The absolute

From Citizendium
Revision as of 08:55, 23 November 2008 by imported>Martin Cohen (starting page stub)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

absolute, the

From the Latin absolutus meaning whole or complete. In philosophy however, it's use is slightly more rarified, coming to the subject in the 'idealist' writings of the eighteenth century epic poet Friedrich Schelling and and his schoolmate and fellow German, Hegel. Schelling used it to signify the unity of knower with that which is known while for Hegel it was synonymous with the final triumph of abstract logic. This he predicted as a (somewhat implausible) consequence of the evolution of human society.