Hegel askes: Are you a Master or a slave?

Hegel: Phenomenology of Spirit; Lectures on Fine Art

                For Hegel, meaning is not an in and of itself concept, rather it is a concept given form by way of relationships that reside in an ever changing whole; thus, meaning and truth are never fixed entities but rather ever changing notions that are in process. Hegel focuses on the idea of the dialectic, which involves the confrontation of any idea by way of an antitheses or it’s opposite. In turn, the result; a synthesis of the two is achieved by a process of “overcoming.” This is important because the dialectic or the art of achieving truth through the exchange of logical arguments will always be in flux, and so then too with the antithesis, due to meanings continuous process of change. So then, the end result of philosophy is not meaning or truth in a traditional sense but rather the process by which a philosopher gains recognition of the world and sees it as its own creation. This end result, if achieved, would then result in the end of the dialectic.

                In “Phenomenology of Spirit,” Hegel discusses the dialectic confrontation of what he refers to as the “Master-Slave” relationship. The main argument within this concept is: How does a human gain a sense of self? For Hegel this is done by 1) viewing yourself as a self and 2) the recognition of this self by others. This then almost becomes a “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” scenario as a child develops a sense of self largely because of being treated and seen as a self.  Thus we are dependent on others in our pursuit of self. This dependence leads to master slave relationships. That is to say “Selves do not take their fundamental dependence on others kindly. Here power enters the discussion, as Hegel imagines that each individual would prefer to guarantee continued recognition from the other, while not extending that recognition in return” (538). This leads to masters that have lurking doubts regarding their selves because they have eradicated their equal other and created definition that is dependent rather than freely given. In turn the slaves self-consciousness is defined by way of their work.

                In “Lectures on Fine Art,” Hegel enters the discussion of Aesthetics by stating that art is a road to full consciousness or rather the idea that we are the creators of meaning. Art allows our true spirits form and in turn allows it to then be comprehended. For Hegel man made art is superior to that of the natural world or God made Art, because nature, unlike humans, is unaware of an ability to reach an awareness of spirit. For man art ties the inner and outer worlds together while showing him his self and creating a path to ultimate consciousness. We reach said ultimate consciousness when we realize that the spirit of creation resides in all aspects of the created world, including ourselves. The end result of such consciousness is free rationality. Hegel goes on to discuss art in stages: symbolic (perceived nature), classical (symbolic’s antithesis: the human form), and the Romantic (moves artist and audience by way of irony and the sublime towards an inward self-consciousness).

Personal Response: Hegel’s Master-Slave thesis in many ways reminded me of past sociology classes. We are the product of an unwritten set of social rules which govern and shape us. Said rules are created and enforced, consciously or unconsciously, by everyone around us. The idea that we are products, which comes after the idea that we are selves, creates a dangerous question: Is it possible to have a true self? According to Hegel, it is not true in a physical sense. If we live in a world of created meaning, our process is that of social definition. Thus, as Hegel states, the only way to gain authority and ownership over ourselves is by way of an elevated sense of consciousness. That is to say a recognition of our power over and willing acceptance of constructed meaning. 

Hegel, Gorge Wilhelm Friedrich. "Phenomenology of Spirit." The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism 2nd Ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.536-546. Print. 

Hegel, Gorge Wilhelm Friedrich. "Lectures on Fine Art." The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism 2nd Ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.547-555. Print.