enslaving the other person I am just
taking away or annihilating his selfhood,
I am not recognizing him as human being
Now by enslaving the other one does not recognize
the former as a real person.
So, for
me he or she ceases to be a person, and by
doing this the master deprives himself of
the
recognition of his own freedom which he originally
demanded this freedom is essential
for the development of self consciousness.
What happens is that here the master becomes
dependent on the slave for asserting his
selfhood that is quit paradoxical on the one
hand you need others to recognize you as a
self.
So, that yours assertion of selfhood is meaningful
on the other hand again your
master, becomes dependent on the slave for
asserting his selfhood.
The paradox of enslaving the other is in order
to assert freedom ones enslaves another
person and then becomes dependent on that
slave.
So, you ultimately become the slave
of your slave then slave, on the other hand
and free himself through labor which
transforms material things.
So, he does things in nature he makes it transforms
nature for
the sake of his master he is starts doing
it, but through his labor he liberates himself.
So,
every master slave relationship is bound to
be counter predictive.
Now, in this context Hegel talks about the
other stage the ultimate stage where reason,
the finite subject rises to universal self
consciousness realization that we are all
manifestation of the universal spirit.
So, here instead of being in the world where
you
exist as a subject, without any critical awareness
of your status just having self certainty
you have progress to the next stage or you
have evolve to the next stage of self
consciousness, where you realize that there
are other selves who actually posit a threat
your own selfhood.
And that insecurity of being among other selfhood
who are different from you who are
positing a thread to your own selfhood and
your constant you know struggle to enslave
them, which is ultimately proving to be counter
predictive you reach a third stage or you
rather rise to third stage you evolve to a
third stage of reason where you realize that
you
as well as other are all manifestations of
the universal self, universal mind, universal
spirit.
So, it is not the one sided awareness of oneself
as an individual subject threaten by and in
conflict with other self conscious beings
it is a full recognition of selfhood in one
selfhood and in others.
So, we all realize we are all manifestation
of that universal mind once that realization
arrives the confrontation becomes what meaningless
then there is no confrontation.
So,
reason takes us to that domain a synthesis
of the first two stages of consciousness and
self consciousness, a consciousness is where
subject is aware of the sensible object as
something external and heterogeneous to itself,
self consciousness is subjects attention is
turned back on itself as a finite self and
reason is where it sees everything as the
objective expression of infinite spirit with
which it is itself united.
We will conclude our discussion on Hegelian
philosophy at this point where Hegel has
we have seen there are three things very important
about Hegel, one is that his
conception of reality he never conceives reality
as independent of the subject or the
knower of reality.
So, there is no epistemological strict epistemological
split between subject and object
which is.
So, cardinals for enlightenment philosophy,
number two same rational forms
that constitute reality, constitute you of
the human thought as well.
So, in one sense the
human thought can understand you can comprehend
reality, because they share the same
universal rational forms, and the third important
point is reality is the absolute which
encompasses everything and Hegel talks about
a method by means of which this reality
can be comprehended the dialectical method
where you have to contradict yourself allow
contradictions to happen.
And then resolved them and ultimately synthesis
them, that is a
method he suggest and he explains the process
for him it is a historical process it is an
evolution in which the from the level of consciousness
of bare awareness bare static
certainty, sense certainty you reach the second
stage of self consciousness where you
encounter and confront other selves to the
third stage, where you realize and experienced
that unity in you and everything is part of
that universal ultimate absolute reality.
So, this is in summary the Hegelian philosophy,
and the Hegelian system and Hegel is
the very important thinker we will examine
the influence of Hegel in the next lectures
well where we will be discussing the contribution
to the karlmarks the division between
left a Hegelian and others.
So, the marks and other develop a philosophy
a materialistic
philosophy out of a Hegelian idealism, which
is objective idealism of Hegel and then
again even in contemporary philosophy.
We can see the tremendous influence of
Hegelian philosophy.
So, we will conclude our discussion on the
contribution of this
most important thinker of modern period.
Thank you.
