My Hegelian Attempt - Identity

[Nothingness]

Well…a while ago I was reading a discussion about Hegel’s identity within difference or something like that…and I wrote this…

I was reminded of it because I am going to read Deleuze’ Difference and Repitition.

I’m no philosopher, just a lover of ideas and a wandering soul.

I have an object here in my hand. I have an immediate perception that this object is seperate from everything else. I can then identify some of its properties. I can also identify some of its relations with other objects. It would be impossible for me to indentify every single relation it has with every object in the universe, but I obviously need not know them to consider it as a seperate object. I know that every other object is opposed to this object and so this object has relations with what opposes it. Do the properties that I observe, plus the relations that this object has with every other object in the universe opposed to it constitute its complete identity, rather than just its observed properties?

The object will always have its properties and it will always have relations with other objects. This is inescapable unless there were no other objects or unless this object was composed of smaller objects, but I thinking of an immutable object in a universe with a stable number of other immutable objects.

There is a difference though, the properties of this object never change while its relations with other objects will change, since the objects do move around. The properties of this object are essential. That fact that there are relations would be essential, but not each particular relation, for they are constantly changing.

Thus, any object is composed of its essential properties and the essential fact that it has these relations. All changing relations are contained within the general fact of there being relations. So an object’s complete identity does contain all its relations with other objects within, indirectly by way of the general under which all relations are subsumed, and these relations constantly change; but to have a relation another object is needed. This object is then also included within our object’s indentity as well as its essential properties.

Therefore, I conclude that every object’s identity contains within it the entire universe of objects. We do not have the minds capable of knowing every object in the universe and all of their relations or the time to derive them from the one single object, though it contain all within its identity. We thus cannot fully comprehend any object, though we may beable to perceive it and think we know it.

Either way, we have proved that what is opposed to an object constitutes part of its Identity and the tautological statement of A=A contains within it not-A.

[krossie]

Difference and Repitition is a tough, tough read

• I think I got about a 1/4 of it and gave up maybe 2/3 of the way through…

It has awful jars from hard Aristotelian logic about properties and forms to just random bits of poetry, psychology, Lacan, Bergson, Freud

Even Marx (from the 18th Brumiere thingy) on how the past reasserts itself into the present (Slogans and methods being re-appropriated by each revolution - that was one of the better and more understandable bits!!)

The Phenomenology of Spirit by Deleuze’s “enemy” Hegel isn’t much easier though I find!!!

He seems to keep setting up a sort of chicken and egg situation and his resolution by sort of moving the focus out and going to a higher level at which both views can be incorporated (synthesised? -In so far as I get it) - isn’t super convincing.

I am convinced that Hegel is great but that my mind just isn’t up to him!

Your quote up there - actually seems to be an excellent summary of the first wee bit of Phenomenology of Spirit put a fairly understandable way

• any more of this would be very, very welcome! – or even good “guides” to Hegel

It Nietzsche was right for sure on one thing it’s that its a lonely old world up where Hegel and Delueze thread the boards!

God luck with the Deleuze and any pointers on Hegel very welcome…