Hegel

I never thought much of Hegel's influence, it seems trivial that the mind will try to learn from anything as much as it can, but as I discussed this morning: Hegel lived at a critical time of conceptual renewal and even if he ostensibly stayed very close to the Augustinian idea of perpetual progress (i.e. Jacob's ladder), he made one superficially inconsequential change: according to St. Augustine the progress is the result of continued devotion, according to Hegel it is automatic, the mind simply won't allow anything else.

Why do I say that this demonstrable falsehood is superficially inconsequential? Well, because the devotion is unbroken.

And so... so what? But as I already explained: There are second order consequences. Hegel's view is very convenient when it comes to specialisation. It allows us to pursue the necessities of our enterprises, without having to worry about maintaining the necessary unity for political action. That is supposed to follow automatically. And when it does not, we are predisposed to turn a blind eye to the mechanism that does provide it, i.e. propaganda.

And that is the way we live. In breadth there is strength, if you will. Of course, Hegel is also intimately linked to more pernicious practices, e.g. those of the Leviathan*, whom he gives perfect cover, but it's not as if Hegel would have the authority to actually help with any of those.

If then we are to enter another time of conceptual renewal, we'd have to find fault with In breadth there is strength. and find strength in application.

* There's also those of Punch and Judy like political theatre, where all aspects of the good guy and the bad guy are carefully designed so as to result in the desired takeaway, i.e. synthesis.