The Philosophy of History

The system taken within Hegel's philosophy of history is 'dialectical progression'! His model starts with an existing thesis, with the contradictions incased to its structure. These contradictions unwittingly create the thesis direct opposite, or antithesis, bringing about a period of conflict between the two. The new synthesis that emerges from this conflict then finds its own internal contradictions, and the process continues. The Hegelian dialectic is called 'progressive' because each new thesis represent an advance over the previous thesis, continually until a final goal is reached. To apply Hegel's view of world history, it represents the manner in which the Spirit develops gradually into its present form. Ultimately it recognizes its own essential freedom. To Hegel, "world history is thus the unfolding of Spirit in time, as nature is the unfolding of the 'idea' in space." The dialectic process thus virtually defines the meaning of history for Hegel.