Hegel on Thought and World aka Logic (Part Two)

HegelMore on G.F.W. Hegel's The Science of Logic (1812–1816), §1–§129 plus The Encyclopaedia Logic (1817) §1–§25.

We continue trying to make sense of Hegel's method and purpose: How does he think that we can deduce something like Kant's categories (e.g. quantity, quality)? We can't start with the manifold of experience, which presupposes a subject-object distinction, which would be me having perceptions that may or may not actually resemble the world itself. Hegel wants to develop a Science (i.e. a philosophy) free of assumptions. Our thought DOES come in contact with reality, he says, when we think hard and systematically enough. Of course, the only way to really prove that is just to do it. We're still gearing up here; in episode 135 we're actually going to get down to brass tacks, or more precisely Being, which is where Hegel thinks we can safely start our derivation of the rest of the furniture of the universe.

End song: "Procrastination" by Steve Petrinko from The MayTricks' Happy Songs Will Bring You Down (1994). #philosophy #hegel #logic #thought #kant #metaphysics #sahu Go to the blog: http://www.partiallyexaminedlife.com/2016/03/07/ep134-2-hegel-logic/