Political Philosophy Hegel example essay topic

The Philosophies of Georg Hegel and Herbert Spencer The Philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1801) Metaphysics Georg Wilhelm Hegel aspired to find a philosophy that would embody all human experiences with the integration of not only science, but also religion, history, art, politics and beyond. Hegel's metaphysical theory of absolute idealism claimed that reality was the absolute truth of all logic, spirit, and rational ideas encompassing all human experience and knowledge. He believed that in the history of philosophy, many sought to compete with each other's thoughts in order to find the one true and universal philosophy. But he also argued that each philosopher's views were integral to the development and growth of the truth. Hegel's principles were also founded on historicism; in order to fully understand any aspect of life, one must look past all superficial observations and understand the aspects' history and background...

Hegel's philosophies attempted to tie in these basic fundamentals with mankind's unending pursuit for the absolute truth to form a single unified system. Epistemology Hegel was influenced by developing biological fundamentals in that organisms were interdependent upon each other and their environment making them all part of a hierarchy in life. He related this to society and human reason by believing that nothing could function in isolation and that everything and everyone was part of a larger whole: the Nation-State. He asserted that an individual's moral ideas would be identical to that of the Nation-State.

Hegel believed in the assimilation of one's moral ideas and social ethics to the government's because it incorporated all political, economic, and social aspects of an individual's culture. Hegel's philosophy opposed rationalism in that instead of celebrating the independent, individual person, he believed that people had the need to become part of something larger beyond themselves. Political Philosophy Hegel believed in the existence of two types of freedom, formal freedom and substantial freedom. Formal freedom was based on an individual's natural rights to liberty whereas substantial freedom was based on an individual's ability to coincide their ideals to that of their government. According to Hegel, the latter was the only and true source of happiness. In contrast, if one could not identify with the society they lived in, they would live in alienation.

Hegel believed that individualism would lead to alienation and would eventually lead to the death of unity and a conformed society. Hegel's political views rejected the ideas of individualism and placed the Nation-State at the absolute and supreme authority. He believed that a person's primary duty was to serve the Nation-State by participating in its culture, politics, and religion. Logic Hegel uses his triadic theory of dialectic, which came from an accumulation of ideas from his predecessors, to construct the ideas of his philosophies.

This theory contained three parts: the thesis was the first stage or affirmation, the antithesis was the contradiction or denial, and the synthesis was the final stage which overcame both the thesis and antithesis to emerge a higher, more rational idea. The Philosophy of Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) Metaphysics Spencer based his philosophy on the idea that nothing in life was permanent, and that people and knowledge evolve naturally and continuously over time. He strongly promoted the importance of individual freedom which he felt was a natural right, and at the same time tried to incorporate this with his view of life. In his works, Spencer also attempted to interconnect philosophy with other ideas like biology, psychology, and sociology. Epistemology The words "survival of the fittest" should be credited to Spencer, who was an important influence on many of Darwin's works. Spencer was a Social Darwinist, which was a theory that spun-off the ideas of natural selection.

This theory stated that humans struggled to compete with each other and that wealth was an attribute of the strong and poverty a sign of inferiority. He believed that human nature progressed through a combination of these struggles, improvements, and changes over time, and were passed on from generation to generation. Spencer was a passionate defender of the Law of Natural Freedom which states that "every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man". From this law, he believed that an individual's moral and ethical lines could be defined. Political Philosophy Although Spencer advocated an individual's membership in a community, he believed that one's life should not be constrained by unnecessary and unnatural restrictions. One such restriction would be laws, which he felt imposed upon a person's natural rights to liberty.

Spencer stressed the value of individualism. He felt the government's only role was to preserve the rights and freedom of its people from enemies and foreign invaders. He was a liberalist who believed a laissez faire was an ideal type of government, and frowned upon the idea of the government-assistance programs. Spencer believed true happiness could be attained in society, unhampered by the government and unharmed by others, with people free to do as they please. Spencer placed the value of a society on the happiness of the individuals within that system. Logic Spencer's logic was empirical and scientific as he stressed the need for people to be current with scientific advances.

He believed that there must be factual and provable data in order to come to any new conclusions. Anything that we are unable to scientifically test or physically perceive would not actually exist. Although he asserts this, very seldom did he provide concrete evidences to support his conclusions, giving rise to many of his critic's arguments. Spencer's logic made him a critic of religion and God. He felt there was no absolute way of testing whether or not God and his religious beliefs were actually present and true. Spencer believed people and things grew in size and also in complexity.

He had four classifications: simple, compound, doubly compound, and trebly compound. For example, it would go from an individual to a family to a community and then to a population. How Hegel and Spencer were similar The first and most obvious similarity that Hegel and Spencer shared was that they were both philosophers. Both were in search of the absolute truth and understanding of their present society, influenced and inspired by their predecessors. They both also attempted to tie in multiple concepts with philosophy, such as history, biology, and sociology. Hegel and Spencer were similar in that they both believed that individuals should become active members of the societies they live in.

They were also both influenced by the sciences to be firm believers in organicism, the idea that the people were all part of a larger whole, a characteristic found in the hierarchy of all biological organisms. Another similarity they shared were their views that their current society was a compilation of the past and had evolved with the ever-changing needs of society and the individual's quest for knowledge and truth. How Hegel and Spencer were different Hegel and Spencer were also very different in their thoughts and ideologies. They had very opposing views of government and politics. Hegel's philosophies held the Nation-State above the rights of the individual. He believed the people's responsibilities were to their government before anything else.

Hegel's ideal government would be elected by the people, and would be appointed or inherited this position. On the other hand, Spencer was a strong defender of the natural rights of the people and believed that the people and their society were mutually dependent. The government's sole function would be to protect and guard its people and their rights. His thinking emphasized that the society with the most minimal government intervention would be the most prosperous.