The Cynical Historian | Hegel and the Whiggish History | Historiography #Shorts 7 @CynicalHistorian | Uploaded 3 years ago | Updated 3 minutes ago
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was kind of the figurehead of many romantic philosophers who theorized a way of understanding what the spirit of the times is or was, also known as the zeitgeist. A status quo gave rise to its opposition, eventually resolving into a new norm that incorporated both. This is called the hegelian dialectic, where you have a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. So the French Revolution was merely the rise of an opposition to aristocracy, resolving with Napoleon taking on the role of both. This dialectic was the zeitgeist, and the nation-state was the ultimate destination.
Historians who use this theory believe that history is always progressing, that the zeitgeist is always improving, and the arrow of history points toward liberal democracy. More civil rights, scientific advancement, technological improvements, and increasing nation-states around the world reinforce this view of perpetual progress. They are called “whigs,” though I rather like the term “chronological snobbery,” for whig historians are rather presumptive of what is good.
Historiography Shorts playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjnwpaclU4wXi3h9O4E0a0ZVPGYxAuUTy
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Hegel's books: gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2161
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Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was kind of the figurehead of many romantic philosophers who theorized a way of understanding what the spirit of the times is or was, also known as the zeitgeist. A status quo gave rise to its opposition, eventually resolving into a new norm that incorporated both. This is called the hegelian dialectic, where you have a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. So the French Revolution was merely the rise of an opposition to aristocracy, resolving with Napoleon taking on the role of both. This dialectic was the zeitgeist, and the nation-state was the ultimate destination.
Historians who use this theory believe that history is always progressing, that the zeitgeist is always improving, and the arrow of history points toward liberal democracy. More civil rights, scientific advancement, technological improvements, and increasing nation-states around the world reinforce this view of perpetual progress. They are called “whigs,” though I rather like the term “chronological snobbery,” for whig historians are rather presumptive of what is good.
Historiography Shorts playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjnwpaclU4wXi3h9O4E0a0ZVPGYxAuUTy
------------------------------------------------------------
Hegel's books: gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2161
------------------------------------------------------------
SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=CynicalCypher88
Support the channel through PATREON:
patreon.com/CynicalHistorian
or by purchasing MERCH: teespring.com/stores/the-cynical-historian
LET'S CONNECT:
Twitch: twitch.tv/cynicalhistorian
Facebook: facebook.com/cynicalcypher88
Subreddit: reddit.com/r/CynicalHistory
Discord: discord.gg/Ukthk4U
Twitter: twitter.com/Cynical_History
