Paradox Compositions

REM

An essay interpretation by Shelby Lemon.

to sleep perchance

to dream. a series of thoughts, images, and sensations. beyond one’s wildest dreams. used to emphasize that a situation is beyond the scope of one’s imagination.

subjective. wrinkle faced mermaid Red page fiddle dee dee Mythological demon animal guy Stoned Robot (something) or another

Mind/Spirit or, Philosophy as a Tool for Visual Interpretation An Essay by Joel Speasmaker

“Spirit may be defined (in contrast to matter) as that which has its center in itself… This self-contained existence of Spirit is none other than self-consciousness – consciousness of one’s own being… It involves an appreciation of its own nature, and also an energy enabling it to realize itself; to make itself actually that which it is potentially.”

For Hegel, the mind is not simply a passive absorber of the external world, but actively organises it. As the mind can not know thingsin-themselves, what becomes the real is Geist.

As Hegel says, “The Real is the Rational and the Rational is the Real.”

A central concept to Hegel in The Phenomenology of Spirit is “Geist”, translated as

spirit-mind.

The object of a person’s perception; what the senses or the mind notice.

Phenomenology of Mind is thus the study of how

conciousness, or mind, appears to

itself.

Phenomenology

“’Phenomenology’ comes from the Greek word for ‘to appear’, and the

Phenomenology of Mind is thus the study of how consciousness, or mind, appears to itself. In Hegel’s dynamic system, it is the study of the successive appearances of the mind to itself, because on examination each one dissolves into a later, more comprehensive and integrated form or structure of mind.”

“We become what we

behold…

we shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.”

Marshall McLuhan

conciousness

Though each person’s

is absolutely UNIQUE, it is that which can CONNECT

us all.

The universe

Though each person’s consciousness is absolutely unique, it is that which can connect us all. is the aggregrate of all of humanity’s consciously-

apprehended and communicated experience with the nonsimultaneous, nonidentical, and only partial overlapping, always complementary, weighable and unweighable, ever-omnitransforming, event sequences.”

Though each person’s consciousness is absolutely unique, it is that which can connect us all.

is the aggregrate of all of humanThe universe ity’s consciously-apprehended and communicated experience with the nonsimultaneous, nonidentical, and only partial overlapping, always complementary, weighable and unweighable, ever-omnitransforming, event sequences.”

Though each person’s consciousness is absolutely unique, it is that which can connect us all.

is the aggregrate of all of humanThe universe ity’s consciously-apprehended and communicated experience with the nonsimultaneous, nonidentical, and only partial overlapping, always complementary, weighable and unweighable, ever-omnitransforming, event sequences.”

Though each person’s consciousness is absolutely unique, it is that which can connect us all.

is the aggregrate of all of humanThe universe ity’s consciously-apprehended and communicated experience with the nonsimultaneous, nonidentical, and only partial overlapping, always complementary, weighable and unweighable, ever-omnitransforming, event sequences.”

Though each person’s consciousness is absolutely unique, it is that which can connect us all.

is the aggregrate of all of humanThe universe ity’s consciously-apprehended and communicated experience with the nonsimultaneous, nonidentical, and only partial overlapping, always complementary, weighable and unweighable, ever-omnitransforming, event sequences.”

Existence that is

absolute, self-sufficient, or objective, and not subject to human

decisions or conventions.

the concept of the absolute may or may not

depending on one’s specific doctrine

possess discrete will, intelligence, awareness, or even a personal

nature.

The Absolute is the concept of an unconditional reality which

sess discrete will, inteltranscends limited, con- ligence, awareness ditional, everyday exor even a personal istence. It is often used nature. It is sometimes as an alternate term for conceived of as the “god” or “the divine”, source through which especially, but by no all being emanates. means exclusively, by It contrasts with finite those who feel that the things, considered interm “god” lends itself dividually, and known too easily to anthropocollectively as the relamorphic presumptions. tive.

The concept of the absolute may or may not (depending on one’s specific doctrine) pos-

The art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.

C

The presupposition of a dialectical argument is that the participants, even if they do not agree, share at least some meanings

Drealls of inference. and principles

DIALECTIC CHAPTER

1

1'0 SL!ZP, pmCHAl@E

TO DRBAM

the formula, Abstract-Negative-Concrete, suggests a flaw in any initial thesis—it is too abstract and lacks the negative of trial, error and experience. The same applies to the formula, Immediate-Mediated-Concrete.

For Hegel, the Concrete, the Synthesis, the Absolute, must always pass through the phase of the Negative, that is, Mediation. This is the actual essence of what is popularly called Hegelian Dialectics.

The word dialectic “is rooted in the ordinary practice of a dialogue between two people who hold different ideas and wish to persuade each other. The presupposition of a dialectical argument is that the participants,

To describe the activity of overcoming the negative, Hegel also often used the term Aufhebung, variously translated into English as sublation* or overcoming, to conceive of the working of the dialectic.

even if they do not agree, share at least some meanings and principles of inference.

Hegelian dialectic, usually presented in a three-fold manner, was stated as comprising three dialectical stages of development: a thesis, giving rise to its reaction, an antithesis, which contradicts or negates the thesis, and the tension between the two being resolved by means of a synthesis.

Although this model is often named after Hegel, he himself never used that specific formulation. Hegel ascribed that terminology to Kant. On the other hand, Hegel did use a three-valued logical model that is very similar to the antithesis model, but Hegel’s most usual terms were: Abstract-Negative-Concrete. Sometimes Hegel would use the terms, Immediate-MediatedConcrete. Hegel used these terms hundreds of times throughout his works.

The formula, Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis, does not explain why the Thesis requires an Antithesis. However,

Roughly, the term indicates preserving the useful portion of an idea, thing, society, etc., while moving beyond its

limitations.

Hegelian Dialectic

...the quality of courage, energy,

determination or assertive-

Spirit may be defined

(in contrast to matter)

as that which has its center in

Friedrich

itself.

05

Self-Consciousness “Spirit may be defined (in contrast to matter) as that which has its center in itself… This selfcontained existence of Spirit is none other than self-consciousness – consciousness of one’s own being…

It involves an appreciation of its own nature, and also an energy enabling it to realize itself;

to make itself actually that which it is potentially.”

bring (something) into existence

“What God creates he himself is… God is manifestation of his own self. God is… the absolutely true, that from which everything proceeds and into which everything returns, that upon which everything is dependent and apart from which nothing else has absolute, true independence.”

07

“What God creates

he himself is. God is manifestation of his And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have own self.

dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 1:26-27

“

image

03

to sleep perchance

to dream.

02

to sleep perchance

to dream.

01

Drealls

CHAPTER

1 1'0 SL!ZP, pmCHAl@E

TO DRBAM

a series of thoughts, images, and sensations

Shelby Christine Lemon Typography 202 Michael Selby Fall 2012