Phenomenology of Spirit

Absolute knowing represents the total unity of the subject and object in which collective consciousness and self-consciousness merge. In this stage of consciousness, humans understand that reality is a construct of individual cognition. Although religion is a higher form of consciousness, it still contains limitations. All three forms of religion require representational thinking. Hegel argues that consciousness must move beyond this stage: “[A]ll that now remains to be done is to supersede this mere form” (479). In Hegel’s version of absolute knowing, consciousness is fully realized when the individual knows the self in totality and recognizes the external as a manifestation of conscious experience.

Hegel emphasizes once more the role of action in revealing the inner self and contributing to the unity of Spirit. Absolute knowing unifies consciousness with self-consciousness, moving beyond the limited scopes of religion and reason. The science of logic that Hegel referenced in the beginning of the work is defined here as a study of human experience, or the examination of how the external is manifested in consciousness.