Hegel on the Human Spirit

Hegel - The role of history in Human Life Plato - Leave a cave of ignorance - Transcend History Stoic - History is dangerous, we take a step back. Hegels' Notion of Spirit - "Geist" Spirit is a fundamental energy that we have. Rational is too passive. Spirit is a unity between thought and action ahd feeling. We are not just ourselves., our relationship with ourselves is also part of us (disagrees with Kant) For instance, our images we have of ourselves are a part of ourselves. We relate to ourselves in a mediated manner, it takes from our outside experiences and culture. Is it possible to transcend the environment? Hegel says probably not. "Absolute Spirit" - God is the unfolding of human history. So how do you explain bad things happening? Answer: Moral failings may have positive creative consequences. Hardship provides opportunity for the human spirit to shine. Hegel says that history has come to an end. There's nothing new under the sun, just repeats of what has happened. "Aufhenbung" - We don't resolve a conflict by resolving it, by absorbing it. Hegel - There are great people that move history. These are people who embrace and find a way beyond conflicts. He believes that ideas are the prime movers of history. From great people, these ideas emerge. They may not know this is happening (the cunning of reason). Political leaders - allow context for the ideas to form and be spread. The state is not just an umpire, but creates cultural context. Philosophers: articulate what the great human possiblities have been and can be. We can recreate them in our minds in the future - Influenced by Johann von Goethe. The tension between formal morality and customs is what creates our moral life. For instance, Picasso, or James Joyce. "The Great Person is Seldom Good" Hegel - Only great things can emerge from great passion. You can tell a story about how human history has been told that has meaning (is this the narrative fallacy?) How does Freedom fit into this?