Preface to the Phenomenology Part 1The structure of Hegel's PhilosophyDr. Robbert A. Veen © 2009Lectures on the Preface 1.Introduction: The System of Hegel's philosophy2.Par. 1-5: Task of philosophyPar. 6 – 16: Philosophy as System3.Par. 17 – 25: Truth as substance and subjectivity4.Par. 26, 27: Spirit as self-knowledgePar. 28 – 57: Philosophical Method5.Par. 58 – 72: The speculative proposition6.Conclusions: The idea of the Phenomenology●45 minute introduction●15 – 30 minute discussion●Weekly lectures●Focussed on text at hand●Presuppositions:–Preface is Preface to the System; elucidation of introduction (Werner Marx)–Phenomenology is first part of philosophy as such–Hegel thought it was the first part of the SystemMethod of lecturesHegel's own view:●Phenomenology >●Logic > System of Philosophy●Nature and Spirit >Separate disciplines:Hist of phil, phil of right, art, religion, science of logic = detailed version of Encyclopedic logic.Structure of Hegel's philosophyNatural consciousnessPhil. of History LogicSystem Nature SpiritPhenomenologyNatural consciousness●Phil. of Art, Religion, History of Philosophy●Science of LogicJenaer phil. of nature, spiritPhil. of RightPhilosophy of Spirit●Appearance of the Spirit in its being in-itself:Phenomenology●The Spirit in its pure self-knowledge: the pure concept in its being for-itselfSystem of Philosophy (Encyclopedia)●The Spirit in its selfrealization in-itself becoming completely for itselfPhilosophy of HistoryThe Problem1. Hegel has different views on the status of the Phenomenology of MindSc of Logic about PhdG 1812●As regards the external relation, it was intended that the first part of the System of Science which contains the Phenomenology should be followed by a second part containing logic and the two concrete [realen] sciences, the Philosophy of Nature and the Philosophy of Spirit, which would complete the System of Philosophy. But the necessary expansion which logic itself has demanded has induced me to have this part published separately; it thus forms the first sequel to the Phenomenology of Spirit in an expanded arrangement of the system. ●http://marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hl/hlintro.htmSc of Logic about PhdG 1831●In the Phenomenology of Mind, I have exhibited consciousness in its movement onwards from the first immediate opposition of itself and the object to absolute knowing. The path of this movement goes through every form of the relation of consciousness to the object and has the Notion of science [of] as its result. ●http://marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hl/hlintro.htmEncyclopedia on PhdG●The Kantian philosophy may be most accurately described as having viewed the mind as consciousness, and as containing the propositions only of a phenomenology (not of a philosophy) of mind. (par. 415)The Problem2. It is unclear how the Phenomenology of Mind is related to the Phenomenology section of the EncyclopediaEnc. Par 78: the resolve to think...●To require such a scepticism accomplished is the same as to insist on science being preceded by universal doubt, or a total absence of presupposition. Strictly speaking, in the resolve that wills pure thought, this requirement is accomplished by freedom which, abstracting from everything, grasps its pure abstraction, the simplicity of thought.Differences Enz. – PhdG ●Only consciousness, self-consciousness and Reason: 3 parts●Pure concept●History as objective Worldhistory of States●+Spirit, Religion and Absolute knowledge:5 parts●Developed through dialectics●History in-itself as social ethics of the Greek state, for itself as inner development in absolute knowledgeThe Problem3. The Phenomenology of Mind cannot simply be the Preface to the System as a wholeThe Problem4. The original setup was discardedPhenomenology of Spirit suggests: first part of a work in three partsScience of the experience of consciousness suggests something akin to a transcendental philosophyThe Problem●Hegel has different views on the status of the Phenomenology of Mind●It is unclear how the Phenomenology of Mind is related to the Phenomenology section of the Encyclopedia●The Phenomenology of Mind cannot simply be the Preface to the System as a whole●The original setup was discardedOlder solutions●The PhdG is a propedeutic (Gabler)●The PdhG is a presupposition of science●The PhdG is identical to the Encyclopedic Phenomenology with added passages that systematically belong to phil of history and philosopby of Spirit.The Encylopedic argument●The Phenomenology is the exposition of subjective knowledge according to the three syllogisms of philosophy – par. 574This concept of philosophy is the self-thinking idea, truth aware of itself (§ 183), or logic with the significance that it is generality preserved in concrete content. In this way science returns to its beginning, with logic as the result. The presupposition of its concept, or the immediacy of its beginning and the aspect of its appearance at that moment, are suspended.Encyclopedia par. 575 – 577●575: The Encyclopedia properThis initial appearance is formed by the syllogism, which has logic basically as its starting point, with nature for the middle term and is linked ultimately to spirit. Logic becomes nature, and nature becomes spirit. Nature, which stands between the spirit and its essence, divides itself though not to the extremes of finite abstraction. For the syllogism is in the idea and nature is essentially determined as a transition point and negative moment. But the mediation of the concept has the external form of transition, and science takes the form of being.Encyclopedia par. 575 – 577●576: Assumption: PhdGIn the second syllogism this appearance is suspended, for the spirit is the mediating factor. This is a syllogism which is already the standpoint of the spirit itself presupposes nature and joins it with logic. It is the syllogism of reflection on the idea; science appears as subjective cognition.Encyclopedia par. 575 – 577●577 AssumptionThese appearances are suspended in the idea of philosophy, which has self-knowing reason, the absolutely general, for its middle term a middle which divides itself into spirit and nature, with the former as its presupposition, and the latter as its general extreme. Thus immediate nature is only a posited entity, as spirit is in itself not a presupposition, but rather totality returning into itself. In this way the middle term, the self-knowing concept, has as its reality primarily conceptual moments and exists in its determinacy as general knowledge, persisting immediately by itself.No dice!On the contrary:●The logical syllogisms at the end of the Encyclopedia are about Philosophy, which always has a subjective mode – for that reason we have the second syllogism.●The whole of the System is philosophy – according to all three syllogisms. First syllogism:First figure: Logic -Nature -Spirit● "This initial appearance is formed by the syllogism, which has logic basically as its starting point, with nature for the middle term and is linked ultimately to spirit." (Par. 575)Second syllogismSecond figure: Nature -Spirit -Logic● "This is a syllogism which is already the standpoint of the spirit itself presupposes nature and joins it with logic. [Spirit therefore is the middle term, RAV] It is the syllogism of reflection on the idea; science appears as subjective cognition." (par. 576)Third syllogism:Third figure: Spirit -Logic -Nature● "These appearances are suspended in the idea of philosophy, which has self-knowing reason, the absolutely general, for its middle term a middle which divides itself into spirit and nature, with the former as its presupposition, and the latter as its general extreme." Par. 577)Encylopedia:●It is easy to see that we can traverse the Encyclopedia (and that means philosophy as system of pure conceptual cognition) starting from –Logic (first figure): Logic – Nature – Spirit –nature (second figure) Nature – Spirit – Logic–Spirit (third figure) Spirit – Logic – NatureA solution●Hegel's philosophy as a whole is a philosophy of HistoryJan Hollak (1962)As speculative knowledge, philosophy is the contemporary self-understanding of the Spirit and in this self-understanding of its present it runs through its past in the form of its own conceptual moments, while these moments have been run through consecutively in the form of independent constellations.Evidence (1)●Spirit is essentially the result of its own activity; its activity is the transcending of immediate, simple, unreflected existence, — the negation of that existence, and the returning into itself.Evidence (2)●Universal history -as already demonstrated -shews the development of the consciousness of Freedom on the part of Spirit, and of the consequent realization of that Freedom.●The very essence of Spirit is activity; it realises its potentiality -makes itself its own deeds its own work -and thus it becomes an object to itself; contemplates itself as an objective existence. Evidence (3)●While we are thus concerned exclusively with the Idea of Spirit, and in the History of the World regard everything as only its manifestation, we have, in traversing the past, -however extensive its periods, -only to do with what is present; for philosophy, as occupying itself with the True, has to do with the eternally present. Nothing in the past is lost for it, for the Idea is ever present; Spirit is immortal; with it there is no past, no future, but an essential now. Evidence (4)●This necessarily implies that the present form of Spirit comprehends within it all earlier steps. These have indeed unfolded themselves in succession independently; but what Spirit is it has always been essentially; distinctions are only the development of this essential nature. The life of the ever present Spirit is a circle of progressive embodiments, which looked at in one respect still exist beside each other, and only as looked at from another point of view appear as past. The grades which Spirit seems to have left behind it, it still possesses in the depths of its present. Conclusions●Hegel's philosophy is essentially a philosophy of History, but the System and the separate “Philosophy of History” stand in a dialectical relationship.●Hegel's philosophy is the purest expression of the principle of the “Christian-Germanic world”. By expressing this principle, it also points toward the dawning of a higher or at least other principle.