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Joram Hardin #10 Installment #2 in Final Project

Installment #1: http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/12/10-hegel-who-when-and-most-importantly.html

Hegel's Ideas and Contributions to Philosophy

            To recap what we discussed in the previous installation of our discussion upon Hegel, Hegel led a long and prolific life. He was greatly influenced in his philosophical works from the broiling political events that surrounded him in his early life. He transitioned from student to professor eventually landing careers at various Universities all within Germany, where he was born. Concluding the history lesson on Georg W. F. Hegel’s life now we transition to his philosophical contributions to the world, who he influenced throughout history, and why his convoluted writings are still held in high regard by many.

            Beginning with the major concept in Hegel’s writings, we have his concept of the ‘Geist’. Geist is a German word that can translate to ‘spirit’ or ‘mind’. I think this is an important translation in that both ‘spirit’ and ‘mind’ can be used here. Hegel’s geist was more concept than actual, ephemeral being. “Geist referred broadly to the consciousness of a people of itself and the world in which they lived. It referred to a people’s self-understanding,” as Anthony King puts it.¹

Hegel’s geist ties in very nicely with his fascination with history and strong, political figures. Throughout history, the universe’s geist is continually learning from itself, or better yet, learning from those within itself. History is one event after another that continually becomes more self-aware and ‘enlightened’ simply because, one learns from their mistakes. Extremely, influential political figures (like Napoleon Bonaparte as discussed in Installation #1) shake the geist to its core. They come along and radically change the way the universe views itself, changing entire cultures within their lifetimes. This line of thinking also encourages cultural change. It gives hope to revolutionizers that they are fighting for more than just the change they want to see in their culture; they are fighting for the fundamental betterment of humanity.

His philosophical writings extend much past this one concept but, sadly I do not have the room here. For now, we will settle with the big question: Why was/still is Hegel adored by many? In my opinion, the answer based only upon the concept of the geist is obvious. The geist provides an optimistic view of the world. It proves that all events in the world serve a purpose and that purpose is one of enlightenment. This was inspirational for many after Hegel.

Perhaps the most prominent Hegelian, Karl Marx was greatly moved by Hegel’s work. The concepts of cultural change being natural and necessary, must have resonated with a young Marx. Karl Marx, the progenitor of Marxism, had a profound impact on the 1900s political climate. Marx’s work The Communist Manifesto is debatably the most influential piece of literature in modern recollection. Others influenced by Hegel include Schopenhauer, John Dewey, and Martin Heidegger, another German philosopher. Even with this list of Hegelians, Hegel is not without his critics. From beloved Bertrand Russel, to Nietzsche, to more than likely one-to-many budding philosophers stumbling upon his work without proper warning, Hegel’s cryptic way of writing has always landed him in hot water.

In conclusion, Hegel was an enigmatic figure. His love for history and change created a way of thinking that offered an optimistic and hopeful view of the universe and its future. Hegel is not the best understood philosopher but his ideas, though deeply buried, are ones to be treasured in my opinion.

Sources

¹ - http://socialtheoryapplied.com/2013/10/25/what-did-hegel-mean-by-geist/ (Anthony King’s quote)

2 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel (General Information)

3 - http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_hegel.html (more info on Hegel’s influences)

4 - https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/index.htm (Hegel’s works once again)