A Twentyfirst Century Semantic Recollection
of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit
Philosophy 2180—Fall 2021—University of Pittsburgh
Tuesday 1:30pm to 4:00 pm, on Zoom
Course Website at sites.pitt.edu/~rbrandom
Bob Brandom
Syllabus
Week 1. August 31, 2021: Introduction to the Course: Why Read Hegel Now? And How?
Week 1 Materials:
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Week 2. September 7, 2021: Overview of a Pragmatist, Semantic Reading of the Phenomenology.
Week 2 Materials:
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Week 3. September 14, 2021: Hegel's Introduction to the PG. Critique of Representationalism and Sketch of an Alternate Approach.
Week 3 Materials:
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Week 4. September 21, 2021: Consciousness I: Two Varieties of Empiricism: Phenomenalist and Observational.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 1: Sense Certainty.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 2: Perception.
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapters 4, 5.
Week 4 Materials:
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Week 5. September 28, 2021: Consciousness II: Theoretical Entities and Conceptual Holism
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 3: Force and Understanding.
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapters 6, 7.
Week 5 Materials:
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Week 6. October 5, 2021: Self-Consciousness From Autonomy to Recognition.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 4:
The Independence and Dependence of Self-Consciousness: Lordship and Bondage.
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapters 8, 9, 10.
Week 6 Materials:
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Diverting Detail:
Week 7. October 12, 2021: Reason: Practical Agency
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 5 B: The Actualization of Rational Self-Consciousness through its own Activity.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 5 C: Individuality which Takes Itself to be Real In and For Itself.
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapters 11, 12.
Week 7 Materials:
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No Class October 19, 2021
Week 8. October 26, 2021: From Traditional to Modern Geist.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 6 A: The True Spirit. The Sittlich Order..
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapter 13.
Week 8 Materials:
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Week 9. November 2, 2021: Language, Alienation, and Modern Geist.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 6 B: Self-Alienated Spirit. Culture.
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapter 14.
Week 9 Materials:
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Week 10. November 9, 2021: Transition to Post-Modernity: Confession, Forgiveness, and Trust.
• Read Phenomenology Chapter 6 C: Spirit that is Certain of Itself. Morality..
• Read A Spirit of Trust Chapter 15, 16.
Week 10 Materials:
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Week 11. November 16, 2021: Substance as Subject and Absolute Knowing
Week 11 Materials:
No Class November 23, 2021: Thanksgiving Holiday Break
Week 12. November 30, 2021: From the Phenomenology to the Science of Logic.
Week 12 Materials:
Week 13. December 7, 2021: Conclusion: Hegel in the Twentyfirst Century.
Week 13 Materials:
Some Further Resources: