SELECTIONS FROM HEGEL’S PHENOMENOLOGY OF SPIRIT
Instructor: Alex Steinberg
Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. -- 9:00 p.m.
February 26 – May 6, 2008
10 Sessions (no class April 8)
Tuition: $175 -- $200.00
"The True is the Bacchanalian revel in which no member is not drunk."
Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit
It has been said that one cannot
understand much of what has transpired in terms of art, culture, politics or
philosophy in the last 200 years without having read Hegel's Phenomenology of
Spirit. For good reason, many have considered this work to be the
culmination of the Western philosophical tradition that began in ancient
Greece.
In this 10 session series of selections from Hegel's Phenomenology
of Spirit, we
will explore the different shapes of consciousness that have inhabited our
culture and continue to shape our world. We will go
on a journey that takes us from the Inverted World, to the Master-Slave
dialectic, to the Unhappy Consciousness, to the Beautiful Soul, to Absolute
Freedom and Terror, and finally to Absolute Knowing. Along the way, we will
consider Hegel's relationship to the Enlightenment, Romanticism, the French
Revolution, and to his student, Karl Marx.
By the end of this study, students should be able to judge for themselves what
is living and what is dead in the work of this titan of the Western tradition.
No prior background in philosophy is expected or assumed.
Students should obtain the A.V. Miller translation of the Phenomenology
(Oxford University Press). The instructor has prepared an
annotated
reading list which is available online.
Alex Steinberg has taught courses on Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and Encyclopedia Logic at the New SPACE. He is facilitator of a philosophy and literature discussion group in Brooklyn and author of several essays, including "From Alienation to Revolution: A Defense of Marx's Theory of Alienation." Steinberg is also a member of the WBAI Local Station Board.
Pre-registration, at least two weeks before the first class begins, is strongly advised. Please see Registration Page.
This class will meet at TRS Inc. Professional Suite
44 East 32nd Street, 11th floor (between Park and Madison Avenues) New York, NY 10016