As I was reading Philosophy of History and preparing to write this post, I asked myself, “What does Hegel offer in terms of learning, relationships, and leadership?”
Honestly, he doesn’t get into specifics. The Philosophy of History, by definition, deals with societies, cultures, and peoples, not individuals. However, in taking a very broad, progressive view of history, I do think we have some interesting viewpoints to discuss!
Firstly, Hegel alludes to the interconnectedness of people and thought throughout time. What he calls the World Spirit, which is reason embodied, he says moves through the ages, connecting people from the past, present and future, to realize freedom. He creates a lovely image of societies throughout the ages all inching forward slowly to embody freedom.
“…the universal must be actualized through the particular.”
Secondly, the individual still plays a role in this massive move. Even though the World Spirit is working to realize freedom through cultures and societies, this can only be prompted through individual choices. The people find a common purpose with an individual, then that group influences culture and society, growing along the way. This group influence is what we then look back on as characteristic of the time and place.
“It is the same with all historical individuals: their own particular purposes contain the substantial will of the World Spirit.”
In this view of history, the great and notorious actors have done so in concert with the World Spirit, in order to bring about their individual purpose, and in turn, the universal purpose.
Learning
Hegel looks at history as one continuous, marvelous development of thought advancing toward freedom. When we stop to consider just how much progress humans have made over the centuries, it is astounding. Consider for example, how the superstitions of the Dark Ages gave way to the Enlightenment, which ushered in the Industrial Age, which in turn, has pivoted into the current Information Age. The sheer amount of information and knowledge we have accumulated – and the processes we’ve put in place to test and verify said information – in just a few hundred years, is staggering. In a very real sense, we are all part of a search for knowledge, which started long before us and will continue after we are gone.
This idea of progressing through history also underscores the importance of learning lessons from that history. As another philosopher, George Santayana, noted, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Taking time to consider the past, collectively and individually, helps to determine the way we want to move into the future.
Relationships
As a mentor of mine would often remind me, “Our choices affect us the least.” It is easy to discount the impact our decisions have on those around us. Hegel illustrates this paradox of individual choice affecting far beyond the intended radius with this sobering example. A man has decided to seek revenge on another in return for a grievance, and so sets fire to one beam of the offender’s house. The beam, being connected to the rest of the house and adjoining houses, goes up in flames which spreads to other beams and houses. This one action sets in motion a series of events not directly part of the initial action. The housing arrangement means that several other houses, the belongings in them, and perhaps even their occupants are all lost to the fire. Though the arsonist only sought revenge on one man, and set fire to a single piece of property, the individual action had wider influence than intended.
We all have a sphere of influence: our significant others, friends, coworkers, family, a virtual audience, and dozens of people with whom we interact daily. There is always someone watching, observing, learning from each of us, and we often don’t take this fact into account. Our actions do affect those around us, and other people do have to live with the choices you make. You do make a difference, and you may never know the ultimate amount of power your decisions wield for others, whether positive or negative.
Leadership
This influence becomes even more marked in leadership positions. As I’ve referenced before, Simon Sinek writes about the importance of knowing your motivations before making decisions. What purpose do you desire to accomplish, in the long or short term, and what is the best route to do so?
In Hegel’s spirit of “thoughtful contemplation”, and taking a broad look at history, we can apply these principles to the area of habits. They are, after all, decisions made daily, adding up to a personal philosophy. Over time, they shape an entire life. As James Clear writes, are your current habits setting you on a course to become the person you want to be?
Habits have the ability to snowball, and their cumulative effect can be a source of confidence and prosperity or one of regret and negativity. For instance, the habit of getting up early each morning can lead to journaling and stretching each morning, leading to a calmer, more relaxed entrance to the work day. One good decision leads to another. Similarly, when people start exercising regularly they often begin making healthier food choices. They don’t want to ‘ruin’ a good day’s workout by eating foods they know have no nutritional value. It’s this tendency for habits to run together which makes them such a powerful force in our lives. Mirrored in Hegel’s sweeping view of history, the smaller things add up to bigger things which can affect many people. So it is with our habits affecting our lives, and our decisions affecting others. We all have a place in history, and it’s up to each of us to make decisions we can be proud of.
Hegel’s view of history as a sweeping progression of nature and spirit is echoed in each of our lives. We make hundreds of choices everyday, culminating in the person we ultimately become. “The universal must be accomplished through the particular”.
We can combine lessons with the past, with developing profitable habits, and reaped the rewards of positively influencing those around us. Are you consciously and thoughtfully building habits which will lead to the kind of person you want to be? If not, know that you have the power to change that, and in the process, become the person you dream of being.
Ed. note: This is the twentieth entry in a series looking at the three schools of philosophy for perspectives on navigating our modern world. Inspired by Emerson’s “The American Scholar,” we are exploring timeless wisdom which endures to inform our approaches to learning, relationships and leadership. Click here for all the posts in this series.
