"Dear Group,

We need to suspend the terms objective and subjective, 'expressions about knowledge, as an instrument to take hold of the Absolute, or as a medium through which we have a glimpse of truth,' and get to the heart of the matter, that is, 'the true shape of things.'  Objective and subjective make a 'mere empty show of knowledge.'  Of course, as post modern philosophers will add, we still have the burden of language to contend with regardless of what terms we use.  Hegel offers that 'science is itself a phenomenon.'  Science must free itself of this phenomenal domain.  The phenomena which is the empirical basis of our knowledge starts with things as they appear.  They are on the bottom rungs of the Hegelian ladder of knowledge.  Sensate empirical data are essential for the climb.  As we apply logical structures and previous perceptions to such phenomena we climb the ladder and seek a more representative reality or a fuller reality.  These rational structures turn against each other in the negative sense which Hegel utilizes to its fullest.  Science (of Hegel's day)  can not be presumptuous by just rejecting this kind of knowledge and then boast that its very nature will bypass the imperfections of what we know about things.  It should not pretend to have this 'force and value' and to be able to reach absolute knowledge by offering all kinds of pleasant sounding dogmas and paradigms.  These are merely 'barren assurances.'  These are 'bad forms of its own existence.'  They are merely 'illusion.'  Science must get to its 'real and true nature.' It must get to an 'in and for itself.' "

What does this mean?  I cannot find any link to Hegels text!

Beat Greuter

Happy New Year to all.

Regards,

Bob Fanelli