Hegel

The Kantian-Hegelian-Marxist tradition has proved extremely influential up to our present time. This post will focus on the middle of these titans of German philosophy, G.W.F. Hegel. Here are Hegel's thoughts on "Universal History":
"The German spirit is the Spirit of the New World. Its aim is the realization of absolute Truth as the unlimited self-determination of Freedom....The destiny of the German peoples is to be the bearers of the Christian principle...of Spiritual Freedom."
[Hegel, Philosophy of History]
Hegel views history as the "development of the idea of freedom." Here, he is intertwining his idea of history with the destiny of the German people.

Featured Painting

I apologize for my neglect of this blog of late. Here is the featured painting, and painter, of the week:

Transfiguration
by: Raphael [1520]

Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone (in Italian Raffaello; April 6 or March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520) was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. [courtesy Wikipedia.]

Goethe

"There is nothing more terrible than the succession of fair days."

Is unhappiness a necessary part of the human condition? Is it our nature? Maybe, it is the exterior forces around us.

Pain

What is pain? Rather, what does it mean to say, "I feel pain." Does anyone actually understand when we make these statements? I don't know, but I think, understanding could be the wrong approach. Perhaps, only by accepting our inability to understand the pain of others, or even the word "pain", can we then begin to understand.