Going nuts! Need ideas on where to find info?

Question

I'm looking for info on the historical development of Continemtal philosophy's existentialism and phenomenology as a responce to Hegelian idealism. I have been working on this for a while but not finding what I need. Can any one help???

Answer 1

Okay, on one side you've got Hegelian Idealism (reality is a developing Absolute Mind), and on the other you have three strands of reaction to this:

- Religious Existentialism
- Secular Existentialism
- Phenomenology

What these three reactions have in common is that they see Hegelianism as having lost the human individual. Hegel is all about 'the whole' and 'reason', they are about 'the individual' or 'the particular' and 'the will'.

Of course, these movements do not arise simply as a reaction to Hegel. They have other traditions behind them. Historically, it goes something like this.

For Religious Existentialism, the big name is Kierkegaard (the existent 'particular' (including the individual) has priority over the 'universal' (the categorical) and 'reason'). He in turn was influenced by St. Augustine ("Si fallor sum" - Even if I err, I am"). Kierkegaard influenced, for example, Heidegger, Barth, Marcel, and Tillich.

For Secular Existentialism the name you need - because he was, like Kierkegaard, a contemporary of Hegel - is Schopenhauer ('The World as Will and Representation'). He was a direct influence on Nietzsche (the essence of being is the will to power), and then on Sartre (existence precedes essence, the human will is radically free).

For Phenomenology the name you need is Husserl, who developed the 'method'. He was not a contemporary of Hegel, but reacted against Hegel's followers. He was influenced by Brentano (consciousness is 'intentional' - that is, it is always *about* something), and by the Radical Empiricism of William James. Husserl and Sartre were influences on Merleau-Ponty (what has priority is the world, not 'being', not 'consciousness').

I hope this is of some help to you.

Answer 2

Sorry! I'm just some dumb pagan looking for points.
Your "Hegelian idealism" is just such a wonderful concept I find myself at a loss to return the discredit to that side! "existentialism and phenomenology" LOL! Give me a break!

Answer 3

Er...like "me too" (although I'm looking more at the positivist response as I think existentialism is a pile of...)

What I'm going to do is search the net for universities giving courses on this and then write up and ask for the courses reading list.

Good luck.

Actually, I think you're best off with decent sensible responses to Hegel. In "Why I am not a Christian" (a collection of essays by Bertrand Russell) there is a great essay called "Seems Madame, nay it is". Another great essay is the chapter in Popper's "Open Society and its Enemies" on Hegel which, to my mind, thoroughly destroys Hegel. "Language, truth and logic" by A J Ayer is a good one on Logical Positivism, but all these are from a more science based outlook rather than existentialism.

Answer 4

I'm thinking Yahoo! Answers could give you all the information you need. However, I'm not the one since I now have to go look up Hegelian idealism to find out what you are even talking about.

Answer 5

I found these links. I hope they help.

Sounds like pseudointellectuilism its most grand. All flash and no substance. A lot of thunder and no lightning. A rallying point for the discontent that would not understand any of it. And it would interrupt the status quo.

You have my sympathy.

Answer 6

Did you try the silver platter at your school?

Answer 7

try wikipedia and that should have other sites on there where you could look.

Answer 8

Oh, I hate when that happens.