In sections 190-193 of Georg Wilhelm Fredrich Hegel’s Phenomenology of Sprit, Hegel looks into the relationship between the lord and the bondsman. In this examination of the relationship, Hegel makes the move to find out what both the lord and bondsman offer to each other in terms of existence and or identity. The formulation that Hegel made in the selected sections is that the bondsman had more to gain in terms of intellectual growth than his lord who becomes intellectually dormant due to the bondsman acting in the likeness of his lord. In section 190, Hegel begins with the lord existing in so much to be dependent through another consciousness. Hegel writes, “is a consciousness [lord] existing for itself which is mediated with itself through another consciousness, i.e through a consciousness [bondsman] whose nature it is to be bound up” (Hegel 115). In this passage, Hegel shows why the lord is dependent on the bondsman. The lord exist only “for itself” through his need and mediation through the bondsman. With the bondsman being bounded as an object of desire to the lord, the bondsman has to submit to his lord due to the physical and monetary power he yields. Although it may seem that the lord is at an advantage of using the bondsman for his own gain through the deterrence of power, Hegel shows how the more to gain. Hegel writes, “what desire failed to achieved, he succeeds in doing, viz to have done with the thing altogether, and to achieve satisfaction in the enjoyment of it. Desire failed to do this because of the thing’s [bondsman] independence” (Hegel 116). This passage shows why the lord has much more to lose because the bondsman acts as an independent consciousness of intentionally not wanting to submit to his lord. How... ... middle of paper ... ...rom the lord. In section 192, Hegel writes, “He [lord] is, therefore, not certain of being-for-self as the truth of himself” (Hegel 117). In this passage, the lord does not gain any intellectual growth because he hears what he wants to hear from the bondsman appealing to him since the bondsman is in the likeness of the lord. In Section 193, Hegel shows why the bondsman gains. Hegel writes, “Servitude in its consummation will really turn into the opposite of what it immediately is... It will withdraw into itself and be transformed into a truly independent consciousness” (Hegel 117). In that passage, the bondsman being able to perceive this dialectical problem transforms him into an independent consciousness. With this gain of an independent consciousness through the dialectical problem, its gain outweighs that of the lord since the lord hears what he wants to hear.
Douglass continues to describe the severity of the manipulation of Christianity. Slave owners use generations of slavery and mental control to convert slaves to the belief God sanctions and supports slavery. They teach that, “ man may properly be a slave; that the relation of master and slave is ordained by God” (Douglass 13). In order to justify their own wrongdoings, slaveowners convert the slaves themselves to Christianity, either by force or gentle coercion over generations. The slaves are therefore under the impression that slavery is a necessary evil. With no other source of information other than their slave owners, and no other supernatural explanation for the horrors they face other than the ones provided by Christianity, generations of slaves cannot escape from under the canopy of Christianity. Christianity molded so deeply to the ideals of slavery that it becomes a postmark of America and a shield of steel for American slave owners. Douglass exposes the blatant misuse of the religion. By using Christianity as a vessel of exploitation, they forever modify the connotations of Christianity to that of tyrannical rule and
...s. When justice reigns in man's soul, he is a happy man and rules over his soul like a good ruler rules over a society. When injustice reigns in his soul, he is an unhappy man, just as men under an unjust ruler are unhappy. Injustice always brings bondage, so the man who lives in injustice is in bondage either to his own failings or to an evil society. Whether the just man receives extra rewards beyond the happiness of living in a just soul is beside the point. His soul is his world, and if it is a just one, it is a happy place to live.
Men know well that they are acted upon, but they do not know by whom. So they must invent by themselves the idea of these powers with which they feel themselves in connection, and from that, we are able to catch a glimpse of the way by which they are led to represent them under forms that are really foreign to their nature and to transfigure them by thought. (172)
While critical of the attitude found in the ressentiment of slave morality, Nietzsche’s includes it as an important factor contributing to the bad conscience of man. Even though Nietzsche dislikes the negative results of bad conscience – man’s suppression of his instincts, hate for himself, and stagnation of his will -- Nietzsche does value it for the promise it holds. Nietzsche foresees a time coming when man conquers his inner battle and regains his “instinct of freedom.” In anticipation of that day’s eventual arrival, Nietzsche views the development of bad conscience as a necessary step in man’s transformation into the “sovereign individual.”
In the first stage of his examination of what the sensual might offer in the way of knowledge, Hegel examines the object apprehended by a sensing c...
Kung, Hans. The Incarnation of God: An Introduction to Hegel's Theological Thought As Prolegomena to a Future Christology. T&T Clark, 2001. hard cover.
It is not only the goodness of man which, according to traditional Christian concepts ,is not germane to himself. His very being, and his ultimate destiny stems alike from a principle that is infinitely beyond him (Morris 143).
Hegel, George Wilhelm Friedrich. Phenomenology of Spirit. Ed. A. V. Miller. Verlag Hamburg: Oxford University Press, 1952.
As presented in the Phenomenology of Spirit, the aim of Life is to free itself from confinement "in-itself" and to become "for-itself." Not only does Hegel place this unfolding of Life at the very beginning of the dialectical development of self-consciousness, but he characterizes self-consciousness itself as a form of Life and points to the advancement of self-consciousness in the Master/Slave dialectic as the development of Life becoming "for-itself." This paper seeks to delineate this often overlooked thread of dialectical insight as it unfolds in the Master/Slave dialectic. Hegel articulates a vision of the place of human self-consciousness in the process of Life as a whole and throws light on the role of death as an essential ingredient in the epic drama of life's struggle and Spirit's birth.
Restraints upon one’s body and mind prevent one from being free. Physical restraints hold the body and leave it immobile. Mental restraints take away one’s own independent and fruitful
entrapped in a world of evil that is not of his own creation. He must oppose
In Colossians Paul advises the slaves to obey in everything but to do it in genuine way and not simply to please men (3:22). It is for anyone who is in a subordinate position to fool those in authority in order to gain their trust, however Paul is advising that one must serve their earthly masters as if they were serving the Lord Himself! By drawing the distinction however between the earthly and heavenly masters, one is instructed to obey even those who are not worthy of that obedience. The only reason to do so is because we view it as a service to the Lord, which is the reward itself. To ease this burden, Paul often refers to himself as a prisoner of the Lord. Specifically in Philemon he introduces himself in that manner. The effect is twofold. By using the title himself he is showing that there is no shame in servitude for the Lord. In fact the Apostle uses it almost to brag of his position, which will reflect greatly on the subordinate as well as change the mindset of the one in authority. This is really the heart of the message, that the role of a servant has been completely altered after the incarnation of Christ. For even Christ himself was a “servant” to God the Father and therefore has elevated the role even beyond anyway that Paul could have done so. Once Christ assumed our humanity, He was able to purify and sanctify every aspect of it including slavery! While this idea may seem odd, we see numerous times in scriptures where Christ glories in this fact. Paul makes this connection clearly in Philippians by stating, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of
...lieves in one’s free will. How is an individual able to do what he or she wants freely if judgements and punishments are awaiting him or her when the act to be done is bad? Clearly, free will is not noticed in those situations.
Douglas is enslaved in a Christian country, one which as a result prevents his education. This is put in place to remove the identity of the slaves, they become property rather than people and as a result lack knowledge of their past. Slaves are grouped with the animals in terms of identity, ‘slaves know as little of their age as horses know of theirs,’ keeping them ignorant of their identity and enabling the slave holders to maintain control. This shows how religion has dehumanising effects on the slaves who are unaware of their original name and often their family, everything that makes them human is taken away from them. Through this narrative, we see that the more religious the slave holders are the more brutal their treatment of the slaves is. The slaves fear the religious slave holders the most, Frederick argued ‘the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes,’ with people justifying their cruel punishments by arguing that they’re carrying out the work of God. Seeing themselves as stewards of God’s creation they believe that their brutal punishments are justified and as a result they continue and intensify. Religion can be viewed as humanising as it creates a community, however, the slaves are excluded from this Showing they were viewed as less than human. Exclusion from the community is also experienced by Hester as a result of religion. Hester greatly
Among those Hegel influenced were theologians and religious people because of his emphasis on the importance of God in his teachings. (Boston U) Hegel was supported by German scientists and theologians because he promoted the vitality of these two areas of studies. His opponents were those who did not believe in God or religious motives in philosophy like Kant with Agnostic Phenomenalism and Schelling with Objective Idealism that prompted Nietzsche and Marx to find their ideologies. Georg wrote many political works critiquing different European governments explaining how the morals and motives for doing certain things are corrupt and twisted. His more famous works came later, like the Jena Writings. Included in these writings was the Philosophy of Right. In this piece, Hegel talks about Natural Law and how the true meaning of Natural Law is hindered by the materialistic world. He claims that the physical world alters the perception of the actual truth. He advocated the traditional rationalist approach to the Natural Law. His underlying message is that the community must move beyond the false reality the state entraps them in to find what is real and what is good. (UTM) Hegel believed that if one were