789

[R Srivatsan]

789.  There is a parallel between the movements in the First Section (in the book, henceforth referred to as I) on Consciousness and in the Penultimate Section on Religion (henceforth referred to as II).

 First, the object is the Pure Being that confronts Sense Certainty (I).  This is paralleled by God as the God of Nature, abstract being, in (II).  

Second, the object is a "becoming-other" i.e., it becomes a relation to other beings, Perception as a mode of categorization and cognition of something (I).  This is paralleled by the becoming particular of God who has become an idol, a work of art, a statue among others, with specific attributes and stands in relation to men as one among many (II). 

Third, the object now is that is the essence, the truth beyond appearance, which is comprehended as a law, the object of the Understanding (I).  This Hegel suggests is paralleled by God descending to humanity, and becoming a man, Christ, who stands among other men as the first among others, a universal, who represents the one (God) to the other (Man) and in reverse (II).

This movement from Generality through particularity to Singularity is the movement of the syllogism (which Hegel will explicate in the future Science of Logic), a tripartite, dialectical movement.  It is a whole and can be seen both forward -- From the God of Nature through the God of Art to Christ the God-man of Revealed Religion; and backward -- within Revealed Religion as the double movement of crucifixion and redemption where on the one hand, Christ goes back to God, and on the other, religion becomes manifest, going towards Absolute Knowledge:  Christ as the individual, who through his crucifiction returns to the essence God, and in the same movement is dispersed in the concrete universal of the community as the Holy spirit.

It is in these three determinations, general (abstract), particular and concrete, that consciousness must comprehend that the object is nothing but its own self.  (This is prefigured in the final movement of the Understanding chapter where consciousness goes behind the curtain between the subject and object and finds only what it has itself put there).

However, what is in question here is not the pure (logical) comprehension of the object, but the progression of comprehension -- the becoming of comprehension -- and the processes by which it moves through its patterns, i.e., the Phenomenology.  What is important is mapping this progression and the play of moments (components, aspects, balancing masses) that constitute each pattern as it progresses.

Because this is what consciousness needs at each stage, we (Hegel readers) see that in the progression of patterns, what is seen by consciousness is part thought, part image, part necessary and logical, part contingent and random (both in I and II above).  It is we who bring them together and the totality of moments can be resolved properly only when we are able to see the concept, i.e., at the height of spirit.  The "interior" of this judgement (not sure what this means?) is not yet present in this developed consciousness; and this resolution/comprehension has to occur now (at the final chapter of the Phenomenology).  This is when the We of Hegelian readers and the patterns of consciousness we have pursued with great enthusiasm and rigour will come together.

Srivats

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R Srivatsan
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There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning – devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work … in old age we should wish still to have passions strong enough to prevent us turning in on ourselves. One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion. - Simone de Beauvoir 

[Satish Poduval]

we who bring them together and the totality of moments can be resolved properly only when we are able to see the concept, i.e., at the height of spirit.  The "interior" of this judgement (not sure what this means?) is not yet present in this developed consciousness; and this resolution/comprehension has to occur now (at the final chapter of the Phenomenology). 

Thanks Srivats. 

My sense of some key points in the section you have summarised for us:

1. When Hegel talks of absolute I feel he means not "total" or "divinely decreed"; rather he implies not-relative to, not-determined by, a transcendental factor (eg God in Heaven). The Absolute for Hegel is that which is dialectically effective actuality within a community: think of the expression "absolute majority" in electoral politics--it does not imply 100% consensus (leave alone a divine or historicist decision), it simply implies 50+% members saying Yes and effectively deciding what gets actualized for the community, even if some disagree or are indifferent to the decision.  

2. Hegel also implies that the absolute is not determined merely by some liberal-individualist (or empirical-rational) sense of numerical majority--an effective majority is viewed by Hegel as a resulting from a notion that is historically at work within-and-behind the consciousnes of agonistic members/groups of the community. It is this "internal" agonism that is absolutely determining, and it is getting to know this "development" (or fruition of acorn-to-oak) that Hegel describes as the Science of philosophy, as Absolute Knowledge. This is perhaps what Hegel means by the "interior of this judgement"?

3. Within Christian theology there is also the practice of absolution--a formal "free-ing" from a sin/guilt that attached to a person. It implies something like: go in peace, your conscience need not any longer be dominated by the fearful pressure of ongoing divine retribution; for all practical purposes, you may live a calm virtuous life--as if the divine will and your own will are conscientiously in sync. 

4. Knowledge is not understood by Hegel as a empiricist bits of information or utilitarian skills; rather, he views this as an activity of grasping the determination of actuality by dialectical agonism. (Perhaps it might be helpful to recall the difference between the two French words Foucault uses: connaissance means particular knowledges--within specific disciplines, or individuals/subgroups; savoir refers to a much broader terrain of knowing and acting--what is "effectively known" for transactions at the level of the community. Hegel has something closer to savoir in mind when he says "knowledge").

5. Finally, in sync with Hegel's emphasis on becoming over being, we might perhaps inflect the English translation as Absolute Knowing. Or, try to think of "Knowledge" not merely as a proper noun (a reservoir of information or skills) but rather as a semi-transitive verb through which a community allows itself to get fashioned dialectically. Grammar experts should excuse me for resorting to the neologism "semi-transitive verb": I mean a form without the total agency implied in  the transitive form or the total passivity in the intransitive. The "grammar" of dialectically absolute determination, within the historical horizon of a community, demands this! 

If any (or all) of the above are totally off, it would help me to understand how in our subsequent meetings.

Satish

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[R Srivatsan]

I think you're all there Satish.  Feel good about what you are saying.

I think you could explain the term "interior" as you have.  The internal, developing, dialectical logic of the concept.  So until revealed religion, because it still thinks in the representational mode, progresses to internal connections between the patterns that appear before it (say God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) and their significance beyond mere representation, is able to break through this barrier (impasse) created by thought in the representational mode (subject-object barrier) it will not have the tools to comprehend the interiority of the patterns of spirit that it inhabits.

The word agonism is spot on to describe the work of thinking through rather than (as Schelling proposed) the leap of intellectual insight.

I particularly liked your point 5.  Its nuance of semi-transitivity is excellent.

Srivats

[Satish Poduval]

Sharing a little chat below with Rama which I found useful, and which might be of interest to others as well. Would be best to read chronologically, from last email upwards. 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Satish Poduval <satish...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2023, 22:32
Subject: Re: 789
To: Rama Melkote <melko...@gmail.com>

Sagacity is the ability to make good judgments. Could be wisdom, could be something that begins where "wisdom" ends...? 

On Fri, 1 Dec 2023, 21:21 Rama Melkote, <melko...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sagesse is wisdom.. does sagacity mean wisdom? I wonder.

On Fri, 1 Dec 2023, 8:30 pm Satish Poduval, <satish...@gmail.com> wrote:

Don't know Rama; anyway not guaranteed for sure!

"Sagacity" in the conventional sense of age-old wisdom--Foucault not seem to hedge on. But he does suggest that those subjected to power/knowledge be alert, aware, and "discreet" about its operations, and seek to be free, by no longer being what they are made to be. Freedom in this sense is not a value but a practice, what he describes as an aesthetics of existence. My sense is that this tne the closest Foucault would come to conceptualizing "sagacity."

Different from Hegel's spirit for sure... I guess Foucault is more a charvaka materialist than an advaitik idealist! 

Sorry if you are more confused than you were... It's as much a struggle for me too, but it's fun trying to get to...um...21st century sagacity?

Satish

On Fri, 1 Dec 2023, 18:12 Rama Melkote, <melko...@gmail.com> wrote:

Satish, I was wondering if Connaissance and Savoir can lead to Sagesse....next stage of the journey of the Spirit.

Rama

On Sat, Nov 25, 2023 at 11:30 AM Satish Poduval <satish...@gmail.com> wrote:

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/anveshi-phenomenology-of-spirit/CAOp1eSz-xzJwohJfE%3Dzh1GZe3zOPCVmXa8OUKCaBJ_DH3KyJBA%40mail.gmail.com.