We Interrupt this Blog for a Bit of Hegel

First, why Hegel? Simple, because Hegel matters. He, unlike most philosophers, has had an effect on the world. So its good to understand why.

Masters and slaves. Masters and slaves. Hegel says that history is nothing but the struggle of masters and slaves.

First principles. Hegel says that the essential feature of man as distinguished from nature is self-consciousness. To be self-conscious is to be able to differentiate between oneself and others. But there's more to it then that. Hegel's self-consciousness is not simply the contemplation of a man or woman across the street and the recognition that you are distinct. No, not at all. Hegel's says that self-consciousness manifests itself not through the recognition of the other person, but in the desire to be recognized by that other person.

The desire to be recognized and have one's consciousness affirmed is the base. What follows is that man acts on his desire to be recognized. Sometimes it takes violent means to be recognized.

So we have all these people going around trying to gain recognition from each other and using whatever means to do so. Well, not so fast. Because some people are too timid to act out their desire to be recognized. And others aren't. Thus enter onto the scene the masters and the slaves.

And who are the masters? Well, they are the fellows that take it upon themselves to be recognized. According to Hegel they are also the poor fellows who aren't ever able to be satisfied through their recognition. They have to live with their riches and power and accept that the only the recognition they will ever get is from a bunch of unworthies who they see as nothing but objects.

And who are the slaves? Well they are the weak and timid without the cahunas to step up and seek recognition. They have no identity. They are only objects. Without identity, instead they cling to reasons for their impotence. To a god, to indifference, or to skepticism itself.

And what is history? well its nothing but the struggle of slaves to assert their identity against the masters. See the slaves are weak, but they still have the same basic instinct to be recognized as do the masters. They just need prodding.

History then takes on the form of a constant dialectic between masters and slaves. Each struggle between slave and master creates a new synthesis, a fancy word for order, from which another struggle evolves. And this goes on and on until the end of history.

But when does history end? It ends when there are no more slaves and no more masters and every consciousness is acknowledged by every other.

And what does it all mean? Well it seems to have meant concentration camps and genocide and some of the worst atrocities in history.

More on that later. For now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging.
- posted by Sigurd6/05/2004 01:57:00 PM