Letters from Tomis

Fifteenth in a series of reflections on my thoughts after reading What is Marxism: An Introduction into Marxist Theory by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods. The thoughts, opinions, and any errors are mine alone.

The great, the misunderstood, the monumental G.W.F. Hegel stands as a colossus in the history of philosophy—a thinker so grand in ambition and so labyrinthine in his reasoning that even his admirers occasionally wish he’d been a touch more concise. Yet to dismiss Hegel, as so many philistines have tried, is to ignore one of the most important intellectual breakthroughs in human history. His great contribution, one might argue, lies in his development of the dialectical method, a revolutionary way of thinking about history, reason, and reality that has influenced everything from Marxism to modern science. For those with the stamina to engage with his ideas, Hegel offers not just a philosophy but a framework for comprehending the very structure of existence.

The Dialectical Method: Beyond Static Categories

Hegel’s dialectic, which unfolds through the triadic process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, is more than just an abstract methodology—it is a profound insight into the nature of change, conflict, and development. Unlike the static, binary oppositions of earlier philosophy, Hegel demonstrated that contradictions are not obstacles to be eliminated but the engines of progress. In his Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), Hegel traces the evolution of human consciousness, showing how each stage contains within it the seeds of its own negation and transformation.

Take, for example, the relationship between master and slave. In this dialectic, the master’s apparent dominance is revealed to be contingent upon the slave’s recognition, and the slave, through labor and self-awareness, eventually transcends their subordinate status. This dynamic interplay of opposites is no mere intellectual exercise; it reflects the ceaseless motion of history, society, and thought itself.

Hegel, in essence, refuses the comfort of finality. His philosophy insists that truth is not a static, immutable “thing” but a process—always unfolding, always becoming. He shattered the Aristotelian tradition of fixed categories and invited us to embrace the dynamism of contradiction, flux, and synthesis.

History as Reason

Perhaps Hegel’s most audacious claim is that history itself is rational. In his Philosophy of History, he posits that history is not a chaotic series of random events but the unfolding of Spirit (Geist), which moves toward freedom and self-awareness. This is not mere teleology—Hegel is no simple determinist. Rather, history is rational because it is the stage on which humanity confronts and resolves its contradictions. The French Revolution, for instance, was not an aberration but the inevitable clash between the ideals of liberty and the entrenched structures of feudalism.

Critics often recoil at Hegel’s apparent endorsement of “the end of history,” mistakenly equating his celebration of reason’s triumph with a claim that progress halts. But Hegel, ever the dialectician, knew better. The “end” of history is not a cessation but a horizon—freedom achieved in one era becomes the starting point for struggles yet to come. For Hegel, history does not repeat itself, as Marx quipped, as “tragedy and farce”; it advances through the resolution of its contradictions.

Freedom and Self-Consciousness

Another of Hegel’s monumental contributions is his insistence on the primacy of freedom and self-consciousness in the human experience. For Hegel, to be free is not merely to act without constraint but to act in accordance with reason, recognizing oneself as part of a greater whole. Freedom, in this sense, is inherently social—it is achieved not in isolation but in the ethical life (Sittlichkeit) of a community.

Hegel’s concept of freedom finds its fullest expression in his Philosophy of Right, where he outlines a vision of the state as the embodiment of ethical life. To the modern liberal, this may sound like an invitation to totalitarianism, but Hegel is subtler than that. The state, for Hegel, is not an oppressive Leviathan but the culmination of individual and collective freedom—a site where the individual can realize their potential while participating in a rational, universal order.

A Revolution in Thought

To understand Hegel’s contribution is to grasp the breadth of his influence. Without Hegel, there is no Marx—his dialectical materialism is a direct inversion of Hegel’s idealist dialectic. Without Hegel, Kierkegaard’s existentialism would have no framework against which to rebel. Even Nietzsche, that swaggering iconoclast, is wrestling with Hegelian ideas in his critique of reason and morality.

Hegel’s legacy extends beyond philosophy. His dialectical method has shaped political theory, sociology, and even the natural sciences, where the interplay of competing forces leads to novel syntheses. His insight that reality is process, not substance, has found echoes in quantum physics and evolutionary biology, disciplines that likewise recognize change as the fundamental condition of existence.

Conclusion: The Master of Becoming

Hegel’s great contribution, then, is his refusal to settle for simplicity, his insistence that truth emerges not from fixed answers but from the dynamic interplay of contradictions. His dialectical method, his understanding of history as reason, and his vision of freedom as self-realization continue to resonate because they confront the complexities of reality without flinching.

Yes, Hegel is difficult. Yes, his prose is infuriatingly opaque. But in a world desperate for quick fixes and binary solutions, Hegel reminds us that the path to understanding is neither straight nor simple. It is a dialectical journey—a process of becoming. For that alone, he deserves his place as one of philosophy’s titans. To paraphrase the master himself: the owl of Minerva flies only at dusk, but thanks to Hegel, we are better prepared to understand what it sees.

P.S.: By the way, a great introduction to some of Hegel’s thought can be found here:

https://youtu.be/0F8REGux8qs?si=wJK110akO4CJshze

Professor Sugrue, who unfortunately has passed away, uploaded a fantastic series of his philosophical introductory lectures on great thinkers of the past to YouTube. Though I don’t always agree with everything he says, Michael Sugrue’s ability to communicate sometimes difficult concepts in a clear and passionate way is fascinating and always worth watching. You won’t regret spending some time with him!