Writing

FINAL EXAM (Philosophy)

I was rather happy writing this paper...so here it is...a paper written with joy in my heart; kierkegaard is one of my favs :)

Exam Questions (answer any one):

1. What are Nietzsche’s fundamental criticisms of systematic philosophies? Use this criticism towards analyzing Hegel’s dialectic movement in, ‘Phenomenology of Spirit’.

2. In what differing ways do Kierkegaard and Nietzsche use an understanding of subjective thinking as a means to approaching objective truth.

3. Examine the different approaches Hegel and Kierkegaard take in understanding the possible transcendence of ordinary human experience.

Answer 3.

Hegel and Kierkegaard both aim towards a greater human goal in their greatly differing forms of philosophy. Hegel undertakes a purely phenomenological approach which takes the object/individual through a number of dialectic stages of recognition, reaching towards his ultimate goal, ‘the spirit’.

The spirit is seen by Hegel to be a form of pure, rational being. It is a form of, ‘consciousness that has reason’ not been reason, making it a separate entity which incorporates reason within itself, and this is the initial goal which every individual must achieve. Beyond this, Hegel introduces the concept of a form of collective spirit reflected in the ethics of a nation of self-conscious, individual spirits. Hegel’s concept of the spirit is by nature aimed towards the collective or whole of society rather than playing a large role within the individual.

For Hegel, this Universal spirit will be the point where society will transcend all boundaries, creating what he believes will be the essential utopian society based upon pure rationality.

Kierkegaard rejects this approach to man’s transcendental being, seeing objective thinking as inapplicable to understanding the self and reaching a truer form of being. In the concluding unscientific postscript, he forms his philosophy around subjective, inward thinking leading to moments of glorious transcendence in a, ‘leap of faith’. The ability to perform this leap lies in the difference between the ideality of an ethical individual and that of a, ‘believer’ in that an ethical individual sees his ideals lying, ‘within the individual’ while the believer sees his ideals as being part of his faith within ‘the actuality of another’.Kierkegaard sees this believer as possessing, ‘faith’ which allows him/her to act in this seemingly unethical and obviously irrational manner, yet allowing him to achieve a form of grace and perfection in being.

While Hegel and Kierkegaard both have similar ideals as the basis for their philosophy, they represent two entirely different approaches towards greater human experience and understanding.