Monday, February 9, 2009

Freedom

As Hegel opens chapter three by saying that “the question of the definition of Reason in itself coincides with the question about the final goal of the world.” And to be able to understand the final goal we must be able to understand the world. By understanding the world we break it into two parts physical and mental. The mental being the Spirit is the substance of history. So he saying that if one examines the spirit of the world, one will come to the definition of reason or similar? Then he goes on to talk about the nature of spirit and examines how orients believe one to be free, while Romans knew some were free, but Germanic peoples through Christianity realized that all were free by virtue of being human. How is he relating the freedom of the spirit to the freedom of humans? Because though he says that “the Spirit – the human as such – is free.” And since all humans are now realized to be free, the spirit now being free? Isn’t that the goal of the spirit? I realize I am missing something but what is it?

1 comment:

  1. "How is he relating the freedom of the spirit to the freedom of humans?"

    Instinctively, I see a difference in how the word freedom is applied to the spirit and how it is applied to us humans. I am not sure I understand Hegel completly or even remotely, but I would guess that freedom in us humans concerns more of the physical world. While the freedom of the spirit concerns the mental world. I am curious as to what exactly Hegel means by Freedom? Is there a distinction between the mental and physical forms of freedom? I think this is part of what you too were scratching your head at Ryan, how does human freedom compare/contrast with the notion of the spirit's freedom? How are the two related to one another, if they are?

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