Hegelian Idealism?

Question

I would like a brief explanation on Hegelian Idealism. Kind of like Hegelian Idealism for dummies!! Thanks.

Answer 1

In a nutshell, Hegel thinks that when our intellects or minds become fully conscious, awakened, or enlightened, we will have a perfect understanding of reality. In short, our thoughts about reality, and reality itself, will be the same. He argues this by showing that the mind goes through an evolution of changes on its way to what he calls "absolute spirit."

Contrary to some readers, he does not argue that whatever someone thinks about is reality, or that somehow "ideas" are more real than physical reality. Indeed, he attempts to show that the distinction we make between our thoughts and the world external to these thoughts is not so clear cut.

For example, imagine you are looking at an object, say a cup. You realize that you are forming an idea of this cup, it's color, smell, its feel. You have a conscious awareness of the cup. Then you ask yourself, "where is your consciousness?" Is it in your brain, outside your brain, somewhere else? Hegel wants to show that a perfectly enlightened person will realize that thoughts are coincident with reality, but this reality is not simply made up.

Answer 2

In my opinion there are two documents you may wish to read first. His other works are rather complicated and externally references so not all of the meanings for what he has written are in complete description in that same document.

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/ol/ol_phen.htm

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/pr/prconten.htm

'It is a self-assertion, which does honour to man, to recognise nothing in sentiment which is not justified by thought. This self-will is a feature of modern times, being indeed the peculiar principle of Protestantism. What was initiated by Luther as faith in feeling and the witness of the spirit, the more mature mind strives to apprehend in conception. In that way it seeks to free itself in the present, and so find there itself. It is a celebrated saying that a half philosophy leads away from God, while a true philosophy leads to God. (It is the same halfness, I may say in passing which regards knowledge as an approximation to truth.) This saying is applicable to the science of the state. Reason cannot content itself with a mere approximation, something which is neither cold not hot, and must be spewed out of the mouth. As little can it be contented with the cold scepticism that in this world of time things go badly, or at best only moderately well, and that we must keep the peace with reality, merely because there is nothing better to be had. Knowledge creates a much more vital peace.'

For a Hegelian vocabulary see the global index: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/li_terms.htm

On Ideality: "Identity is, in the first place, the repetition of what we had earlier as Being, but as become, through supersession of its character of immediateness. It is therefore Being as Ideality. It is important to come to a proper understanding on the true meaning of Identity; and, for that purpose, we must especially guard against taking it as abstract identity, to the exclusion of all Difference. That is the touchstone for distinguishing all bad philosophy from what alone deserves the name of philosophy. Identity in its truth, as an Ideality of what immediately is, is a high category for our religious modes of mind as well as all other forms of thought and mental activity. The true knowledge of God, it may be said, begins when we know him as identity — as absolute identity. To know so much is to see all the power and glory of the world sinks into nothing in God's presence, and subsists only as the reflection of his power and his glory. In the same way, Identity, as self-consciousness, is what distinguishes man from nature, particularly from the brutes which never reach the point of comprehending themselves as 'I'; that is, pure self-contained unity. So again, in connection with thought, the main thing is not to confuse the true Identity, which contains Being and its characteristics ideally transfigured in it, with an abstract Identity, identity of bare form. All the charges of narrowness, hardness, meaninglessness, which are so often directed against thought from the quarter of feeling and immediate perception rest on the perverse assumption that thought acts only as a faculty of abstract Identification."

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/sl/slessenc.htm#SL115n

Science of and for logic: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hl/hlconten.htm