Commentary:How does the consciousness, through the dialectic, come to know or realize itself?

In Hegel’s Introduction, he attempts to give us an account of how the consciousness, through the dialectic, comes to know or realize itself as Spirit.  Hegel states that Consciousness is something that goes beyond its limits, and these limits are its own; thus, it is something that goes beyond itself. Consciousness, as a being, has to deny its own nature in order for it to know or realize itself. Consciousness recognizes that there is an other the object in-itself, but consciousness accepts this other as its own. It recognizes that the object in-itself is the negation of itself. Consciousness requires that the object in-itself becomes the object for-consciousness, knowledge. Through the process of dialectic/othering by using the concept and the object, consciousness comes to realize itself as Spirit. This Spirit is both: individual consciousness and collective consciousness.  The Spirit keeps evolving until it reaches the Absolute. Then and only then, the Spirit and its object becomes one. The evolving consciousness/spirit is like a person climbing ladder, each rung represents a new realization. The full or total realization comes at the end of these rungs. For Hegel, at the end of history or at the end of these rungs, consciousness recognizes that consciousness is at this moment: it is the same substance as its subject--consciousness of consciousness is consciousness.

Premise #4 states that, “An entire society or culture begins with one idea....”  Hegel does not use the word  “idea”, but he uses the word “consciousness,” such as,    “Consciousness, however, is to itself its own notion” (49). Hegel is talking about an evolving consciousness. In this sense, consciousness is not an individual, but it is a consciousness of a community or a culture. So, Premise #3 is consistent with Hegel because collective consciousness and consciousness are synonymous. Hegel does give us an account of the dialectic in the Introduction, but it is somewhat vague. Since Premises #3 and #4 do not have page citations, it is hard to find the exact paraphrases.

Premise #1 states that, “Hegel believed that the ideas we have of the world are social, where it has been the outcome of previous ideas shaped though out history by other people in the process….” If a person reads between the lines, he or she may assume that a collective consciousness has to be social. However, Hegel asserts that Consciousness “struggles” within itself through the concept/notion and the object. the object and the subject are in the same consciousness. In this sense, whether it is collective conscious or individual consciousness, it does not imply that it is social. The consciousness evolves within itself, and that implies that the term “social” is not consistent with the text.

Premise #3 states that, “Collective consciousness shapes ideas and consciousness of each.” The author treats the word “idea” as concept/notion or an object. Thus, premises #1, #3, and #4 use the word “idea” to replace notion or an object. If the word “idea” is replaced by object or notion, it makes these premises consistent with Hegel’s text.

These premises would be consistent with the quote if they are using Hegel’s terms.

These premises are roughly logical, and they will lead to the quote. As with my question, this outline would answer the question, but it has to clarify its terms.