By Gene Ogorodov
Hegel's Phenomenology of the Spirit
ranks as one of the most influential philosophical works. His mark upon
the evolution of human thought was the rise and prominence of
Historicism. From Aristotle to Kant philosophy depended primarily (if
not at times exclusively) upon a priori conclusions, Hegel gave a posteriori
arguments an equal footing in philosophical debate. The mind ceased to
be an all encompassing perfectly independent organ examining itself as
it was for Descartes and Kant but an evolving creature maturing with
human history, and thus human history became applicable in philosophical
debate. Yet, ironically Hegel's legacy was not in an expansion of the Geist but a withering away. The Young Hegelians, viz Feuerbach and Marx, took Hegel's train of thought to its rational conclusion and united Body and Spirit as one indivisible entity in a strict Materialist world. Thus Hegel is to late 19th Century philosophy what Kant is to Hegel.