058 - Hegel's Becoming: What it Means, Why it's Unique, and Why it Matters

The Cunning of Geist

"Becoming" is addressed very early in Hegel's Science of Logic. And it provides a foundation for all that follows in his project. But the concept of becoming is much more than an abstract philosophical term. It is the foundation of growth, evolution, and all development processes.
Nietzsche recognized how important Hegel’s concept of becoming was. Hegel of course preceded Darwin, and Nietzsche knew that Hegel, with his notion of becoming, had planted the seed for the idea of evolution among European thinkers when he claimed “No Hegel, no Darwin” (Gay Science §357),
And Nietzsche goes on in same page to say that the notion of becoming, as a process of conceptual development, is a superior notion to just looking at "what is” in isolation. This has direct correspondence to the left brain/right brain dichotomy discussed here so often. As well as to the meanings of the German words "verstand" (common understanding) and "vernunft" (holistic reasoning).
This episode explores Hegel's notion of "becoming" from several standpoints.

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