Criticisms Of George Hegel's Theories Of Freedom

In this essay I will argue about freedom, as George Hegel argues on freedom and that Geist is the spirit of time. Fichte’s theory argues that freedom means non-interference. According to Rousseau, man in the state of nature was free, wise, and good and the laws of nature were kind. Helvetius argued that only thing which men wish is pleasure and the only thing which men wish to avoid are pains, and there is one system of science which is morality and freedom. I will explain in details below all these theories, there are also similarities and differences in terms of criticisms for Hegel’s freedom, Fichte, Rousseau and Helvetius.

1.Hegel (1770-1831).

Hegel’s phenomenology of the mind, the typical forms of the geist are thoughts, beliefs and

The pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain are the only motives which in fact act upon men, as gravitation and other physical principles are said to act on inanimate bodies. If you want to know what is it that causes human beings to be as they are, that causes their character to be what they are, that causes their acts to be as they are, that is responsible for their loves and their hates, their passions and their ideas, their hopes and their fears, it is this conscious or unconscious pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain” (Berlin, 2002). By this Helvetius argues that man is self-interested, meaning he avoid pain, personal interest is the only motivation and men will always be the same (being self-interested). Self-interest, founded on the love of pleasure and the fear of pain. Human beings are motivated solely by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Helvetius proclaimed that man is self-interested, there is one system of science, and to be free the government must provide rules which teach us good from wrong. He regarded the human mind as blank slates.

Since all men have the same natural potential, Helvetius argued, they all have the same ability to learn and education or knowledge improve society, and there is one system of science which is morality and freedom. Helvetius claims that man’s rule is positive since only perfect

The state is ruling you and is telling you what is right from wrong, that’s leads to an absolute lack of freedom. Rousseau’s criticism is similar to the criticism for Helvetius in terms of utilitarianism and totalitarianism argument.

Criticism for Helvetius is that it sacrifices the pleasure of minority for the sake of majority, it ignores individuals. Helvetius’s theory is that there is absolute lack of freedom. It ignores human needs and personal aspirations. For Helvetius, to be free the government must provide rules that teach man right from wrong, and thereafter man would be free.

In conclusion, I have detailed explained the freedom and free will in reference to the one explained by the great philosophers Helvetius, Hegel, Fichte and Rousseau. I also took into account the criticism of their theories. From the above essay they are well described and that how does this theorist are the same and their criticism. The theorist’s arguments are well explained in a respective manner, and their criticism.

6.Reference.

Berlin, I. (2002). Freedom and Betrayal: Six Enemies of Human Liberty. Chatto & Windus publishers. Great