Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Grammatical Interpretation of Hegel

Discussing the three parts of Hegel's Logic; Being, Essence; Notion. If we try to interpret Hegel's Logic, or at least this triad of his many triads, in a grammatical way, we may see an analogy works. Being, the simplest and the most elementary unit of consciousness, resembles a single word. A word that in the process of knowledge appears from frequent contact of mind with nature. This is also corresponds the stage of sensational knowledge, if we want to keep to the old terminology. Words form without any connection to each other, without any interconnection and interaction. However, mind does not stop in this step. For example, mind creates "Tree" and then "Green", and then connects these to concepts with a verb "Is". This may be analogized with the Essence in Hegel's Logic, which is defined as the process of unfolding a fact, a truth. In fact, this unfolding is impossible without weaving single threads of concepts (Being) into a network of knowledge (Notion).
Surely, these steps cannot be divided sharply. Being is a concept unconscious of itself, but it exits as a concept, as some intellectual entity in our brain. However, it is in its crude shape. On the other hand, Notion is built on these constituents. Here we can extend the discussion to cover the movement of the three parts of Logic. Hegel believes the movement of Being is Seriality. Concepts come and go. A new concept substitutes for the older. If we want to speak precisely, it must be said this is Mind that take a new concept and replaces it with another without connecting the two. In the sphere of Essence, we have Diversity. At least, more than one concept, are interacting in this sphere. The form of movement for Notion is Development. Concepts neither eliminate each other not merely consider each other indifferently but are amalgamated in a new shape of consciousness. Notion is the product of development of simpler concepts, and accordingly new Notion is developed by other Notions.

4 comments:

  1. so if i've understood well what you're trying to say then I might consider the beings as separate blocks which are welded by the essence into a latticework of notion, do i get it right ?

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  2. Yes. Essence is the process of negating being, as Being itself is negated in the first step, when we conclude that no pure Being exists. Take concept A, I think making a proposition "A is B" is Essence through which A is negated and Notion is achieved.

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  3. This is a viable way of using Hegel's Logic to approach the way the human mind understands the seriality of language, Asad.

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  4. However, it seems that in Hegel system, the simplest block is Notion not Being because Being is not self-conscious. As he says: “The universal ... is that simplicity which, because it is the Notion,
    no less possesses within itself the richest content. First, therefore, it is the simple relation to itself; it is only within itself. Secondly, however, this identity is within itself absolute mediation, but it is not something mediated.” (Science of Logic §1327)

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