From foundations to system : a study of descriptive dialectics in G.W.F. Hegel's Phänomemologie des Geistes

Lamb, David (1976) From foundations to system : a study of descriptive dialectics in G.W.F. Hegel's Phänomemologie des Geistes. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

The search for the unshakable foundations of knowledge is a recurring the mer,iilosophy, reflecting a. conception of philosophy which determines the status of the philosopher as either a master-scientist or an under labourer. Icy thesis rejects this conception, seeking a redefinition of the status of philosophy, and so shares an affinity with Hegel's concept of philosophy which, I argue, reflects a shift from foundationalism to a descriptive approach similar to that found in the later works of Ludwig Wittgenstein.An investigation of Hegel's anti-foundational programme in the Phanomenolooie des Geistes (PG) is conducted in order to clarify his concepts of 'development'.. 'system', 'dialectic' and 'phenomenology'. The intentions behind the PG were outlined in a Selbstanaweigen,published in 1807, where Hegel spoke of his opposition to 'the more abstract discussions of the foundation of knowledge'. I submit that his intention was to replace the search for foundations with descriptions of systems of knowledge. Originally it was intended that they should exhibit a necessary progression but owing to the unsystematic nature of his thought the work drifted as he tried to incorporate more material into the book. An attempt was made to return to the main theme in the early sections of Reason, but once again he succumbed to his unsystematic tendency. Having finished the book he wrote a Preface which attempts to unify his work and illustrate the concept of philosophy entailed by his thesis.My thesis focuses primarily on the PG, but whenever appropriate reference is made to other works by Hegel and recent contributions in philosophy. It is presented in five padts, beginning with an investigation into the Einleitunq where systems of knowledge replace foundations. Part Two investigates Hegel's account of a clash between two systems of knowledge, drawing comparisons between Hegel and T.S.Kuhn. This investigation also covers problems arising out of a foundationalist approach to ethics and concentrates on Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy. Returning to the PG,Parts Three and Four investigate Hegel's rejection of foundationalism in the spheres of language and the inorganic and organic sciences. The fifth concentrates on Hegel's anti-foundational conception of philosophy which emerges out of a final comparison of Hegel with Wittgenstein and his followers. It is here that questions concerning the status of a purely descriptive approach to philosophy are answered.

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