Western Political Thought Hegel, Dialectics and Questions – Part 02

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Complete Video at – Western Political Thought Hegel: Inside Part - What is Dialectics? (Political Science)

Inside Part – O2

  • What is Dialectics?
  • Mechanism of Hegel՚s Dialectical process.
  • Family , civil society and state
  • Idealism (defined)
  • MCQs
  • Hegel՚s positioning of Family, Civil society and State

What Are Dialectics?

  • The term dialectic or dialectical is derived from its Greek origin which refers to ‘the method of investigation of truth through the art of disputations’ that is by the process of arguments and counter arguments.
  • This method was successfully applied by Plato in his Dialogues.
  • Immanuel Kant applied this method for the study of contradictions arising from the employment of reason.
  • Then was used by Hegel to identify the process whereby such contradictions are resolved for arriving at a higher plane of truth.
  • Mechanism of Hegel՚s Dialectics
Illustration: What Are Dialectics?
  • Family, Civil Society and the State
  • Hegel has dwelled on the role of family, civil society and the state in their dialectical relationship.
  • Family – Thesis – Unity
  • Civil society – Antithesis – Particularity.
  • State – Synthesis – Universality.
  • Accordingly family is the first social institution in which individual egoism is transcended by some sort of altruism.
  • Further development of human spirit takes place in larger society- the civil society.
  • It enables individual to transcends the particularistic altruism of the family and enter into the realm of universal egoism, a step further in the direction of self realization.
  • Hegel argued that it is only the STATE as distinguished from civil society, is capable of serving the Universal interest.
  • He argues that State refers to institution of higher order which should not be confused with civil society.

Idealism Defined

Illustration: Idealism Defined

Mcq

  1. What according to Hegel is earliest form of organisation?

a) State

b) Family

c) Civil society

d) All

Ans . Family.

2. According to Hegel State is-

a) Means to an end

b) End in itself

c) Both

d) None

Ans. State is an end in itself.

3. Hegel believes in-

a) Divine origin of state

b) Force theory of state

c) Social contract philosophy

d) None

Ans: Divine origin of state.

4. Hegel՚s philosophy of Dialectics involves-

a) Matter

b) Idea

c) Absolute idea

d) All

Ans. Hegel՚s principle of dialectical idealism implies: (a) Idea (spirit or consciousness) is the basic substance of universe, which includes physical objects as well as social and political institutions; it is the driving force behind all historical development

5.In Hegel՚s positioning of family, state and civil society, State exists at which stage?

a) Universal egoism

b) Particularistic altruism

c) Universal altruism

d) None

Illustration: Mcq

Ans. Universal altruism

Mayank