Half Hour Hegel: The Complete Phenomenology of Spirit (Introduction, sec. 81-83)

In this thirty-sixth video in the new series on G.W.F. Hegel's great early work, the Phenomenology of Spirit, I read and comment on the eighty-first, eighty-second, and eighty-third paragraphs of the text, continuing our study of the Introduction.

In these three paragraphs, Hegel begins by examining the need for some type of standard or criterion that will be used in the course of the investigation. What sort of criterion could be applicable when the Science is one in the process of being worked out?

Attention to the nature and development of consciousness clarifies this matter, since consciousness relates itself through knowing to objects, making them for-consciousness, but also positing that they retain something of being in-itself beyond consciousness.

And yet, the investigation is not only extends to the in-itself of objects, but also examines knowledge as it is in-itself, the being or truth of knowing. This also reveals that knowledge is for-us, for consciousness, and so the criterion we were seeking is not only within the object, the in-itself. It also resides within consciousness.

In this video series, I will be working through the entire Phenomenology, paragraph by paragraph -- for each one, first reading the paragraph, and then commenting on what Hegel is doing, referencing, discussing, etc. in that paragraph.

This series is designed to provide an innovative digital resource that will assist students, lifelong learners, professionals, and even other philosophers in studying this classic work by Hegel for generations to come.

My videos are used by students, lifelong learners, other professors, and professionals to learn more about topics, texts, and thinkers in philosophy, religious studies, literature, social-political theory, critical thinking, and communications. These include college and university classes, British A-levels preparation, and Indian civil service (IAS) examination preparation

(Amazon links are associate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

#Hegel #Phenomenology #Philosophy #Idealism #German #Dialectic #Spirit #Absolute #Knowledge #History

[codawithteeth]

i absolutely love your appeals to common sense in explaining this esoteric dense text. brings me joy every time.

[jordanh]

Wonderful video Dr.Sadler, thank you so much for this video and series!

[tethyn]

“Consciousness… relating itself to what is true.” 20:58 🤘

[GregoryBSadler]

Here's a new Half-Hour Hegel video for a grey, drizzly Saturday morning . . .  where Hegel starts to outline the relationship between consciousness, knowledge, objects, and what seemingly lies beyond the scope of consciousness, the in-itself

[TheMrBida]

I just started Hegel, but sorry, I wanted to ask if you were familiar with Islamic Philosophy, like Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali or Ibn Rushd? Despite their importance, they just don't seem to be mentioned anywhere, would love to see you doing something on one of them, I'm sure Avicenna or Averroes is worthy of your time. I took a medieval philosophy course where we went over them in brief, was surprised how so many of us are unaware of them.

[donthasslethahoff]

In section 83, when Hegel mentions essence, is he talking about the in-itself of the actual enquiry into the truth of knowledge, or is he talking about the in-itself of the actual knowledge its self?

[SequinBrain]

(thx for these, would have never made it to 35, much less 81 w/out them) Presupposition - The necessity of verifying first truths, though not every Notion will have first truths. Or, are axioms required to even deal with truths in every case? (time/space/matter)

[AlienNation_]

Thank you for the arduous friendly and illuminating work. You have helped me in my self-education in the history of thought. I was wondering what you thought of / if you were aware of the work of Terrence Deacon, he is a biologist who proposes nature is incomplete, criticising many of the paradigms that Hegel does on the limits of science. His book Incomplete Nature seems pathbreaking in the domain of the natural sciences.

[raphaelurbain]

This is the point where I begin to think that although there is something right about that recursion, it might also be some kind of swindle or intellectual stunt. What is that criterion that falls into us?

[hoochi]

perhaps this will be resolved in the next sections, but is Hegel consistent with his use of the term 'essence'. in the preface it was dynamic, but qua standard it is quite static or inert...but then we find the essence is actually within ourselves, not an inert standard, so the idea of a standard as the essence of science used an undeveloped concept of essence, or limit which we then overcome....oh don't need to wait for the next sections. but this is such a difficult part of the text, sometimes he seems to use concepts in their undeveloped sense or limited sense within a certain gestalt or problem, and as they develop (or the problem is resolved) their meaning then changes. so we have to wait till the end till we are really going to know the meaning of any of these technical hegelian terms...