Absolute Idealism is a monistic ontology attributed to G.W.F. Hegel. That is, it is Hegel's account of how being is ultimately unitary. It posits that in order for the subject to know the world, or object, some necessary point of identity between the two must exist. Otherwise, the subject would never have access to the object and we wouldn't be able to know anything about the world. That point of identity must itself give rise to different ideas, including subject and object, and must be the basis of all the concepts with which we think and make sense of the world.

If we try to rationally conceive that absolute point, we will always fall short. We can describe it using different concepts, but no concept will adequately describe what that absolute is and give rise to a consideration of its opposite. For instance if we hold that the absolute is in fact infinity, than that would mean that the finite would not be part of it, but finity is just as much a part of that underlying absolute as infinity is. The absolute is in fact the unity of these concepts. We learn that every concept has a necessary relation to its opposite.

This absolute relation we have to the world creates in this dialectical fashion all concepts we have to understand the world. this works in the individual mind, but also through history. Our historical development

The Absolute Idealist position should be distinguished from Berkeleyan Idealism (Berkeley), Transcendental Idealism (Kant), subjective idealism (Fichte), and Objective Idealism (Schelling).

Religion

Some form of idealism closely related to Absolute idealism has been a consistent favorite standpoint for earlier religious thinkers and philosophers. It is present in the thinking of many important Christian theologians such as Meister Eckhart. It is also the basis of Advaita Hinduism and several forms of Buddhism, including Zen, Madhyamika, Yogacara, and some interpretations of Pure Land.

Criticism

Generally speaking, criticisms of absolute idealism come specifically from the standpoint of epistemology. Critics charge that absolute idealism has little or no grounding in reality and question the means by which philosophers come to their conclusions.

Schopenhauer

Schopenhauer noted

Religion

Absolute idealism is also said to be the basis of Christian Science (see Mrs. Eddy Purloins From Hegel by Walter M. Haushalter). Also, Dr. Woodbridge Riley of Vassar, one of the few professors of philosophy in America who ever lent serious attention to Mrs. Eddy's book Science and Health in his American Thought From Puritanism to Pragmatism declared what he viewed as the intelligible parts of Science and Health to be Hegelianism. (See also page 48 of Haushalter's book.) On page 69 of Haushalter's book is an essay by Francis Lieber on "The Metaphysical Religion of Hegel" which is also said to be a source for Mrs. Eddy's Christian Science. In her own words she writes on the Lieber manuscript, " N. B. This is Metaphysical Basis of Healing and Science of Health. Same as 'Christ-power' and 'Truth-power' Mary Baker." "Christ-power" and "Truth-power" are two more papers by Francis Lieber on Hegel, read by Mrs. Eddy, (Mary Baker Patterson at that time). Again, see Haushalter's book Mrs. Eddy Purloins From Hegel.

Science

Absolute Idealism or Hegelianism has influenced the Humanities to a great extent. In German they are called "Geisteswissenschaften" and in Dutch "Geesteswetenschappen", a direct influence of the Hegelian notion of spirit (Geist). In sociology for instance the position of important sociologist Ralph Dahrendorf is inspired by Hegel.

Lately American historian Francis Fukuyama was inspired by an alleged thesis of Hegel, namely the End of History, to write an immensely popular book. That Hegel proclaimed the end of history though is a myth popularised by the French Hegel interpreter Aleksandr Kojeve.

Influence

Absolute Idealism has greatly altered the philosophical landscape. Paradoxically, (Though, from a Hegelian point of view, maybe not paradoxically at all) this influence is mostly felt in the strong opposition it engendered. Both neo positivism and analytic philosophy grew out of a rebellion against Hegelianism prevalent in England during the 19th century. Continental phenomenology, existentialism and post modernism too seek to 'free itself from hegels thought', Martin Heidegger, one of the leading figures of continental philosophy in the 20th century sought to distance himself from Hegels work.

Major Idealists

• George Berkeley
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
• Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling
• Francis Herbert Bradley
• Nagarjuna
• Padmasambhava
• Meister Eckhart
• Paul Tillich

See also

• Emanationism
• Idealism
• Kant
• Rationalism
• Neutral Monism
• Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

Sources

• Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (Garfield)
• Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Blackburn)
• A History of Christian Thought (Tillich)
• From Socrates to Sartre (Lavine)
• Hegel: Een inleidng (Ed. Ad Verbrugge et al) (in Dutch)
• Hegels Idealism, The Satisfactions of Self Consciousness (Pippin)
• Endings, Questions of Memory in Hegel and Heidegger (Ed. Mc Cumber, Comay) Absoluutne idealism