Tag Archives: Phenomenology

How to Begin (Notes on the Introduction to Hegel’s Phenomenology)

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Lee

It’s no use starting with the assumption that thought and being are identical. For one thing, no one will know what you’re talking about. Hegel started by looking at the philosophical thinking of his day and showing how it was … Continue reading →

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Hegel’s Democratic Spirit

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Lee

The Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit is a good place to begin with Hegel. The key question he’s asking in these pages is: What is philosophy? And his answer tells us a lot about what kind of philosopher he … Continue reading →

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Hegel’s Scepticism

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Lee

Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit is an exercise in scepticism. People who call themselves “sceptics” often pride themselves on having their own ideas about the world, and trusting the evidence of their own senses. This is better than accepting established truths … Continue reading →

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Hegel: Knowledge, Desire, and Freedom

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Lee

The first part of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, concerning “consciousness,” shows us how knowledge of objects is knowledge only of oneself. In other words, it describes how we reach the initial premise of “transcendental idealism” – a philosophy created by … Continue reading →

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