Lit Theory - Hegel - Phenomenology of Spirit - Lectures on Fine Art

Hegel, George Wilhelm Friedrich

1.     Phenomenology of Spirit

a.     The self can only exist when it is acknowledged.

b.     When the self conscious comes across another being:

                                               i.     It sees itself in the other.

                                             ii.     It doesn’t recognize the other as real.

c.     It is compelled to consider itself more important than the other being.  In doing so:

                                               i.     It has to overcome itself that it sees in the other being.

                                             ii.     It equalizes itself as it overcomes the other being, and

                                            iii.     Through this process, it gives life to the other being.

d.     The self-conscious sees the other as independent from itself and not under its control.

e.     The self-conscious of both beings mutually recognize each through the described process.

f.      The self-conscious considers itself the I and the other as an object.

                                               i.     The ‘object’ considers itself the I and the other the object.

g.     Presentation of the self is an abstraction of the self-consciousness.

h.     Each being moves into conflict.

                                               i.     Sees the death of the ‘other.’

                                             ii.     In doing so, the being stakes its life against the other.

                                            iii.     This process proves to self that it is its own being.  It affirms its existence.

i.      Life is the natural setting of consciousness, independence without absolute negativity.

                                               i.     Death is the natural negation of consciousness, negation without independence.

                                             ii.     Both come to a head in the conflict resulting in the independence in being.

j.      The struggle creates a master/bondsman relationship.

                                               i.     The dominant self-consciousness becomes more than an object in the bondsman eye.

                                             ii.     The master self-consciousness revels in this and feels the power of receiving recognition from the other

                                            iii.     The recognition is one-sided and unequal.

                                            iv.     The master’s notion of reality comes into question because the bondsman is dependent. 

1.     The master received original affirmation of being from an independent being and that is now in questions with the bondsman new status.

2.     The bondsman’s affirmation of being is in effect as it is recognized by an independent being.

3.     The master feeds off of recognition.

4.     The master doesn’t like that the recognition is forced.

2.     “Lectures on Fine Art”

a.     First View – That art is a conscious act implies it can be taught or imitated.

                                               i.     Imitation is mechanical.  A reproduction based on rules.

                                             ii.     Rules can supplement the spiritualness of the creative act.  It can’t speak to what was perceived in comprehensive content.

                                            iii.     As art is original, it removes itself from general human production.

                                            iv.     The creator is expected to speak and follow their own uniqueness.

                                             v.     Even if the talent is inspired, it still:

1.     Requires development by thought.

2.     Reflection on the mode of its productivity, and

3.     Practice and skill producing it.

                                            vi.     Skill and inspiration are two different things.  Skill requires reflection and practice.

b.     Third view of art. Placing art as a product of nature.

                                               i.     The notion that human art ranks below nature.

1.     Art is traditionally seen as dead, no life, just representation of life.

2.     Fine art is infused with the spirit.

3.     Art stands higher than natural product which has not made this journey through the spirit.

4.     Spirit draws from within and places in on the external.

                                             ii.     However, god created nature, man creates art.  How is that reconciled.

1.     God is honored by what the spirit makes.

2.     There is something divine in man.

                                            iii.     What’s man’s need to produce art.

1.     Art comes from higher impulses to satisfy higher needs.

2.     Art represents things man puts in front of himself.

3.     He sees himself, and is represented in nature and fuses that with his spirit.

c.     Forms of Art.

                                               i.     Art begins when the idea starts gelling content.  Its abstracted and not fully formed.  Symbolic form of art.

                                             ii.     Second form of art is referred to as classical. 

1.     It is the free and adequate embodiment of the idea in the shape appropriate to the idea itself in its essential nature.

2.     It is represented by immediate form without further depth.

                                            iii.     Third form of art, the romantic.

1.     It is raised from the immediate to a known unity.  It reflects deeper meaning and the inwardness of self-consciousness.

Works Cited

Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Fredrich. “Lectures on Fine Art.” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.  Ed. Vincent B. Leitch et al.  2^nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 2010. 547-555. Print.

---. Phenomenology of Spirit.  The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.  Ed. Vincent B. Leitch et al.  2^nd ed. New York: W.W.Norton & Co., 2010. 536-547. Print.