In order to pass a test, you must know the material. In order to know the material, you must study. In order to study, you must have notes to study from. In order to have notes to study from, you must pay attention in class. Does there appear to be a sequence in the happenings of these events? What if you removed one of these sequences in the problem? Let us say you did not have the material to study from; you would not pass the test. For an event to occur, a previous, or past, event must happen to trigger the forthcoming and so on. The same is true in history. History is a collection of past events. There are four ways that can be used to describe history; cyclic, vortex, linear, and the Hegelian Theory.
The Hegelian Theory was established by a German philosopher named Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. It is clearly the most valuable way o explain how the events in history occurred. The Hegelian Theory states that events happen in order due to the following formula, thesis + antithesis = synthesis. In simpler terms, a happening leads to a later happening which leads to an even later happening that solves the initial issue and creates a new problem. To put the Hegelian Theory into simplest terms, it is cause and effect. Georg Hegel said, “The thesis is an intellectual proposition. The antithesis is simply the negation of the thesis, a reaction to the proposition. The synthesis solves the conflict between the thesis and antithesis by reconciling their common truths, and forming a new proposition.” Another example of the Hegelian Theory would be if little Timmy fell off his bike. Timmy then got a scrape on his knee. To make the scrape feel better, his mother put Neosporin on it. The outcome is that Timmy’s knee feels better, but he has a sudden allergic reaction to the ointment. Now we not only have a solution, but we also have another issue.
The Civil War can be used as a prime historical example to explain the Hegelian Theory. When Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States, then referred to as the Union, the South seceded from the rest of the United States, forming the Confederate States of America. Tons of different battles took place in the United States due to the secession of the South. As a result of these events, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Is there a pattern seen in these events? The election of President Lincoln fueled the South to secede from the Union. The secession of the Confederates caused a war to break out between them and the Union. The war caused the Union President, Abraham Lincoln, to be shot and killed as the solution. The assassination of President Lincoln also brought about a new problem, who would catch the man that shot the Union’s president?
The Hegelian Theory, compared to history being cyclic, makes much more sense. When history is stated as “cyclic”, it means that history moves in cycles, like reincarnation or the seasons. If history was cyclical, where did it begin? Was there an event that began history? If anyone even attempted to answer these questions, where would they begin? According to the cyclical theory, events take place in cycles. Events in history would have to repeat themselves exactly if the cyclical analysis was true. However, The Hegelian Theory has a slight movement of cyclical motion if put into perspective. Two problems equal one solution that causes another problem. That cycle continues and supports the Hegelian Theory. The Hegelian Theory is still a more valuable choice then than the cyclical theory when trying to describe history because it says that events need preceding events to trigger the later event to solve the problem. This may seem confusing, but if this theory is put into simpler terms, it makes much more sense than saying that history is a cycle.
The theory that says history occurring in a vortex states that history is always fluctuating, it becomes huge and then falls. If this statement was true, events in history would have to end in a disallowing manor. Not all events conclude in a negative way. Positive events can come out of positive events, and negative events can come out of negative events. History doesn’t necessarily always have to end in a negative way. The Hegelian Theory is a better way to explain history compared to the vortex theory because it states that at the end of each problem, there is a solution; contrary to the vortex theory which says that there is never a solution.
The last theory that is somewhat comparable to the Hegelian Theory is the theory that states that history is linear, meaning that it is shown by a timeline, in chronological order. These two theories are very similar, but differ slightly. They are corresponding because they both follow some sort of timeline and cause and effect. The Hegelian Theory and the linear theory both say you need a previous event in order for another one to happen. They both represent the method of using cause and effect. However, the linear theory does not give a solution to any problem; it just keeps going in a straight line until the end of time. The thesis of the Hegelian Theory states the problem, the antithesis adds to the problem, and the synthesis solves it, and creates a new problem, for it to keep repeating.
The Hegelian Theory is the easiest and most effective way of putting events in history into a sequence. The antithesis feeds off of the thesis, and the synthesis binds the two problems together into a solution and a completely different problem. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer when explaining which theory you think is the most accurate to describe history. It is possible for history to be examined as cyclic, vortex, linear, and into the perspective of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. However, the most valuable, ideal, and helpful is the Hegelian Theory.
"Thesis, antithesis, synthesis." Wikipedia. 24 Jan 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Web. 27 Jan 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thesis,_antithesis,_synthesis>.
I really like how you begin this article by focusing on a personal thing and then getting into historical events. That's an excellent way to go about this type of essay.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the piece would be greatly improved upon if you would add specific citations to sources that back up your argument. This will be essential as we move forward through the semester.
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