Hegel and the Introduction

            Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit begins with an Introduction on the faculty of knowledge and determining the Absolute. While the introduction provides detailed info on the content of his text, it also gives the reader with an indication of what his writing style is like. In one passage, Hegel writes, “Now, if we inquire into the truth of knowledge, it seems that we are asking what knowledge is in itself. Yet in this inquiry knowledge is our object, something that exists for us; and the in-itself that would supposedly result from it would rather be the being of knowledge for us. What we asserted to be its essence would be not so much its truth but rather just our knowledge of it. The essence or criterion would lie within ourselves, and that which was to be compared with it and about which a decision would be reached through this comparison would not necessarily have to recognize the validity of such a standard.” 

            Hegel’s thoughts on what in-itself is seems to be a very interesting topic that he will develop throughout his text. His writing style also interests me through his word choice. Overall, his introduction proves to be a thought-provoking preview for the rest of his writing.