[Xmca-l] Re: Hegel's notion of The Notion

[Greg Thompson]

Andy,
So does your response mean that all of my questions in my previous post are
non-starters?
-greg

On Thu, May 11, 2017 at 9:48 AM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> Concepts are first of all things which exist; because they exist, the mind
> is capable of grasping them, in fact, they are exactly the way the mind
> grasps the world (etymologically concept = to grasp). The way they exist is
> in human activity and the artifacts we use in that activity. Since you have
> made a start on this Greg, I have to say that I think you need this and
> also the section to follow called "The Subjective Notion" to get a decent
> picture.
>
> Andy
> ------------------------------
> Andy Blunden
> http://home.mira.net/~andy
> http://www.brill.com/products/book/origins-collective-decision-making
> On 12/05/2017 1:40 AM, Greg Thompson wrote:
>
> ​Okay Andy, I've started into the Hegel text that you suggested (I don't
> think you truly appreciate how slow of a reader I am! BTW, the text Andy
> shared can be found here: https://www.marxists.
> org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hl/hlnotion.htm), and I came across
> this notion of The Notion by Hegel in Section 1279:
>
> "Now although it is true that the Notion is to be regarded, not merely as
> a subjective presupposition but as the *absolute foundation*, yet it can
> be so only in so far as it has *made* itself the foundation. Abstract
> immediacy is no doubt a *first*; yet in so far as it is abstract it is,
> on the contrary mediated, and therefore if it is to be grasped in its truth
> its foundation must first be sought. Hence this foundation, though indeed
> an immediate, must have made itself immediate through the sublation of
> mediation."​
>
> This seems core to the kind of realism that Hegel is building up (a
> realism of concepts) and, I think, remains a revolutionary conception
> today. The idea here seems to be that the Notion is not a "subjective
> presupposition" but is rather much more real than that. But, I guess I'm
> wondering HOW can this be?
>
> There are multiple objections, but perhaps the biggest objection comes
> from 20th century social science's preoccupation with social construction.
> In this tradition, concepts are things held in the head, subjective and
> maybe also intersubjective, but always mediated (and some might say
> "derivative"). Hegel seems to be offering a much different take - one in
> which concepts are much more primary. Am I right here?
>
> And, what is this business about the "sublation of mediation"? (and where
> does this last bit jibe with CHAT? Many people in CHAT speak of mediation
> but I don't recall anyone speaking of the "sublation of mediation").
>
> Any help with this text would be appreciated.
>
> (and this is closely related to "the stuff of words" but I still felt that
> this needed a new thread.).
>
> -greg
>
> --
> Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Anthropology
> 880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
> Brigham Young University
> Provo, UT 84602
> http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
>
>
>


-- 
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson