Introduction to Hegel for 11-year-olds…

An essay

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart in 1770, the son of an official in the government of the Duke of Württemberg. His father was Georg Ludwig Hegel, a secretary in the revenue office. His mother was Maria Magdalena Louisa Hegel, née Fromm. He had a sister, Christiane Luise, and a brother, Georg Ludwig. Hegel had a close relationship with his mother, who died of a fever when he was eleven years old. He later wrote that her death was the most painful event of his life. His father was more distant and strict, but also supported Hegel's education and career.

Hegel's early life was influenced by his religious upbringing and his exposure to the classics and the literature of the European Enlightenment. He attended a Lutheran school and later a Protestant seminary in Tübingen, where he studied philosophy and theology with Friedrich Schelling and Friedrich Hölderlin. He also read works by Kant, Rousseau, Voltaire, and others. He did not have any diagnosed mental illnesses, but he did suffer from various physical ailments throughout his life, such as headaches, stomach problems, eye infections, and cholera.

Hegel also experienced periods of depression and anxiety, especially after the death of his wife Marie Helena Susanna von Tucher in 1818. He remarried to Marie von Phull in 1821. He had three children with his first wife: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (1813–1901), Immanuel Thomas Christian (1814–1891), and Ludwig Georg (1816–1817). He also adopted his sister's illegitimate son Ludwig Fischer (1807–1866). He was a devoted father who cared for his children's education and well-being. Hegel's personal experiences and intellectual influences shaped his philosophical system, which aims to account for the development of human thought, history, and spirit.

Hegel's philosophy is a complex and ambitious system that aims to account for the development of human thought, history, and spirit. Hegel believes that reality is composed of ideas that manifest themselves in the world through a dialectical process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. Hegel also argues that human self-consciousness is the result of social interactions, especially the struggle between lordship and servitude. Hegel's ultimate goal is to show how ethical life, or the expression of an age, is the highest form of spirit and the realization of reason in the world.

His book "Phenomenology of Spirit" is a seminal work in the realm of German Idealism and philosophy. It explores the development of human consciousness and the evolution of self-awareness. The text outlines a dialectical process where individuals move from a limited perspective to a more comprehensive understanding of reality through stages like sense-certainty, perception, and self-consciousness. Hegel's work is renowned for its intricate analysis of human experience, the concept of "geist" (spirit), and the interconnectedness of individual and collective consciousness. It's a complex and influential exploration of the nature of knowledge, self, and the evolution of ideas. Hegel uses the term 'geist' to refer to the collective spirit of an age or a culture, which expresses itself through various forms of art, religion, and philosophy. He also argues that human self-consciousness is the result of social interactions, especially the struggle between lordship and servitude, where individuals recognize themselves as free and rational beings.

Hegel's "Science of Logic" is a profound and intricate philosophical work that seeks to explore the fundamental structure of reality through the lens of logic and dialectics. The book comprises three main sections: the Doctrine of Being, the Doctrine of Essence, and the Doctrine of the Concept. In it, Hegel develops a highly systematic and abstract framework for understanding the nature of concepts, categories, and the relationships between them. He argues that the logical categories aren't just tools for human thought but actually represent the fundamental structure of reality itself. Through a dialectical process, Hegel shows how these categories evolve and transform, ultimately leading to the concept of "Absolute Knowing," where thought and reality converge. "Science of Logic" is challenging and abstract, but it remains significant for its influence on subsequent philosophical thought and its exploration of the nature of knowledge, being, and reality.

An influential figure in the history of philosophy, Hegel developed a comprehensive system of thought that continues to spark debates and discussions. Some argue that Hegel's philosophy is complex and inaccessible, while others maintain that it holds value, even for today's young people. This essay explores the relevance of Hegel's philosophy to the youth of the 21st century.

But is Hegel’s philosophy useful for young people nowadays, with their attention span of 5 or less seconds unless it’s something interesting?!

Here’s an essay on the subject, arranged by categories:

Dialectical Thinking:

Hegel's dialectical method, which involves thesis-antithesis-synthesis, encourages critical thinking and the exploration of opposing ideas. In a world inundated with information and diverse perspectives, this approach can help young people develop analytical and problem-solving skills. Will people want to develop such skills? Only time will tell.

Understanding History and Society:

Hegel's emphasis on the historical and social context in shaping individual and collective consciousness remains pertinent today. History has always been an important part of collective self-awareness. By delving into Hegel’s insights, young people today can better understand their social dynamics and the evolution of ideas, fostering a deeper understanding of their own era and the ages to come, when their children will be the ones learning and developing the world.

Self-Development:

Hegel's concept of self-consciousness and the dialectical process of self-realization can be personally relevant. It encourages introspection and the pursuit of self-awareness, guiding young individuals in their personal growth and identity formation. While it is true of most people that laziness hinders growth at even an early age, there are still young people that are willing to spend their entire life learning and improving themselves, for if you don’t know yourself, you can’t possibly know others, like a poet once said.

Ethical Framework:

Hegel's philosophy includes discussions of ethics and moral development. The examination of ethical dilemmas and the concept of the "categorical imperative" can assist young people in making informed moral choices. Hegel adopts Kant's idea of the categorical imperative, which is a universal moral law that commands us to act according to our rational will. However, Hegel criticizes Kant for being too abstract and formal, and argues that the categorical imperative must be grounded in concrete historical and social contexts, where ethical life is realized through institutions such as family, civil society, and the state. Morality is something a lot of ‘grown-ups’ give up on, which is what some people refer to as the ‘growth process’. Nothing could be wronger, people should have a solid foundation of moral norms, which they should learn from their parents, but the issue with this is that most young people learn nothing from their parents, but learn how to be mean, sarcastic, and impure in general from their peers, which only learn from the worst examples they can get off the internet from the so called ‘grown ups’.

Engagement with Contemporary Issues:

Hegel's work delves into concepts of freedom, justice, and the role of the state. These ideas can aid the youth in grappling with contemporary social and political challenges and shaping their political and civic engagement. Hegel's work delves into concepts of freedom, justice, and the role of the state. These ideas can aid the youth in grappling with contemporary issues such as human rights, democracy, globalization, multiculturalism, and environmentalism. Though personal freedom is a concept best left alone, all discussions on the matter reach no positive conclusion about what freedoms people really need and what freedoms they just want, for further reference research ‘positive liberty’ and ‘negative liberty’, they are well defined concepts, none of which works well for the people in the long run. Justice should be implemented without fail, swiftly, and accurately, with which A.I. will help in the years to come, alleviating the need for judges, juries, and prosecutors. Young people today might be the ones helping A.I. learn what crimes deserve what punishments, based on previous misconduct history, etc.

Expanding Philosophical Horizons:

Introducing Hegel's philosophy can broaden the intellectual horizons of young people by demonstrating that while the dense and intricate nature of his work might appear daunting at first, it offers a rewarding opportunity to delve into the rich and intricate landscape of philosophical inquiry, stimulating a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and critical thinking. This means that should young people want to learn, there’s always what, where, and why to learn it. Problem is most young people prefer learning what their peers share on short video platforms like TikTok or Instagram, where there’s nothing of educational value, what they want is the most interesting, but there’s that much pointless stuff there, that they can’t remember anything not interesting after that, which stunts their learning process, but, like I said earlier, there are always bookworms eager to learn the proper way – from books.

Interdisciplinary Insights:

Hegel's philosophy transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, encompassing aspects of history, politics, ethics, and metaphysics. This interdisciplinary nature encourages young individuals to appreciate the interconnectedness of various fields of knowledge and fosters a holistic approach to problem-solving, which can be advantageous in a world where complex issues often require multifaceted solutions. His philosophy is a useful tool, which can be tested in various scenarios, where thought is required to be fluent, concise, and precise, in order to achieve the task at hand.

Conclusion:

While Hegel's philosophy may seem daunting and abstract to newbies, it holds several valuable lessons for today's youth. The skills of critical thinking, historical understanding, and self-development it promotes are essential in navigating the complex, information-saturated world of the 21st century. Moreover, Hegel's philosophical concepts continue to shed light on contemporary societal and ethical dilemmas, aiding young individuals in developing a deeper understanding of their world and their place within it. Thus, Hegel's philosophy remains relevant and useful to young people, providing them with a toolkit for personal and intellectual growth in the modern era. Will they use it?! Likely not.