Kojève Hegel Part 1 + 2
The man who is "absorbed" by the obiect that he is contemplatin gcan be "brought back to himself" only by a Desire; by the desireto eat, for exampl
“The very being of man, rhe self-consciousbeing, therefore, implies and presupposesDesire. ConsequentlS the human realiry can be formed and maintainedonly within a biological reality, an animal life. But, if animal Desire is the necessarycondition of Self-Consciousnessit, is not the sufficient condition. By itself, this Desireconstitutesonly the Sentimentof self.
In Introduction to the Reading of Hegel (pages 3–30), Alexandre Kojève provides a profound interpretation of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, particularly focusing on the concepts of consciousness, desire, self-consciousness, and the master-slave dialectic. Here are detailed notes on these pages:
1. Philosophy as the Understanding of History
Kojève introduces the idea that Hegel’s philosophy is deeply tied to understanding the progression of human history.
He emphasizes that history is not a collection of events but a dialectical process where humanity gradually becomes conscious of its freedom.
The ultimate goal of Hegelian philosophy is to demonstrate how Absolute Knowledge emerges through this historical process.
2. Desire as the Basis of Consciousness
Kojève highlights Hegel’s unique focus on desire as the driving force behind consciousness and human action.
Unlike animals, human desire is not limited to material needs; it is directed at the recognition of others. This distinguishes humans as beings who seek meaning beyond survival.
Desire is central to the development of self-consciousness, as it propels individuals to seek affirmation of their existence through the acknowledgment of others.
3. The Struggle for Recognition
A pivotal concept in Kojève’s interpretation is the struggle for recognition (Kampf um Anerkennung). He argues that self-consciousness arises through a conflict where one seeks recognition from another.
This struggle is not merely symbolic but existential, as individuals risk their lives to assert their freedom and gain recognition.
The outcome of this struggle establishes the roles of master and slave.
4. Master-Slave Dialectic
Kojève elucidates Hegel’s famous master-slave dialectic:
The Master achieves recognition through domination but ultimately depends on the slave for acknowledgment, making their freedom incomplete.
The Slave, through labor and confrontation with the material world, develops self-consciousness and becomes the agent of history.
This dialectic illustrates how freedom and self-awareness emerge through interdependence and labor.
5. Work and Labor as Transformative
Kojève underscores the transformative power of labor in the slave’s journey to self-consciousness.
By engaging with the material world and reshaping it, the slave transcends domination and begins to assert their own freedom.
Labor is not merely economic but existential, as it enables the slave to internalize and overcome their initial subjugation.
6. The Role of Negativity
Kojève identifies negativity as a core theme in Hegel’s philosophy. Negativity refers to the process of negating the given state of being to achieve higher levels of consciousness.
This dialectical movement is what drives history forward and allows human beings to progress from mere existence to self-consciousness.
7. Human Freedom and Absolute Knowledge
The culmination of Hegel’s system is the realization of Absolute Knowledge, where the individual fully understands their freedom within the context of history and society.
Kojève argues that this realization marks the "end of history," not in the sense of ceasing events but as the completion of humanity’s philosophical and existential quest for freedom.
Key Takeaways:
Consciousness and Desire: Kojève shows how desire for recognition differentiates humans from animals and drives historical progress.
Dialectics of Freedom: The master-slave relationship serves as a metaphor for how freedom and self-awareness emerge through struggle and interdependence.
Philosophy and History: Kojève views Hegelian philosophy as the framework for understanding the progression toward freedom and self-consciousness.
Work and Transformation: Labor is a transformative act that enables the slave to achieve independence and contribute to the dialectical process.
Kojève’s interpretation provides a modern and existential reading of Hegel, making his ideas accessible and relevant to contemporary debates about freedom, identity, and historical development.
Self-Consciousness and Desire: Human self-consciousness arises not from passive contemplation, but from the active striving of Desire.
The Role of Negation: Desire, fueled by a lack, seeks to negate the desired object through consumption, transformation, or destruction. This negation creates a subjective reality within the individual.
The Desire for Recognition: Human desire, unlike animalistic needs, is directed toward another desire. It is a longing to be recognized by the other, to have one's value affirmed.
Master and Slave Dialectic: The struggle for recognition leads to a primal conflict, resulting in a relationship of Master and Slave. This dynamic, however, contains the seeds for its own eventual overcoming.
Key Ideas and Facts:
The Emergence of "I": Self-consciousness is marked by the ability to say "I," separating oneself from the animal world. This "I" is not innate but emerges through desire. As Kojève states, "It is in and by—or better still, as— "his" Desire that man is formed and is revealed-to himself and to others-as an I."
Desire as Transformation: Desire, in its essence, is an emptiness seeking fulfillment. It is a "revealed nothingness" that motivates action. Action, driven by desire, negates the external object, transforming it and, in the process, transforming the self.
Beyond Animalistic Needs: Human desire transcends mere biological urges. It seeks something beyond the given reality. Kojève argues, "For there to be Self-Consciousness, Desire must therefore be directed toward a non-natural object, toward something that goes beyond the given reality." This "something" is the desire of another.
The Risk of Life for Recognition: Humanity reveals itself in the willingness to risk one's life for a non-vital end: recognition. This risk differentiates humans from animals, who act primarily to preserve their lives.
Desire Directed Towards Another Desire: "Man's humanity 'comes to light' only in risking his life to satisfy his human Desire-that is, his Desire directed toward another Desire." This signifies a yearning to be recognized as valuable by the other, to be desired by their desire.
The Fight for Recognition: The desire for recognition culminates in a fight to the death. However, for self-consciousness to truly emerge, this fight cannot end in mutual destruction. One participant must choose to submit, becoming the Slave to the Master.
Master and Slave as the Foundation of Society: The Master-Slave relationship forms the basis of human society. This dynamic, while seemingly static, contains the potential for its own dialectical overcoming, leading to a future where recognition is mutual and universal.
Important Quotes:
"The man who contemplates is 'absorbed' by what he contemplates; the 'knowing subject' 'loses' himself in the object that is known."
"It is in and by—or better still, as— "his" Desire that man is formed and is revealed-to himself and to others-as an I."
"Desire, being the revelation of an emptiness, the presence of the absence of a reality, is something essentially different from the desired thing."
"Man's humanity 'comes to light' only if he risks his (animal) life for the sake of his human Desire."
"Self-Consciousness exists in and for itself in and by the fact that it exists (in and for itself) for another Self-Consciousness; ie., it exists only as an entity that is recognized."
Further Exploration:
These excerpts offer a complex and fascinating look at the philosophical underpinnings of self-consciousness. Further study of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, guided by Kojève's insightful interpretation, can provide a richer understanding of the implications of these concepts for individual development, social structures, and the historical evolution of humanity.
1. What distinguishes human beings from animals according to Hegel?
Humans possess self-consciousness, an awareness of themselves as distinct individuals with dignity and agency. Animals, on the other hand, experience only a basic "sentiment of self." This distinction arises from the human capacity for language, specifically the ability to say "I."
2. How does Desire contribute to the formation of self-consciousness?
Desire drives humans to action, disrupting passive contemplation and forcing them to engage with the world. This engagement, driven by the need to negate or transform the desired object, leads to the creation of a subjective reality. In satisfying Desire, humans distinguish themselves from the external world, recognizing their own agency and individuality.
3. Why is human Desire different from animal Desire?
Human Desire goes beyond basic biological needs and aims for something more than material objects. It seeks recognition from others, desiring their desire. This intersubjective dynamic fuels the creation of values, culture, and history.
4. What is the role of the "fight to the death" in the emergence of self-consciousness?
Hegel argues that self-consciousness arises from a primal struggle for recognition. Individuals, driven by the desire to be acknowledged as valuable, engage in a life-or-death conflict to assert their dominance. This fight reveals the inherent tension and inequality at the heart of human relationships.
5. How does the Master-Slave relationship arise from this struggle?
The fight to the death necessitates an asymmetry. One individual, fearing death, submits to the other, becoming the Slave. The victor, recognized as superior, becomes the Master. This dynamic establishes a hierarchy that underpins the development of human society.
6. What are the limitations of both the Master and Slave positions?
The Master, while dominant, remains dependent on the Slave's labor and recognition. The Slave, though subservient, develops skills and self-awareness through work, potentially laying the groundwork for future liberation. Both positions are inherently incomplete and contain the seeds of their own transformation.
7. How does the Master-Slave dialectic contribute to historical progress?
The tension between Master and Slave drives social and historical change. The Slave's struggle for recognition and autonomy challenges the existing power structure, leading to the eventual overcoming of both the Master and Slave categories. This process culminates in a higher form of self-consciousness based on mutual recognition and freedom.
8. What is the ultimate goal of the "dialectic" of Master and Slave?
The dialectic aims for the realization of a society where individuals recognize each other as equals, free from domination and dependence. This state of mutual recognition represents the fulfillment of human self-consciousness and the culmination of historical progress.
12-2-24 notes
desire creates consciousness, consciousness is desire /desire wakes u up
no consciousness wo desire
no desire w/o biological life
desire/consciousness is negative= desire rejects the way things are/ use up resources + move or change something (destroy status quo to fill desire= state of deficency
rejecting possibility/ way the world is ^
destroy object of desire —→ become positive —> negative (cycle that is ongoing )
filling itself with something natural fillls comsciousnes w/ positive being and thus kills it (bc consciousness is negativity/desire)
perpetual cycle
more desires more consciousness ???
“Generally speaking, the I of Desire is an emptiness that
receives a real positive content only by negating action that satis-
fies Desire in destroying, transforming, and "assimilating" the
desired non-I. And the positive content of the I, constituted by
negation, is a function of the positive content of the negated non-I.
If, then, the Desire is directed toward a "natural" non-I, the I, too,
will be "natural."= implication for love = desire love __> satisfy/ find love —> will desire more love/ transformation of personality + seperate from self
“Thus, in the
relationship between man and woman, for example, Desire is
burer, i he if the one desires, not the ady, but the Desire the
as Desire—-that is to say, if he wants to be "desired" or "loved,"
or, rather, "recognized" in his human value, in his reality as a
human individual.”
what is pure negativity=desire
desire something not positive also need to desire the negative(non natural)/ people’s desire and consciousness= desire ones desire= want to desire me/ mutuality make someone happy/ respect
wanting something from your point of view respect to have a stable relationship= good friends that respect u = equilibrim of negatives
shun=huge punishment/ silent treatment
is having someone desire you negative/ desire their desire/ able to see them as non positive
if desire is to be stable within itself (self-consciousness) it must not desire and consume
consciousnees = consciousness of natural objects (the world) but how can we be conscious of our conscious sleves, if consciousness if simply the negative of the world
descrates i think therefore i am = doubt everything we see is real imagine away the street imagine away the body doubt myself= cannot imagine away= i must be doubting myself must think therefore i am = consciousness of self = become self-conscious
preesupposes self consciousness = can hesitate the enviorment cannot doubt its environemnt = circular way of thinking
we see not ourselves but our reflection self conscious= pour desire must be reflected in desires of others = validation
“[For there to be Self-Consciousness, Desire must therefore be
directed toward a non-natural object, toward something that goes
beyond the given reality. Now, the only thing that goes beyond
the given reality is Desire itself. For Desire taken as Desire-i.e.,
before its satisfaction-is but a revealed nothingness, an unreal
emptiness. Desire, being the revelation of an emptiness, the pres-
ence of the absence of a reality, is something essentially different
from the desired thing, something other than a thing, than a static
and given real being that stays eternally identical to itself
desire= sort of valuing - desire is normative
ex- lets have food, i trust you, feel confident
lets have food, no it looks weird, feel less confident in food
listen to a kind of music bc it is good, if someone says it is not then u do not want to listen to it
want to impress others
diff kind of music want to destroy them make urself musically authoritative struggle for domination in realm of values + tastes
“[Human Desire must be directed toward another Desire. For
there to be human Desire, then, there must first be a multiplicity
of (animal) Desires. In other words, in order that Self-Conscious-
ness be born from the Sentiment of self, in order that the human
reality come into being within the animal reality, this reality must
be essentially manifold. Therefore, man can appear on earth only
within a herd. That is why the human reality can only be social.
But for the herd to become a society, multiplicity of Desires is
not sufficient by itself; in addition, the Desires of each member of
the herd must be directed-or potentially directed-toward the
Desires of the other members. If the human reality is a social reality,
society is human only as a set of Desires mutually desiring one
another as Desires.” = evolution we were apart of herd / desiring animals / desire other things= competitiion of desires= man is poltical animal
no social contract
CHECK NOTES self-consciousness- biologially logically 2 conscious beings
aristotle= basic sense u cannot be homo spaniens unless apart of species requires reproduction
cannot make senseof self unless performing a role with polis like an organ within a differentiated body
nietzche= man is historical animal= domination and subordinating (forgetting) make the organism possible
punishment make memory possible
hegel= desire for desire makes us human = makes us self-conscious= plurality og being and conflicting
conscious only with POV with interests/ no one is imparcial
desire=negagtive ]
natural desire= fills positive with negative/ no enough for slef consciousness
human desire= self conciousness= desire for desire
human desire=weird slef-reflexive character / wnat o be recongized witjh priorities
desire= only human more than appetite more than intsinct= must be a f ree deisre to self conscious= desire something u didnt have to
only way to be free = value something higher than life to be willing and able to sacrifice ones life
desire to consumption is hamster wheel
need to see yourlself relflected in the world to have identity
no self sufficency= respect value of others (homeless people have no)
authoritative in values= need people to agree creates struggle no over material resources but over values= who is right/wrong
free= prove urself right
desire=negative consciousness=negative world divided into important and unimportant= root of desire = wether there is food/no food
postive=have what u desire= final end u would not live = consrantly desire things to be alive (becoming old=desires drift away/dying/totally satisfied)
desire for desire== whos desire is the most important=battle
battle = “but for that reconginition to satisfy him, he has to know that the other is a human beginning. IN the beginning see other as the aspect __> provoke fight to death
origin of self-consciousness is necessarily to seek recognizition\
5 possible outcomes= A and B fight to death / drive= desire of other recongize other as free
A kills B = No self consciousness = no respect of other/ corpse= animal
B kills A =No self consciousness = no respect of other/ corpse= animal
B and A die = no self consciousness= not origin
B spares A = Self consciousness / A not as free=slavish B=master
A spares B = Self consciousness / B not as free = no truely free=slavish A=master
master and slave relationship=necesary of human condition in origin
unlike aristotle= hegel= beginning of human has to be born from master and slave= not stable=
Part 2
This excerpt from Alexandre Kojève's Introduction to the Reading of Hegel analyzes Hegel's master-slave dialectic. Kojève argues that the master's desire for recognition is ultimately unsatisfied, as he depends on the slave for his own self-consciousness. The slave, through work and the creation of objects, achieves self-consciousness and surpasses the master. This process represents a historical progression, culminating in the slave's freedom and the transformation of the world. Kojève highlights the slave's crucial role in achieving self-awareness and historical progress, ultimately demonstrating the limitations of the master's perspective.
Pages 19–23: The Master-Slave Dialectic
Struggle for Recognition:
Kojève elaborates on Hegel's famous Phenomenology of Spirit passage concerning the "struggle for recognition" (Kampf um Anerkennung).
Human consciousness arises through interaction and the desire to be recognized as autonomous by another self-conscious being.
This struggle is existential and inherently violent because it entails risking one’s life to assert freedom.
Formation of the Master-Slave Relationship:
In the life-and-death struggle, one consciousness capitulates to fear of death, becoming the slave, while the other asserts dominance, becoming the master.
The master subjugates the slave, who, out of fear, works for the master rather than asserting their own freedom.
Contradiction of the Master:
The master desires recognition but achieves it only from a subordinate consciousness (the slave), which undermines the authenticity of the recognition.
Kojève highlights the paradox: true recognition requires equality, which the master-slave dynamic lacks.
Pages 23–30: The Slave’s Path to Freedom
The Slave’s Labor:
Kojève emphasizes the transformative power of labor. Through work, the slave engages with reality and begins to shape the world.
Labor fosters self-consciousness as the slave realizes their ability to impose their will on nature.
The Role of Fear and Submission:
The slave's initial fear of death and submission to the master are pivotal for self-development.
Fear instills awareness of mortality and finitude, prompting a deeper reflection on existence.
Emergence of Freedom:
Over time, the slave surpasses the master in self-consciousness because the master remains dependent on the slave’s labor for survival and recognition.
The slave’s growing autonomy through labor and intellectual activity leads to eventual freedom.
Philosophical Implications:
Kojève interprets this dynamic as a metaphor for human history: humanity moves from a state of domination to one of mutual recognition and freedom.
He frames the dialectic as a historical process culminating in universal human equality, which he identifies with modernity and post-revolutionary ideals.
Key Interpretive Notes:
Kojève’s reading is highly anthropological, interpreting Hegel’s dialectic as a historical and social process rather than a purely metaphysical one.
He links the master-slave dialectic to broader themes like the development of political systems, economic structures, and cultural consciousness.
The eventual synthesis of the dialectic prefigures the Enlightenment and modern democracy, where mutual recognition replaces domination.
12-5 notes