Philosophy in His Writings, Hegel Is Concerned

Philosophy

In his writings, Hegel is concerned about the concept of the Absolute. He provides many different definitions of the term Absolute. One of those definitions is that the Absolute is what people normally conceive of as God. However, the god of Hegel is not confined to the Judeo-Christian definition. Hegel's Absolute is pure mind and consciousness.

In Philosophy of Mind, Hegel defines the Absolute as both "mind" and "spirit" that inform a "supreme definition" of God (Mickelson). The Absolute is supreme and eternal. It is indivisible. As the word "absolute" suggests, it is not soluble; it does not dissolve.

As Scott puts it, "the Absolute is Spirit, and Spirit is Reality." Therefore, all reality can be explained by the understanding of the Absolute. Human beings exist only in relation to the Absolute, but the Absolute does not depend on any other entity or being for its self-definition or its existence. The Absolute is not, however, an entity. For Hegel, Absolute is more of a concept and an abstraction that refers to something totally transcendent but real: the Truth.

Moreover, the Absolute is a self-contained entity that is continually evolving through knowledge of itself. "The Absolute results from a process of becoming and developing itself," (Scott). This means that anything that is qualified as being Absolute is also completely independent. Although there is an Absolute (with a capital A), Hegel also refers to other types of absolutes (small a). For example, Hegel refers to absolute knowledge and absolute Idea (Michelson).

2. Hegel's definition of the Absolute allows the reader to formulate a concept of God that does not involve a deity. This is very important for atheists, who understand the power of the human mind but who also do not attribute that power to God. Hegel understands that human beings want to understand their place in the universe, which is why he studies phenomenology. However, Hegel does not limit the definition of Absolute to God. Limiting a definition of the Absolute to God is detrimental to the quest for knowledge and truth. Logic is central to Hegel's argument, because the Absolute is perfectly logical.

Hegel also expands the definition of the Absolute to encompass Truth. This suggests that there may be an objective reality "out there," that exists regardless of what any human being wants to believe. There are different means of approaching this absolute Truth, but that does not change the nature of the Absolute.

What is remarkable about Hegel's definition of the Absolute is that the philosopher recognizes the importance of the process of using logic to understand the Truth. The Truth is never static. The Truth is continually evolving as the absolute Mind gains wisdom and knowledge. "The truth is the whole. The whole, however, is merely the essential nature reaching its completeness through the process of its own development," (Hegel, cited by Mickelson).