Half Hour Hegel: Phenomenology of Spirit (Stoicism, Skepticism, Unhappy Consciousness, sec. 209-210)

In this eighty-seventh video in the new series on G.W.F. Hegel's great early work, the Phenomenology of Spirit, we continue our study of the third portion of the section "Self-Consciousness", i.e. "The Freedom of Self-Consciousness". I read and comment on paragraphs 209 and 210 of the text here.

The split, or estrangement, within the Unhappy Consciousness - between the contingent individual and the unchangeable, eternal, universal both presents itself within consciousness, and will eventually be overcome or reconciled. The contingent individual comes to realize individuality within the very heart of the unchangeable in two ways.

The unchangeable universal itself becomes attains a fuller presence through becoming itself individual, or individuality in general. The contingent individual can also realize itself within the unchangeable, as Spirit

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

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[ligottifan]

One of the most helpful things I've gotten out of these lectures is to not oversimplify Hegel to Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis. (Especially when presented with Hegel's lucky number, 3.) I think you do a great job balancing letting us know that that is not a "wrong" way to interpret Hegel, but also letting us know the T-A-S format seems to be a very limited way that loses tons of nuance to the Phenomenology and Hegel in general. I think this section is a great exemplification of that balance.

[konstantinosdimitriou]

This section will play an important role for my thesis. Your teaching, thoughts and comments are a valuable company for the book. I'm impatiently waiting for the next parts!

[lintaobohan]

no wonder Karl Barth once said that Hegel is Protestant version of Thomas Aquinas. Very accessible lecture!

[QuintessentialQs]

I'm seriously now waiting for the rug to get pulled out again. But I think this is the first time in the phenomenology where Hegel has genuinely proposed a way of bridging the gap between the general and specific, between content and context. Whereas before, when the gap proved uncrossable, he just reached toward a different level of perspective.