[edit] Author’s Notes/Introduction

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, the idealistic most influential post-Kantian, (in the sense of a direct reaction against Kant), is known for inventing the concept of progress throughout history, rediscovering idealistic rationalism, etc.

Unfortunately, his Philosophy of History is an unfortunate choice of text for Philosophy, first of all because it often seems to fit more into HP, secondly because the Hegelian method is so different from the rigorous logical construction practiced by his predecessors, especially Leibniz and Kant. This is due in part, but not exclusively, to the subject matter of the text; especially the concept of his “spirit” is extremely difficult to describe or understand, especially in a different language.

This last point is especially vital. German is a more expansive* language than English, and especially in philosophic terms, there are many terms for which there is simply no equivalent in English. The word “weltanschauung”, in English, encompasses a good three hundred words of definition. Similarly, the Hegelian “spirit”, probably roughly “geist” or “zeitgeist” cannot be translated, and when it is, as in our text, the English reader misses out. A German reader, when he reads the word, instantly understands the concept behind it, whereas an English reader must puzzle it out of the rest of the text. Thus the subject matter carries with it a certain lack of clear logical construction of the type we saw with Locke or Hobbes. (also note that “geist” has a variety of interpretations and implications, including mind, genius, ghost, spirit, and power) *it is possible, for example, to create words in German by stringing 4 or 5 normal words together (like “autoschadenenthebungsversicherung”), which becomes complicated because the new words, with time, acquire their own meanings independent of the “ingredient” terms*

Thus, explaining spirit right now (which is, after all, what the philosophy is all about) is nearly impossible for me as well. But here’s the best I can do, and yes, it makes sense in my mind and did the first time I read it:

[edit] What the hell is The Spirit?

The Hegelian spirit is the zeitgeist, the spirit of the time. It is the super-consciousness of human existence in its entirety, an amalgam of all sorts of influences: the humans themselves, reason/god/providence, prior history, ideas, etc.

This super-consciousness can be felt in concert halls, in lecture halls, in the buzz that accompanies extraordinary action; it could be described as a feeling, but an intelligent feeling, and a feeling that ultimately inspires actions and changes as its components change. To clarify further: as the result of individual consciousness, spirit can be viewed to have a sum consciousness as well, and a sum rationality.

Thus, the actions of individual great men changed spirit considerably and had a large impact on the motion of history, and at the same time these great men were results of the spirit itself; their actions happened because the sequence of events leading up to these actions, and the entire scope of causually-rationally-interlinked historical events, movements, ideologies, and religious currents.

Now, for a summary of the text:

[edit] Chapter One

Philosophy of History: ambiguous term—means a rational analysis of the course of human events and a rational analysis of the human view of history at the same time. Since humans act because of past history, both by learning from historical lessons and since their situation is the product of past history, history in the sense that it is human study of past events (with resulting biases and factual inaccuracies) is just as important as the true history. Biases and inaccuracies reflect the spirit of the times in which such things occurred, i.e. in a period where the mass consciousness was focused more on material goods, written history will reflect this by emphasizing trade-related events.

[edit] Chapter Two

(Useless) Division of History into Original, Reflective, and Philosophic History

[edit] =Chapter Three

History is rational because its agents are rational (human action, even when motivated by irrational impulses such as emotions, are still a rational result of the effects of these emotions; and these emotions themselves are the rational result of other influences.) Additionally, the progression of events are related rationally (causally). Finally, Hegel appeals to the Christian majority when he says that this can be viewed as essentially the role of God, or Providence, in the affairs of man, since Reason is God or more precisely Reason is God’s Wisdom.

[edit] Chapter Four

Spirit:

Freedom is the only truth of Spirit. Since Spirit is an amalgam of all deterministic and casual forces, such as God etc., the question of freedom of will doesn’t exist. Spirit can develop in any way that it wants to.
Spirit is self-conscious, meaning it combines the “what I know” with the “that I know”. Spirit knows itself- it is the judging of its own nature, and at the same time “the activity of coming of itself, of producing itself, making itself actually what it is in itself potentially”. World history is “the working out of the explicit knowledge of what it is potentially”—it is History trying to figure itself out.
Introduction of the three phases—the Oriental, the Greek, the Germanic—thesis, antithesis, idea—no freedom, absolute (and negative) freedom, true freedom
The final goal of the world is Spirit’s consciousness of its freedom, hence the actualization of that very freedom
History is the means of Spirit to do this
In this section there is a closer examination of the means of history—that is, the passions, interests, determining elements of history, what drives it forward etc.—with the conclusion that subjective aspects are the tools and means of the Spirit. These elements are working towards controlling themselves (just as the natural materials of a house are utilized to protect the inhabitants from those same natural materials, like water/rain). Subjective will is the realizing force of Reason
He then gives historical examples
The State is the realization of Spirit (reasons pg 40-41)

[edit] Chapter Five

3 stages of development:

immersion of Spirit in natural life
emergence of Spirit into consciousness of its freedom
elevation of Spirit out of this particular form of freedom into its pure universality, of self-consciousness

[edit] Chapter Six

This is shown by the three worlds Oreintal, Greek, Germanic

Hegel - Philosophy of History

From The Inferno

Contents