PREFACE (1) - Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit

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In this video we explore the first part of the Preface in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. In the Preface Hegel attempts to clearly explain both the aim and result of the Phenomenology of Spirit as a book project. He wants to make it clear that he is attempting to bring philosophy to the level of a science of spirit that can make sense of the absolute as both substance and subject. He sees the biggest enemy to this project, both a metaphysical idealism which reifies substance in or with an intuitive oneness (or A=A), and a scientism which neither understands its own historicity or its duty to historical subjects to bring them to the level of absolute knowing. Hegel thus sees his Phenomenology, not as a foundations of science, but as a coming-to-be of Science, and ultimately a Science of the Notion that can help us both explain and address the idiosyncratic nature of self-becoming that has opened in the modern world.

First published in 1807 the foundation of philosophy was forever transformed after Hegel was capable of articulating a higher order understanding of the understanding as the becoming of spirit in history.

This video is based on a 1977 publication of Phenomenology of Spirit which was translated by A.V. Miller with a foreword by J.N. Findlay.

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[thomassimmons]

Brilliant beginning to a noble project. I will be following and commenting as you move forward. My mind is exploding already and we're barely out the GATE!

[kehindeonakunle]

Brilliant lecture. Pls, enroll me in your philosophy class.

[ghostboy]

Very much appreciate this video and everything you do. It is amazing how you are able to communicate with great clarity very profound things. I think in the history of philosophy, in the immediate future, new thinkers will be indebted to your efforts.

Also, around 38:00 on the subject of Aristotle's teleology and science, you mentioned that there are several books wrestling with teleology. Could you please name some?
Also, have you read Incomplete Nature by Terrence Deacon? If so, any thoughts? to me it is maybe one of the first signs of a new kind of science.

Thank you very much

[Wrenasmir]

Hi Cadell - if I’m unable to make the live lectures, will I miss out on important information in this course, or will all the live sessions be available as recordings to watch later? I saw you mentioned pre-recorded videos will be available but I wasn’t sure if these were the same as the live session recordings. Thank you in advance.

[thomassimmons]

OK...second time through, and going to start laying down some spontaneous thoughts... disconnected or no.
It occurs to me Heidegger's statement, that Meister Eckhart is the father of German thought is more true than I realized, as I contemplate this piece, I'm sayin.

Allow me to grow a tree growing out his acorn:


Shame the whole project ran ashore on the reef of two World Wars. But hey...shit happens.