Hegel: Absolute Idealism and The Dialectic

Join George and John as they discuss and debate different philosophical ideas. Today they will be looking into the works of Hegel and discussing Absolute Idealism and the dialectic.

How much is our perception and reality shaped by ideas such as culture and society, and how much does the dialectic help in evolving these ideas? Can it be said that we are part of a greater spirit, a shared idea among all conscious people? Watch as Hegel’s works is explained and critically assessed.

The script to this video is part of the Philosophy Vibe "Philosophy of Perception" eBook, available on Amazon:

It is also part of the Metaphysics Paperback Anthology:

0:00 - Introduction
1:05 - What is Idealism?
2:11 - The Spirit
4:50 - The Dialectic
6:42 - Self Actualisation
7:55 - Absolute Idealism explained
9:14 - Problems with Absolute Idealism
12:27 - Problems with the Dialectic

#philosophy #Hegel #AbsoluteIdealism #Dialectic

[PhilosophyVibe]

The script to this video is part of the Philosophy Vibe "Philosophy of Perception" eBook, available on Amazon:

It is also part of the Metaphysics Paperback Anthology:

[derlerner]

never stop these episodes, you handle the best philosophical topics in a way no other channel on youtube does, all the support !

[sapnakhan]

Guys you're doing an amazing job. To be able to get such quality summaries of complicated concepts is truly a blessing for students. Thanks bunches <3

[themidascurse]

I'm taking a class on hegel's logic with no prior knowledge on hegel so this was very helpful!

[snippets]

"It blends the metaphysical with social" great line, and its the single word about hegel; keep it up guys @philosophy vibe

[someoneonyoutube]

In regards to free will vs the spirit one could argue wether free will actually is real to begin with but the more interesting argument I think is to argue that the free will of the individual is no different from the free will of the spirit itself, its only a difference of perspective

[vidhyashanker]

It is irony that this channel is also pursuing dialectic evolutive method to unfold concepts and maybe hence it is because of this people are able to understand the concepts compartive to other channels
Maybe Hegel is onto something or maybe not only through debate can we know 😉

[deanmccrorie]

You guys are awesome!
This level of objective discussion is well paced and to the point.
It leaves the viewer feeling like there’s no bias at all.
Something lacking in almost any other form of media

[davelarue]

please transfer all philosophy vibes to podcasts! Your work is awesome! Great for walks!

[hsunteik]

1) I think there can still be free will, cause we are just part of the Absolute (in substance or emanation), but not the Absolute itself. Even if all of us achieve the Absolute, it just means we know all things, it doesn't mean we become the absolute, and lose our free will.

2) I don't think he left the external world untouched, he shifted it inward and called it the spirit and the Absolute.

3) I think the reason the dialectic doesn't always bring us to the absolute truth is because it needs to be done with purposeful and sincere effort, it won't be automatic.

[parkerjwill]

Nice video. Summarized nicely.

Regarding the critique of the dialectic and its apparent assumption of continual forward progress despite our experiencing many examples in history of devastation or reversals of progress; the reversals are simply the antithesis of prior thesis’ of a given people and their culture.

Hegel’s Absolute Idealism works on the individual and collective level. The challenge with seeing the validity of the dialectic’s progressive nature on the collective level is a function of the scope or framework of space and time within which a person analyzes the event in question. This brings us to the importance of one’s concept of the universe, its nature, and the purpose of it.

[KamKamKamKam]

Sorry to be harsh, but I think this video displays a very limited understanding of Hegel. Especially the whole "how can one be free and yet fully determined?" is kind of a beginner problem, and somehow the video spends several minutes discussing it as if it was a legit rebuttal of Hegel, somehow.
I'm not going to demonstrate the whole thing here of course, but Hegel's says that "freedom is the understanding of necessity" (= freedom is when you know the laws of nature/determinism, so that you can actually submit to them in the particular way required to reach your ends).
I would say that video might be very misleading for beginners. I recommend anyone to actually read Hegel (or at least, people who know about Hegel), instead of this wikipedia-level sort of take.

[mckennahervey]

I just found this after looking for info on Hegel which I can use in discussions with a friend who is pretty knowledgeable. I’m not well versed in philosophy but I still feel like I have a pretty decent understanding now that I have watched this. Thanks!

[benjo]

You guys are my favorite channel on YouTube and really helped me get into philosophy and unravel some of the more confusing but more beautiful ideas and arguments. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

[TEAMssu]

The best philosophy channel on YouTube. You guys are so good at communicating topics in a understandable way

[Un-TedxTalks]

This is by far the best channel which deals with the philosophical concepts in very straightforward and efficient way. imma give you a shout out when someday I get a stage for it. You guys are awesome same as your vibes

[anthonybrett]

Brilliant. After three video's, it was this one that finally got The Dialectic through my thick skull.

[quantaali]

The free will is not a pre-defined object. It is not a ready made thing out there. Everyone's free will is determined by their closeness to the absolute. The more you are conscious and aware of your sipirt and the collective spirit the more free will you have. Free will is governed by the principals of dialects.

[vanessalipinski]

I love the discussion about problems with Hegels theory.
Concerning the point at 10:52 I believe it depends on your own perception of yourself if u feel insignificant or even more important as part of one absolute collective. A person who feels insignificant in their own way is going to feel of no account for the collective as a whole but a person who knows their strengths and worth is going to partake in the collective development. Regardless of the individual perception we can still be one community connected by the same ideas/ same spirit and still feel lonely and separated.

[Rittley]

Thank you! Great discussion especially in its part on the dialectic. I wrestle a lot with the Absolute and the narrative of progress/improvement. I suspect this is a profound illusion that most humans are prone to but why should that be the case? Why do we need to operate in the world under the, let's call it, belief in improvement? Can't we just say that the dialectic leads us to a more complex understanding of an issue (the thesis)? I call that understanding "a higher degree of complexity" but I understand if you call it "truth" too. What I don't understand is how we get from "complexity" to "improvement." There is some great leap there I am totally missing. Does Hegel conflate complexity with progress? I see today this pervasive fascination with complexity, depth, diverse views, multiperspectivism, pluralism and they are all regarded as indicators of "progressive thinking" and "progressive politics." How does this happen? Am I out of my mind if I don't share this fascination?