Omnis Determinatio Est Negatio
Omnis Determinatio Est Negatio
This chapter examines Hegel’s use of the phrase “alle Bestimmheit ist Negation Negation” as an almost magical formula that summarizes the entire framework of Spinozism. It seeks to understand what kind of logic leads Hegel to attribute this phrase to Spinoza, making it the principal marker of their distinction. According to Hegel, one philosophy is necessarily superior because it follows another and nourishes itself on the previous one’s failure, prompting him to categorize philosophies according to the principle of a negative rationality. In Hegel’s view, the philosophy of Spinoza is necessarily insufficient therefore it must be interpreted. However, the chapter argues that Hegel does not properly understand Spinoza, and that it was Spinoza who understood Hegel and refuted his dialectic.
Keywords: G. F. W. Hegel, Baruch Spinoza, negative rationality, Spinozism, Hegelian dialectic
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