I’m back from a great week away, much to do and even more to write.
In my research I have come to learn that during college Hegel was roommates with another budding philosopher named Schelling, who later became Hegel’s antagonist. Schelling became “successful” in philosophy almost immediately after graduating, while Hegel labored as a virtual unknown for good number of years until he rocketed to fame with the publication of Phenomenology of Spirit. Hegel quickly became THE philosopher of the era. Schelling seemed to grow intensely jealous.
So jump ahead a bunch of years; Schelling outlives Hegel. Schelling was teaching in Berlin and was ragging on Hegel. Schelling was pointing out some of what he saw as problems with Hegel’s work… Hegel’s philosophy was seen as negative, as heterodox, his concept of universal spirit seemed to leave no room for classical Christian orthodoxy, and of course is the idea that the individual doesn’t really count.
Sitting in the exact same class, listening and taking notes as Schelling expressed his disagreement – maybe peppered with a little envy and resentment – with Hegel were four students who would alter the modern landscape. One could argue that the life’s work of all four of these change-makers is – at least in part – a reaction to Hegel. Søren Kierkegaard (arguably the father of existentialism), Søren’s hometown friend, Hans Christian Anderson (children’s author), Friedrich Engels, one of the “Marx brothers” (working closely with Karl Marx resulting in what we now call Marxism), and Mikhail Bakunin, (who is one of the great anarchist writers of all time and fierce opponent of Marxism). What a class that must of been!?!
Look at the four different responses to a jealous critique of Hegel’s work. Four students absorb the Schelling’s rejection of Hegel’s notion that the individual doesn’t really matter and history is radically altered.
- Kierkegaard creates what would later be known as existentialism which he sees as a defense of true Christianity elevating the importance of the individual as a social theory.
- Anderson writes formational stories for children,
- Engels co-creates Marxism which takes Hegelian emphasis on society to new heights.
- Bakunin makes palpable the subversion of any system in which individuals don’t really matter.
Imagine: What were conversations like after class was over? Did these four engage with one another? Did they go out for bratwurst and brew? What kinds of conversations am I instigating? Given the impact of his students, Schelling just may be the most influential philosopher of modern era.
Now, I am not a novelist, but if I were, this would be the kind of historical fiction writing I would want to write.
Peace, dwight
