Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature
The aim of this paper is to examine the place of plants in G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy, highlighting their relevance for understanding the relationship between life and spirit within the Hegelian dialectical system. We will demonstrate how plants are situated in the context of the Philosophy of Nature...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Adam Mickiewicz University
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ethics in Progress |
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| Online Access: | https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/eip/article/view/49144 |
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| author | Grégori de Souza Jelson Oliveira |
| author_facet | Grégori de Souza Jelson Oliveira |
| author_sort | Grégori de Souza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this paper is to examine the place of plants in G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy, highlighting their relevance for understanding the relationship between life and spirit within the Hegelian dialectical system. We will demonstrate how plants are situated in the context of the Philosophy of Nature proposed by the author, emphasizing how, despite being understood through their “incomplete subjectivity” and limited individuality (as there is no individual cohesion due to the separation of their organs), it is still possible to conceive of the basic metabolism of plants as the first expression of the dialectical relationship between inner life and the external environment. In this sense, plants represent a special transitional moment in the progressive realisation of the Idea. We will analyze how plants, for Hegel, embody a universal form of life – selforganized and oriented toward its relationship with the environment – that serves as a point of mediation, or the nexus, between the objectivity of nature and the subjectivity of spirit, which will develop more fully in animal life, especially human life. As we intend to demonstrate, referring to the subjective incompleteness of plant life does not deny it a place in the very history of spirit.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-44fbefec32ce4aeaaa8ea38f152245a0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2084-9257 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Adam Mickiewicz University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ethics in Progress |
| spelling | doaj-art-44fbefec32ce4aeaaa8ea38f152245a02025-08-20T03:35:40ZdeuAdam Mickiewicz UniversityEthics in Progress2084-92572025-07-0116110.14746/eip.2025.1.4Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of NatureGrégori de Souza0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9995-3124Jelson Oliveira1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2362-0494Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná The aim of this paper is to examine the place of plants in G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy, highlighting their relevance for understanding the relationship between life and spirit within the Hegelian dialectical system. We will demonstrate how plants are situated in the context of the Philosophy of Nature proposed by the author, emphasizing how, despite being understood through their “incomplete subjectivity” and limited individuality (as there is no individual cohesion due to the separation of their organs), it is still possible to conceive of the basic metabolism of plants as the first expression of the dialectical relationship between inner life and the external environment. In this sense, plants represent a special transitional moment in the progressive realisation of the Idea. We will analyze how plants, for Hegel, embody a universal form of life – selforganized and oriented toward its relationship with the environment – that serves as a point of mediation, or the nexus, between the objectivity of nature and the subjectivity of spirit, which will develop more fully in animal life, especially human life. As we intend to demonstrate, referring to the subjective incompleteness of plant life does not deny it a place in the very history of spirit. https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/eip/article/view/49144Hegeldialetics of naturelifespiritfreedom |
| spellingShingle | Grégori de Souza Jelson Oliveira Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature Ethics in Progress Hegel dialetics of nature life spirit freedom |
| title | Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature |
| title_full | Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature |
| title_fullStr | Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature |
| title_short | Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature |
| title_sort | between life and spirit the place of plants in hegel s dialectic of nature |
| topic | Hegel dialetics of nature life spirit freedom |
| url | https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/eip/article/view/49144 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gregoridesouza betweenlifeandspirittheplaceofplantsinhegelsdialecticofnature AT jelsonoliveira betweenlifeandspirittheplaceofplantsinhegelsdialecticofnature |