50 pages • 1 hour read
G. W. F. HegelPhenomenology of Spirit
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1807A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 6: “Absolute Knowing
Part 6, Chapter 8 Summary: “Absolute Knowing”
Absolute knowing represents the total unity of the subject and object in which collective consciousness and self-consciousness merge. In this stage of consciousness, humans understand that reality is a construct of individual cognition. Although religion is a higher form of consciousness, it still contains limitations. All three forms of religion require representational thinking. Hegel argues that consciousness must move beyond this stage: “[A]ll that now remains to be done is to supersede this mere form” (479). In Hegel’s version of absolute knowing, consciousness is fully realized when the individual knows the self in totality and recognizes the external as a manifestation of conscious experience.
Hegel emphasizes once more the role of action in revealing the inner self and contributing to the unity of Spirit. Absolute knowing unifies consciousness with self-consciousness, moving beyond the limited scopes of religion and reason. The science of logic that Hegel referenced in the beginning of the work is defined here as a study of human experience, or the examination of how the external is manifested in consciousness.
Part 6 Analysis
This final chapter in Hegel’s work is considered to be the most challenging to decipher. Its complexity correlates with Hegel’s assertion that absolute knowing represents the highest point of human consciousness, a point which is not yet reached or fully understood. Scholars disagree by what Hegel means by the term “absolute knowing,” just as they disagree about the role of God in Hegel’s theories on consciousness. The chapter's conciseness may be due to Hegel rushing to complete the manuscript for payment. In his later texts, Hegel does not revisit absolute knowing or expand upon it.
Understanding what Hegel means by “absolute” is essential to deriving meaning from the text. He uses the term in its philosophical tradition, equating the term with something that is completely independent and final. The German word absolut comes from the Latin absolvere, which means “to set free.” Therefore, absolute knowing is the liberation of the human mind and consciousness. Hegel’s conception of absolute knowing is a fully realized form of collective and spiritual consciousness. For the philosopher, the absolute represents the goal of philosophy—a comprehensive system of logic that reveals essential truth.
