'The consciousness recognize themselves as mutually recognizing each other.'

'Self-Consciousness is at first simple existence-for-itself, self-identical through the exclusion from itself of every other. Its "essence" and absolute "object" is for it ego.'

-Readings on Hegel assigned in from SOSC 11100.

Out of all all the topics covered in my social science class this quarter ("Power, Identity, and Resistance"), one of which intrigued me the most (and I am confident to say that this topic was also the most abstract, perhaps even the most difficult to grapple with), but nevertheless any slight understanding of such concepts proved to be delightfully insightful, and intellectually satisfying, meaning that it was a good representation of the tradition of a U of C education, is one that I came across in one selected reading on Hegel.

This concept that we were introduced was none other than Hegel's concept of the Self, and the relationship between the Self and Self-Consciousness.

For basic understanding purposes I will attempt to demonstrate the extent that I understood Hegel (arguably the most difficult philosopher to read). In addition, the concept of how self-consciousness is established is critical, if not, elemental to the essence of my course reading. In an excerpt from Hegel's 'Phenomenology of Spirit', Hegel methodologically and systematically analyzes the thought process behind the struggle for dominance and power between two persons. He does this by examining the relationship between the minds of the two persons. Each encounter is presented with a struggle - this struggle, in its most extreme form, can only be resolved by the death of one, for none can survive if the other is alive (along the same lines, this is eerily reminiscent of the prophecy exemplified in Harry Potter).

This conflict is based on one fundamental principle: when two minds meet, they cannot both be in the state of existence-for-itself, because this is not only not possible but cannot happen by the very definition of existing-for-itself, since it requires that the other self recognizes its existence. By having a separate entity recognize your own existence, one can confirm their existence because it is validated by an external consciousness, thereby establishing for certainty that this existence is for-itself and not merely in-itself.

Grounded in rigorous definitions, what Hegel meant concerning the importance of existence and self-consciousness for itself is none other than what every philosophers aim to identify and reach: truth. Moreover, Hegel believed that the truth of independent consciousness (and no less than what is known as real existence) is the fact that one becomes self-conscious by establishing their existence through the acknowledgment of the same subject matter in another (and therefore, external) consciousness.

Thus, the dividing line between mere consciousness (to which one can ascribe analogously to nothing more complex than a 'vegetative state of existence') is self-consciousness.

Hegel further elaborates on this concept of truth, consciousness, self-consciousness, (and the difference between relating to oneself as the Thing, existing for or in-itself), by examining the extreme relationship of subjugation and subordination between the slave and the master. But my interest in this concept of consciousness stops here, for what really interests me about this establishment and the role of consciousness in society is just this: the unity of collective consciousness.

To put Hegel's reading into context: the course was aptly titled 'Power, Identity, and Resistance', and the objective of this course was to examine the role of society and the individual, investigate the relationship between the individual and society, and deduce, reason, or apply different methodology to conclude what exactly is the relationship between the two entities. We started with Adam Smith's 'The Wealth of Nations', studied individualism, and moved on to Marx and his theory why Communism shall prevail as the dominant paradigm of social institutions, and how it will re-organize the relationship of wage-labour and wealth. Hegel's thesis on Self-Consciousness serves a role by laying the foundation for Marx's grand Manifesto of the Communist Party, in which Marx delineates the necessary social conditions under which the proletariats will rise and overthrow the existing bourgeois class and bourgeois rule which had been in power in society for so long. Marx knew that the proletariats can only stage a successful revolution if and only if they recognized themselves as a class, and recognized their common interest (this is what Marx refers to as a unity of collective consciousness; it has great implications for moral and social forces). The third text of the quarter is Durkheim's 'The Division of Labour in Society'. Durkheim presented a very different perspective - rather than applying individualism as a methodology to examine the social interactions by focusing on the individual and self-interest, he uses holism methodology to examine how society provides the social context in which the individual exists and interacts with other individuals.

Now, having established the premises of Smith and Durkheim, and establishing the role of social consciousness in Marx's dissertation, I will try to explain what it is about the role of consciousness, and self-consciousness that has struck me as particularly interesting.

Have you ever had one of those feelings where you realized the implications of a particular topic discusses or taught in class recently and seeing how this theory or concept applied to your everyday life? Well, believe it or not, this is exactly what happened with the reading on Hegel. Something eerie about the way societies are held together through social cohesion struck me as not only real but very true. I think part of the reason was having my second year in college becoming more definite in one sense and wonderfully challenged in another. I noticed how much harder second year was - courses are becoming demanding, many of us are finishing up with the core or taking interesting courses, either because they are part of our major requirements or relevant courses pertaining towards some part of our general interest (next year, I will be taking my first political science class). Anyway, each one of us are becoming specialized; we are gravitating towards what grabs us and interests us that we are willing to put in the time and effort to work for it. In a way, this is something that Durkheim mentioned in his 'Division of Labour in Society' - how by becoming specialized individuals, not only are we conforming to society's structure but we are in the process reinforcing the ties that links us together, this social solidarity that Durkheim places great emphasis on.

Unfortunately, at this institution, it isn't the degree of specialization that appears to be hindering social solidarity but the pace of it. What I mean to say is that more often than not, as each of us struggle and challenge ourselves academically that it's hard to find some common ground other than the fact that we are, in a very broad sense, experiencing the same type of struggle.

I see this a lot, mostly during problem sessions with the TA and office hours. Rather than an ample opportunity to go over any mishaps and misunderstanding (I like to think of it as clearing up any confusion, so that I would, metaphorically, walk out of that room as if the sky was clear again), it was a disastrous (okay, I'm exaggerating here, but only for illustration purposes) séance during which each student only compounded (this happens more than once) the confusion of other students, or, if not, made the allotted time for going over questions all the more inefficient.

You could say that our consciousnesses were not together at all.

I didn't know what else to do but to marvel at this new found discovery, at the same time, having to wring my hands in despair not knowing what should be done to alleviate the situation, given this knowledge.

Although, I do have to say that what I had also gleaned from my short reading assignment on Hegel's conception of Self-Consciousness as something iterated by external consciousness is that this is one of the distinguishing factor between small talk and great talk between strangers and close friends respectively.

In plain words, sometimes, even the difference between close friend talk and awkward social interaction is the ability to create some sort of connection - this connection is either instigated by the individual, or assisted by the other party.

When I moved on to Durkheim, I realized that social solidarity is a more empirical and sociological expansion on Hegel's fundamental principle of establishing hierarchical relationships between individuals in the society. As for fulfilling a personal responsibility on this academic discovery, I personally need to write about such thoughts in this journal. So hear it is. My relationship as an author with you, the reader, is a mild form of establishing my own independent thought and pensive consciousness through the reader. It cannot be established in any other way, not even by using this physical piece of work as evidence. Perhaps this is something that even Descartes fails to incorporate in his famous quote, "I think, therefore, I am".