Spiritualism - Lesson #14
Hegel has had a great influence both on philosophy and on German nationalism literally changing the world through his most famous disciple, Karl Marx. So, we still see Hegel's influences at work in the world around us today. But to understand where Hegel was coming from we need to know something about the age in which he lived. When Hegel was born it was an exciting time – the world was changing and becoming modern. Napoleon was promising to change the world and Hegel actually saw Napoleon after his great victory. Hegel summarised the trauma and euphoria of the time by announcing the birth of a new world which was manifesting itself in philosophy and politics. This is the background to Hegel's early thinking - everything was progressing towards a climax that went beyond previous conflicts and uncertainties in philosophy bringing everything together. This is the atmosphere of "weltgeist" i.e. (Spirit/Mind). It should also be born in mind that in the closing years of the eighteenth century there was a bitter battle taking place in philosophy about who would be Kant's successor completing what many considered to be his unfinished system. In 1807, therefore, Hegel published a book with the stated object of reaching the absolute truth - an all-encompassing vision taking in many philosophical theories about the nature of knowledge, religion, and ethics etc. Central to this was the idea of "Spirit/Mind" i.e. the cosmic soul that encompasses every person as well as nature. It boils down to God being in all and all being in God. Christians would reject this as "pantheism" i.e. God merged within nature. While Christians accept that the world is sacred (created by God) they do not accept that God is merged with nature but separate from nature. However, Christians accept the possibility of becoming one with God through Jesus Christ his Son who said: I and the Father are one. The underlying thesis of Hegel's thesis movement towards the "Absolute" not so must that every question has an answer, or every problem is solvable, more that "we're all in it together" with an all embracing consciousness. It was a genius idea, of course, one that influenced many who came after him. Knowledge, said Hegel, like consciousness, develops (things are changing, progressing and moving forward) developing new concepts and new categories. This is where the philosophy of "dialectic" comes in explaining that everything grows through confrontation and conflict rather than by understanding and observation. Hegel maintained that all phenomena from consciousness to political institutions are aspects of "Spirit/Mind" of which every individual is a part. As history progresses "Spirit/Mind" recognises these phenomena as aspects of itself and reintegrates them. It is a recurring process of "dialectic" reflecting Hegel's belief that reality is not material but "Spirit/Mind." Put simply human-beings inherit things from the past modify them and then pass them on to future generations e.g. language, science, banks, churches, social institutions and so on. However, consciousness does not appear to change unlike the context of society which does change. Hegel also disagreed with Kant's "a priory" understanding of knowledge, and its uncritical assumptions, replacing it with a more immediate understanding e.g. what is conscious to us exists as something we sense – and to me this makes good sense. And so here we see Hegel going beyond Kant's philosophy which denied we can know "things in themselves" which Kant believed was beyond human knowledge. And I agree with Hegel here. What, for example, do we need to know about a chair other than it is to be sat on? If that chair was designed by Chippendale it might tell us something about Chippendale's thinking and design skills but no more. It's like admiring a picture (or a landscape) which provokes from us an emotional response. But all we need to know is that emotional response making irrelevant any relationship we might be missing with the paint (or the canvass) upon which the paint was laid. Again, we might see a beautiful tree standing in a woodland and admire its height and foliage. But it's useless wondering what the tree is thinking as we will never know. Similarly, when Darwin burst on the world with his theory of evolution others took it forward making all manner of claims based on effects leading to causes. Hume would be horrified at this; rekindling memories of the "virtuous horse" i.e. human beings taking one idea and then allowing their vivid imaginations to conclude all manner of conclusion from it. Some might protest that we Christians do this with our doctrines of God. Hume, cautions that it is improper to go from a minimum attribute of God (Hume had no belief in God) i.e. that God created the world; to deduce that God is love, merciful, forgiving, omnipotent etc. But Hume was wrong in this case. Jesus, God's Son, came into the world (as God incarnate) to teach us about God's attributes and so make us one with him. And even Hegel argues that at certain times in history "Spirit/Mind" may manifest itself as a person (whether or not that person is aware of that role) to overcome oppression and tyranny. Unfortunately, fascism, communism and socialism (legacies of Hegel of which he had no knowledge) are now totally discredited. The idea was the levelling of society which would hold everything in common. The reality was the silencing of the creative spirit in art, writing and so on. Anyone stepping out of line was silenced as being manipulated by powers (possibly unknown) even to them. Hegel gave the example of ancient Greece which seemed to be a fairly settled society. Why? Because, according to him, "reason" had not yet manifested itself; but it was just a question of time before it did. And the goal of this progression through history? "Absolute Spirit" (freedom) i.e. a future state of consciousness which no longer belongs to individuals but to reality as a whole. At that point "Spirit/Mind" is aware of itself as the reality to which history has been working. Hegel has given us much to think about. The thesis, antithesis and synthesis sound a plausible philosophy of growth and development as history unfolds. Unfortunately, and the Bible makes this very clear, human nature is not so accommodating. In every generation the "dialectic" has failed to deliver the goods. Take for example the Reformation in Europe, the Peasants Revolt, Industrial Revolution in Europe (still underway), The French wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the American War of Independence, the First World War, Second World War, Falklands War etc, etc. None of these conflicts, and many others besides have delivered (or got us anywhere near) "Absolute Spirit." And neither will they so long as humankind is in rebellion against God. I am not God and God is not gradually becoming conscious of himself as the years go by. God is eternal, creative Spirit who holds all things together.
Rog
29th March, 2016
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