It is crucial to understand that Hegel understands Nature as created. Nature is in fact a means for Spirit, produced from Absolute Spirit, for Spirit to produce itself from it. We cannot understand Hegel's notion of Nature if we do not understand it has no genuine independence. Nature in itself is exactly a lack of independence, it is dependent through and through. The radical externality of Nature, being external to its own self, means that it is internal to somewhat else, Spirit. Nature is therefore Spirit's own externality and thus Spirit is at work in Nature and Nature has no genuine independent existence. This is why Hegel talks about the implicit Mind at work in Nature. Of course this reading, which is Hegel's own is often avoided due to fears of the theological airs we hear in this sort of talk, but this is simply Hegel's actual thinking of the issue. "Philosophy to begin with contemplates the Absolute as logical. Idea, the Idea as it is in thought, under the aspect in which its content is constituted by the specific forms of thought. Further, philosophy exhibits the Absolute in its activity, in its creations. This is the manner in which the Absolute becomes actual or “for itself,” becomes Spirit, and God is thus the result of philosophy. It becomes apparent, however, that this is not merely a result, but is something which eternally creates itself, and is that which precedes all else. The onesidedness of the result is abrogated and absorbed in the very result itself. Nature, finite Spirit, the world of consciousness, of intelligence, and of will, are embodiments of the divine Idea, but they are definite shapes, special modes of the appearance of the Idea, forms, in which the Idea has not yet penetrated to itself, so as to be absolute Spirit." "Further, philosophy exhibits the Absolute in its activity, in its creations. This is the manner in which the Absolute becomes actual or “for itself,” becomes Spirit, and God is thus the result of philosophy. It becomes apparent, however, that this is not merely a result, but is something which eternally creates itself, and is that which precedes all else. The onesidedness of the result is abrogated and absorbed in the very result itself. Nature, finite Spirit, the world of consciousness, of intelligence, and of will, are embodiments of the divine Idea, but they are definite shapes, special modes of the appearance of the Idea, forms, in which the Idea has not yet penetrated to itself, so as to be absolute Spirit."
Thank you for this talk. It was very informative :D
It is crucial to understand that Hegel understands Nature as created. Nature is in fact a means for Spirit, produced from Absolute Spirit, for Spirit to produce itself from it. We cannot understand Hegel's notion of Nature if we do not understand it has no genuine independence. Nature in itself is exactly a lack of independence, it is dependent through and through.
The radical externality of Nature, being external to its own self, means that it is internal to somewhat else, Spirit. Nature is therefore Spirit's own externality and thus Spirit is at work in Nature and Nature has no genuine independent existence. This is why Hegel talks about the implicit Mind at work in Nature. Of course this reading, which is Hegel's own is often avoided due to fears of the theological airs we hear in this sort of talk, but this is simply Hegel's actual thinking of the issue.
"Philosophy to begin with contemplates the Absolute as logical. Idea, the Idea as it is in thought, under the aspect in which its content is constituted by the specific forms of thought. Further, philosophy exhibits the Absolute in its activity, in its creations. This is the manner in which the Absolute becomes actual or “for itself,” becomes Spirit, and God is thus the result of philosophy. It becomes apparent, however, that this is not merely a result, but is something which eternally creates itself, and is that which precedes all else. The onesidedness of the result is abrogated and absorbed in the very result itself. Nature, finite Spirit, the world of consciousness, of intelligence, and of will, are embodiments of the divine Idea, but they are definite shapes, special modes of the appearance of the Idea, forms, in which the Idea has not yet penetrated to itself, so as to be absolute Spirit."
"Further, philosophy exhibits the Absolute in its activity, in its creations. This is the manner in which the Absolute becomes actual or “for itself,” becomes Spirit, and God is thus the result of philosophy. It becomes apparent, however, that this is not merely a result, but is something which eternally creates itself, and is that which precedes all else. The onesidedness of the result is abrogated and absorbed in the very result itself. Nature, finite Spirit, the world of consciousness, of intelligence, and of will, are embodiments of the divine Idea, but they are definite shapes, special modes of the appearance of the Idea, forms, in which the Idea has not yet penetrated to itself, so as to be absolute Spirit."
It says “philosophy to begin with” - it’s a statement specifically about the process of philosophy, not the cosmos