A CRITIQUE OF HEGEL'S PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY

A CRITIQUE OF HEGEL’S PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY ABDULVAHAP ALICI Research Assistant, Necmettin Erbakan University To be independent of public opinion is the fi st fo al o ditio of a hie i g a thi g g eat. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Abstract This paper aims at demonstrating the Hegelian concept of the philosophy of the History. The terms, Spirit, Universal History and Truth, are widely used in the Hegelian notion of the History. The unity of these terms sheds light on the route of the History which is viewed as to be pre-destined to reach a particular goal, the freedom. The freedom is only attainable if imperative stages are reached. The progress, in History, plays an indispensable role to accomplish the goal of the History. The paper ascertains the role of each notion in depth to display the overall structure of the Hegelian philosophy of the History. INTRODUCTION Hegel s philosophy of the History is criticized due to its lack of tangible data and speculative content, even though it does not address the concrete existences.1 Firstly, Hegel has not written on the philosophy of the historiography. The major works of Hegel concerned with the questions related to metaphysical aspects of the History such as history of philosophy. Hegel represented the history of philosophy or thought in a historical way by examining the characteristics of each well-known culture such as Chinese, Indian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and German espe ti el . Hegel s philosophy of the History is somewhat similar to the philosophy of historicality which investigates the main driving forces behind the major events in history. 2 Hegel, by following the traits of the History demonstrated that the aim of the History is the emancipation of the Spirit. 3 Nature, in its incipient form, is the obstacle ahead of human beings to reach designed subjectivity. Nature, put the humans in the confinement of irrational environ. The Reason and Nature are in conflict on the way to the freedom. Nature must be defeated to achieve greater spiritual freedom. History is the medium of this conflict. Hegel defines the history as a rationally motivated phenomenon destined to set free itself for itself. History is the development of Spirit in time and nations can be ordered according to their present levels of the Freedom. However, Hegelian development concept takes the thought as an indicator of progress, not the time. 4 Hegel s histo of philosophy was the first treatment of the history of philosophy in a philosophical sense. 5 Hegel was ahead of his peers in terms of speculative penetration and sharpness of universal criticism.6 Furthermore, Hegel can be classified as the most influential philosopher after Plato and Aristotle in a context of prevalence in the philosophical world. THE ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORY THE SPIRIT Hegel argues that there exist a universal History which governs the order of the events; even, they appeared to be uneven. 7 The governor is called the Spirit which has its own way to overcome or lead the Nature. The Reason, as the 1 David Kipp, What is Philosphy of History, Philosophical Quarterly 30 (October 1980), p. 271 David Kipp, ibid, p. 275-277 3 Özle Doğa , Tarih Felsefesi, “a Ya ı la ı, İsta ul: , p. 4 David G. Ritchie, Darwin and Hegel, Macmillan & Co, New York:1893, p. 47 5 Alfredo Ferrarin, Hegel and Aristotle, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge:2004, p. 34 6 K. Rosenkranz and G. S. Hall, Rozekranz o Hegel’s Histor of Philosoph , The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Vol. 8, No. 1 (January, 1874), p. 3-4 7 G. Friedrich Hegel, The Philosohy of History, Batoche Books, Ontario:2001, p. 23 2 core of the history, is destined to set the Spirit free by gaining freedom through subjectivity. 8 Furthermore, Hegel puts the reason in the center of the universe whose general laws were to be illuminated. 9 Only, the humans that aware of their spiritual dispositions and managed to realize them can achieve spiritual freedom. 10The reason is the mere reflection of the actuality and due to the omnipotent role of the thought, actualities cannot be transcended. 11 The Reason is the means and the end in itself. Human beings are in a constant struggle with Nature, which at its incipient form contradicts the inner commandments of the Spirit. Nature, as an unconscious existence, must be overcome by human beings in order to achieve the Freedom. Humans are able to use activities, volition and interests to further enlarge their set of minds closer to freedom.12 Throughout the history, the Spirit displayed some concrete forms of subjectivity. Heroes were the instances of this concrete forms by which the Spirit appeared at a particular time. 13 The way, history follows, is designed to be docile and rational, so heroes play the given role in this process. The man and the world are the indirect Works of the world spirit.14 Geist ust e u de stood as o i i g the i fi itude of spe ulati e thought, the inner self-reflectiveness of the dynamic of subject and object, with the finitude of temporal movement in space and time, where reflexivity is conditioned by external contingency. 15 The law is the objectivity of the Spirit. It must be obeyed to be free. 16 Hegel has been dubbed as the rationalizer of despotism due to his consideration of the role of the State in the realization of Spirit, however, at this point, it is i po ta t to dis e that Hegel s “tate is just a e e a ifestatio of “pi itual e iste e. 17 The East has no similar forms of disposition, subjectivity, and conscience. The Law is omnipotent in the realm and leaves no room for the humanitarian values. Nature, in the East, is replaced by the Law. The Morality under the guise of the Law limited to options of human-beings that diluted their subjectivity. 18 China constricted the volition of the persons by regulating all spheres of life with the Law, which dictated the objective existence of respective citizens. The Law, in this case, reduces the subjectivity of people and confines their traits in a given scheme. 19 The idea of Spirit is manifested in the formation of the State. It consists of Human Will and Freedom. The History appears in different forms of political principles as reflections of the Spirit. 20 Spirit can be set free if religion, art, and philosophy reached subjectivity.21 Subjectivity, free of any objective fact, is a crucial element to define the World in the way as it is. The Spirit is timeless and indefinite. The objectivity and the subjectivity are manifested in the apparatus of the State. Terry Pinkard claims that the Spirit is a medium of i e i te a tio fo people s f eedo ut in a metaphysical form.22 Lucien Sfez argues that if freedom concepts of different entities overlaps, the State, the manifestation of Spirit, can reconcile parts to enlarge further the perception of Freedom.23 8 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 32 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 24 10 Bü a i Bez i, Hegel’i Felsefesi de Etik, Politik Ola e Özgürlük, Dokuz E lül Ü i e sitesi İktisadi e İda i Bili le Fakültesi De gisi Cilt: “a ı: , Yıl: , p. 11 Sally Sedgwick, Reason and History: Kant versus Hegel, Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association, Vol. 84, No. 2(November 2010), p. 52 12 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 39 13 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 45 14 Robert Perkins, Histor a d “ ste : Hegel’s philosoph of histor , State University New York Press, New York:1984, p.69 15 David Duquette, The U it a d Differe e of the “pe ulati e a d the Histori al i Hegel’s Co ept of the Geist, PhaenEx 2, no. 1 (spring/summer 2007), p. 88 16 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 54 17 Leon J. Goldstein, The Meaning of State i Hegel’s Philosoph of Histor , The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 46 (Jan., 1962), p. 60 18 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 128-129 19 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 131 20 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 62 21 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 65 22 James Scott Johnston, Ri al readi gs of Hegel at the fi de si le: the ase of Willia Torre Harris a d Joh Dewey, History of Education: Journal of the History of Education Society, 42:4, (2003), p. 426 23 Bü a i Bez i, ibid, p. 244 9 Subjectivity is the most substantial element of a completely freed Spirit. Nature consists of two elements which vital for the fulfillment of a goal. These are the moralitat and the sittlickeit. Moralitat refers to subjective morality and sittlichkeit refers to objective morality. Moralitat is related to the inner motives of the human, and the sittlichkeit is generally shaped by the outer world, the State. Sittlichkeit to Perkins means ethical life which includes the objectivity of any given state.24 These elements play a crucial role in the fulfillment of the History which meant the fulfillment of God.25 The Spirit, only, can be strengthened by reason which excludes a priori in history.26 History cannot be regarded in a concept of certain values inconsistent with reality. In the Hegelian design of history, what has happened could not be otherwise.27 The absolute knowledge is only accessible only if the human was aware of the Spirit of his contemporary age.28 The actualization of Spirit occurs with submergence of individuality, recognizance of genuine knowledge, absorption of knowledge to the degree of abstract universality and inward transformation of all elements to inner Spirituality respectively.29 The objectivity and the subjectivity will be reconciled to form a homogeneous notion of the Spirit.30 Charles Taylor states that an extreme amount of energy is needed to set ordinary people free which, at first sight, is impossible to be achieved. 31 Given the ambiguous definition of self-achievement, the prerequisites for the accomplishment are in constant alteration which alienates the human beings from their respective identities. However, History is the proof and enactment of the Reason. 32 The conflict between Nature and the Spirit has turned out to be diversely productive in the different parts of the world. This diversification is the result of the various geographical factors, to Hegel, which played a significant role in shaping the identity of the Spirit. For instance, there are thousands of religions flourished in India with the assistance of vast river systems which enabled the ordinary people to defeat the Nature and achieve a partial subjectivity. Furthermore, to Hegel, India is the Heaven for the Spirit and the roots of Europeans traces back to Sanskrit times. 33 Brahmans, Hindus, and Buddhists all have different concepts of religion whose core values shared with each other. 34 There is a myriad of factors that enabled things to be as they did. However, the ultimate goal directs the things to the way it is compelled to be. The prime mover or the ultimate goal designer behind the whole body can be named God that combines reason and the Spirit in itself. This abstract entity moves the History in line with certain rules of Universal History.35 Every stage is crucial for the attainment of a pre-destined goal and plays a substantial role in the whole process so from an empirical perspective of the view, the comparison of different stages is logically inconsistent with the overall theory.36 To Hegel, each stage is more advanced than previous ones regarding freedom and rationality.37 The rise of empirical conscious to absolute knowledge is only possible necessary stages for its ascent are discovered within it.38 Hegelian subjectivity is constituted by a posteriori knowledge which transcends the objectivity that was the medium of contradiction between facts and ideas.39 To Hegel, what is factual is rational and what is rational is factual, so the conflict between finite and infinite is in line with the totality of Hegelian system which promised the birth of the selfcognizant freedom via fusion of finite and infinite.40 Hegelian notion of conflict in history is a tragic one which is 24 Robert Perkins, ibid, p. 104 George S. Morris, Hegel’s Philosoph of “tate a d of Histor , S. C. Griggs and Company, Chicago:1887, p. 116 26 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 24 27 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 35 28 Jean Hyppolite, ibid, p. 45 29 G. W. F. Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge:1991, p. 377 30 Aakash Singh and Rimina Mohapatra, ibid, p. 133 31 Charles Taylor, Hegel, Cambridge, 1977, p. 349 32 David Duquette, ibid, p. 94 33 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 161 34 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 176 35 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 51 36 W. H. Walsh, Hegel on the History of Philosophy, History and Theory, Vol. 5, Beiheft 5: The Historiography of the History ofPhilosophy (1965), p. 74 37 Leon J. Goldstein, ibid, p. 63 38 Jean Hyppolite, ibid, p. 39 39 Emilia Digby, Hegel’s Mo is a d Christia it , Hegeler Institute, The Monist, Vol. 7, No. 1 (October, 1896), p. 118 40 Tony McKenna, Hegelian Dialectics, Critique: Journal of Socialist Theory, 39:1(2001), p. 170 25 inevitably destined to be repeated throughout the time.41 Louis Dumont claims that the self-cognizant human would be capable of protecting his upper-identity and to this human; the state is the symbol of his volition and freedom.42In Hegelian view, there can be no subject without object and vice-versa, proving the unity of diverse meanings in one phenomenon.43 Kojeve states that humans are intended to progress because their inner consciousness seeks to be known. 44 From a non-egalitarian perspective, this view explains the impartiality between different cultures over the development of the Spirit. On the other hand, this explanation is inadequate in a modern sense due to the reason that it segregates the people according to intangible data, though their dispositions are visible. Hegelian classification of the cultures states that The East knew and to the present day knows only that one is free; the Greek and Roman world, that so e a e f ee; the Ge a o ld k o s that All a e f ee. These defi itio s att i ute to diffe e t fo s of politi al regimes of Despotism, Democracy and Monarchy respectively.45 The Law is omnipotent in the realm and leaves no room for the humanitarian values. Nature, in the East, is replaced by the Law. The Morality under the guise of the Law limited to options of human-beings that diluted their subjectivity.46 Morality and religion complete each other, and a true religion improves the morality.47 THE UNIVERSAL HISTORY Nature, in particular, geography, hot and cold, is a crucial factor in shaping the characteristics of a given society. Humans are not expected to waste time for things not related to Nature under extreme weather conditions. Therefore, the most appropriate climate for History is temperate zones. 48The geography can be detrimental to progress as in the case of the African continent on which Nature posed the extreme conditions of Negroes and did not enable them to achieve the Freedom that would be the crucial step in the achievement of the Spirit. 49 Hegel s denial of the existence of space is the initial phase of its rational universe which based on thought. 50 The denial is a esult of Hegel s elief i ph si al o ditio s as the p i ipal sti ulus fo the p og ess. Fo i sta e, the sea communities are not confined to their hinterland to defeat the Nature. Their capabilities are beyond means of any society bound to live in a given territory. The sea people can navigate and transmit the knowledge into their communities. The case of antique Phoenicians presents a unique case in which both Spiritual and Natural assets are not formed within their communities but transported from foreign cultures.51 In the Hegelian concept of the History, time is in a teleological progress whose end would come with the accomplishment of the pre-destined goal. This eschatological design would be achieved with the attainment of the Absolute End of History embodied within the absolute freedom and complete knowledge. 52 Even though Hegel has defined the progress as an indispensable element of History, the main Trieb(drive) behind the search for progress remained to be an obscure notion.53 John Dewey claims that Trieb is the alienation of self who set an object which is contrary to subjectivity.54 The eschatological design would be accomplished with the fusion of objectivity and Jean Hyppolite, Genesis and Structure of Hegel’s Phe o e olog of “pirit, Nortwestern University Press, USA:1974, p. 31 42 Bü a i Bez i, ibid, p. 247 43 John Anderson, ibid, p. 87 44 Alexandre Kojeve, Introduction to Reading Hegel: Lectures on the Phonemonolgy of Spirit, Cornell University Press, Ithaca:1980, p. 7 45 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 121 46 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 128-129 47 Steven B. Smith, Hegel’s Dis o er of Histor , The Review of Politics, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Apr., 1983), p. 166 48 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 97 49 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 113 50 Scott Jenkins, Hegel on Space: A Critique of Kant's Transcendental Philosophy, Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, 2010, p. 327-328 51 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 111 52 Daniel Berthold Bond, Hegel’s Es hatologi al Visio : Does Histor ha e a Future?, History and Theory, Vol. 27, No:1 (Feb. 1988), p. 14-15 53 Thomas J. J. Altizer, Hegel and the Christian God, Oxford University Press, Journal of American Academy of Religion, Vol. 59, No. 1(Spring, 1991), p. 73 54 James Scott Johnston, ibid, p. 436 41 subjectivity which are prerequisites for the blur of Hegelian duality. With the disillusionment of notions, the owl of Minerva would start to fly heralding the realization of the Truth. The past consists of stages which were to be passed for the achievement of the end.55 If the lea Idea of the Reason is not already developed in our minds, in beginning the study of the Universal history, we should at least leave the firm, unconquerable faith that Reason exist right there, and that the World of intelligence and conscious volition is not abandoned to chance, but show itself in the light of the self- og iza t Idea. 56 Contrary to Hegelian vision of the History, John Anderson claims that there is regress in History as much as progress. 57 Apart from him, Alain Touraine argues that History not is linear and comprises elements of partition and unity which complete each other. 58 Whereas speculative development occurs in the full inwardness and infinitude of pure thought such that the earlier/later distinction cannot apply, historical development takes place in the medium of time and externality, where individual actions and events are unique and non-repeatable. 59 In the Greece, the conflict between Athena and Sparta is a particular case which has to be examined in detail. The decline of Greek culture is one of best examples of regress in history. To Hegel, their conflict arose due to their respective family types that shape the overall disposition of the society.60 This conflict diminished the spirituality in the society and at the end; culture has been exterminated by Nature. With the attainment of the absolute End, the End of History would be introduced. The End meant the redemption of humans from the dire objectivity of the State. 61 Daniel Bond argues that Hegelian vision of History based on eschatological hypothesis is ambiguous.62 Furthermore, Thomas Altizer argued that the Hegelian notion of the History is a theodicy of God posed on human-beings which only to be overcome by the cruxification of God, the Spirit, whose existence hamper the apocalypse. The Christianity used these themes suit the realization of God in the temporal world. 63 Moreover, Edward Carr argues that theodicy is a self-realizing concept and if claimed, it would reach a certain success in the end.64 The End of the History is approval of God s e iste e th ough Histo .65 Hegel is the standpoint where two contradictions are merged to end the perennial dualism of objective and subjective. 66 It is also noticed that each newly arisen fact alters the dynamics of proceeding ages so, the problems were never as precise as Hegel claimed them to be. 67 THE TRUTH The Truth is the ultimate result of the conflict between objectivity and subjectivity. Hegel stated that the Germans Spirit is the same of the Spirit of the new age. German Spirit aims to realize the absolute truth through reaching the Freedom. The Christian faith would be protected by the Germans whose Spirit has the greater similarity with the Truth.68 The perception of liberty in the untouched minds of the ordinary people is not capable of encompassing the universal Truth. On the other hand, the Germans starting with the diffusion of the foreign elements in their newlyawakening mindset would be able to create something completely genuine.69 The Protestant faith, at this point, has broken the extreme objectivity of the Church. The Emancipation from this objectivity and the emergence of subjectivity has made the German Spirit greater than other objectively-based cultures. The metaphysical philosophy 55 Tony McKenna, Hegelian Dialectics, Critique: Journal of Socialist Theory, 39:1(2001), p. 169 Aakash Singh and Rimina Mohapatra, Reading Hegel: The Introductions, re. Press, Melbourne:2008, p. 117 57 John Anderson, The Place of Hegel in History of Philosophy, Australasian Journal of Psychology and Philosophy, 10:2,(1932), p. 84 58 Bü a i Bez i, ibid, p. 242 59 David Duquette, ibid, p. 100 60 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 281 61 Daniel Berthold Bond, ibid, p. 17 62 Daniel Berthold Bond, ibid, p. 22 63 Thomas J. J. Altizer, ibid, p. 80-81 64 Edward H. Carr, What is History?, Alfred A. Knopf Inc. New York:1972, p. 147 65 Ö e Na i “o ka , Hegel Sisteminde Tarih Felsefesi, Betimleyici-Eleşti el Bi Gi iş, p. 66 William T. Harris, Kant and Hegel in the History of Philosophy, The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Vol. 15, No. 3 (July, 1881), p. 249 67 John Anderson, ibid, p. 88 68 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 358 69 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 359 56 of Hegel a ies pat ioti ias of Ge a supe io it hi h ai tai s Goethe s uppe status a d lapses Ne to ; e e his ideas had an immense effect on his age. 70 With the emergence of the subjectivity, the reason has become free of an objective set of rules and was to be viewed as the most significant element of political life.71 The traditional forms of the political thought became obsolete, and if were to be used, their rationality is suspected. 72 The Truth changes in time. For instance, Roman culture set the abstract universality free of concrete individuality; however coerced individuals to behave against individuality.73 On the other hand, Egyptian politics greatly regulated by the officials in compliance with the up and downs of the river Nile has maintained the regularity of the daily life and people were not able to set themselves free of the objective rule.74 The State of Egypt viewed the dire objectivity as the Truth of their respective age. The case Roman Empire is another instance of the infinitude of the Truth. The continuous wars and the civil unrest transformed the partially subjective Roman Spirit into a more objective one and therefore weakened the superficially built religious system.75 The Roman Republic has made a swift transition to the Empire because early Roman emperors had modest personality unlike the asserted meanness of Oriental rulers. 76 After the clear victory of the Roman state, all the subjected races are categorized on an equal basis and led the way for the emergence of the private law.77 The Truth embraced by the Republic did not satisfy the Empire. Hegel claimed that the religion is somewhat important to keep the nation in unity, and social ties in the society can be strengthened with the religion.78 The holder of absolute sovereignty in the Christian world is the nation state. 79 Each nation must be treated as one individual in evaluating the realization of the Universal History. 80 However, to Altizer, Hegel knew that the French Revolution has ended the age of the Christianity.81 According to Kojeve, the end of the History is the end of the inner conflicts of the human-beings.82 Indeed, when the Christian way of Spirit accomplishment is over, a new stage which was to be targeted would be released. On the other hand, the Christian era was to be over in accordance with the spiritual capabilities; its scope has the infinitude in the aspect of Truth.83 The truth as the i fi ite pa t of the Hegel s dualist philosoph .84 Truth is the unity of the universal and subjective Will; and the Universal is to be found in the State, in its laws, its universal and rational arrangements. 85 The truth is not perceived as it is in itself but as a reflection of the medium which enables us to perceive it.86 Hegel, the monistic philosopher, has merged the Christianity of the spiritualists with that of the philosophers. 87 Even though time is perpetually reconstructed and the dimensions shaped the object has changed, the infinitude of Truth never alters.88 According to Hegelian notion, the ethical life is the true religion of the History. The Christianity, in the case of Hegel, is the ultimate religion of the History which was designed to be the objective of the Spirit.89 However, the outer borders of the Spirit are never clearly understood as in the case of sphinxes. The 70 David G. Rithcie, ibid, p. 54 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 362 72 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 363 73 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 297 74 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 226 75 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 320 76 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 333 77 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 337 78 Steven B. Smith, Hegel’s Dis o er of Histor , The Review of Politics, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Apr., 1983), p. 166 79 G. W. F. Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge:1991, p. 366 80 Aakash Singh and Rimina Mohapatra, ibid, p. 142 81 Thomas J. J. Altizer, ibid, p. 89 82 Alexandre Kojeve, ibid, p.159 83 Daniel Berthold Bond, ibid, p. 26-27 84 Tony McKenna, Hegelian Dialectics, Critique: Journal of Socialist Theory, 39:1(2001), p. 168 85 Leon J. Goldstein, ibid, p. 61 86 Scott Jenkins, ibid, p. 334 87 Emilia Digby, Hegel’s Mo is a d Christia it , Hegeler Institute, The Monist, Vol. 7, No. 1 (October, 1896), p. 116 88 Alfredo Ferrarin, ibid, p. 37 89 Walter Jaeschke, ibid, p. 133-136 71 Sphinx, half animal and half human, represents the struggle between the Spirit and Nature.90 Furthermore, it is the symbol of a semi-religious entity which manifests the quest to free the Spirit. A state is the embodiment of individual totality which consists of both objective and subjective elements of contemporary age which are a result of that respective culture91 and therefore the history of philosophy is the concise account of the history of culture.92 Thus according to John Keane, the State is viewed as the agent of the Spirit which represents God whose acts cannot be surrogated.93 German fidelity met with the inner motives of the people and when the pious became subjective they were able to reflect the inner Spirit of themselves. 94 The subjectivity came with the reformation has enabled to ordinary people to attain inward harmony. 95 Moreover, to Hegel, only a subjective religion can unveil the true Spirit of human beings.96 To Hegel, “e ula life is the positive and embodiment of the Spiritual Kingdom- the Kingdom of the Will manifesting itself i out a d e iste e. 97 Neithe the i di idual o the hu h ut athe the o u it possesses the infinite power and authority needed for its development for the progressive determination of its doctrine.98Virtue with the assistance of subjective Will is crucial to design the dispositions of the people. 99 Eventually, it can be concluded that the pre-destined History of the world aims to attain the Freedom. The owl of Minerva flies at dusk. 100 The Spirit consists of insight and inwardness of the human mind. If the human mind got rid of objectivity and reached subjectivity, it could understand the Spirit, the supreme mover which is God. 101 The question is that whether the accomplishment of the Truth means the End of the History or not. If the Truth is infinite and timeless, the End of the History is a constant alteration in itself. The Truth is can be attained only if human liberated himself from the objectivity of civil society.102 The Truth reached in the Christian world represents the full maturity of the Spirit. 103 CONCLUSION Hegel claimed that the end of the History would come to the realization of objective and subjective harmony in human conscious, and the Truth would appear. However, given the timelessness of Truth, the notion attributing the German Spirit as the final goal and ultimate design ignores the reality that German Spirit was just an outcome of its contemporary age. From a broader perspective, Hegel evaluates the history from a Eurocentric point of view and puts the Europe in the center due to the reason that he was familiar with the European culture, in particular, German culture. The definition of German culture as the closest one to modern Spirit lacks empiric analysis and remains beyond modern analysis technics. 90 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 218 Leon J. Goldstein, ibid, p. 64 92 Leon J. Goldstein, ibid, p. 71 93 Bü a i Bez i, ibid, p. 245 94 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 370 95 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 447 96 Steven B. Smith, ibid, p. 168 97 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 462 98 Walter Jaeschke, Christianity and Secularity in Hegel's Concept of the State, The University of Chicago Press, The Journal of Religion, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Apr., 1981), p. 130 99 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 470 100 Jean Hyppolite, ibid, p. 43 101 G. Friedrich Hegel, ibid, p. 477 102 Steven B. Smith, ibid, p. 180 103 George S. 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