*Taken from another section of the course.
One of the excerpts that we will be reading this week is the “Introduction to the Reading of Hegel,” written by Alexandre Kojeve. This excerpt looks at and analyzes the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who was a German philosopher in the 19th century. One of Hegel’s most notable philosophies is the Master / slave dialect. This dialect, as described in the reading, looks at the idea of having two self-consciousnesses and how they interact with each other. The struggle between the two is built on the fact that each must see each other not as a threat to itself. Hegel describes this relationship similar to the relationship between a master and its slave, thus making the Master / slave dialect.
Between a master and a slave, they are in a relationship where they are both dependent on each other; the master has the power of its slave, yet only has that power if the slave recognizes to themselves that they are powerless to their master. In an article written by Andrew Cole apart of the Duke University Press, he has an alternative way to describe the relationship “The truth of the master reveals that he is the slave, and that the slave is revealed to be the master of the master” (Cole 579). The overarching idea of the Master / slave dialect is that both, self conscious or master/slave are dependent on each other whether that is how it was originally intended to be.
To look at this Master / slave dialect in a much larger scale, it can be seen prevalent in todays society through capitalism. Capitalism is the “economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state” (Oxford Languages). The social relationship of Capitalism consists of wage laborers and capitalists. Capitalists seem to be in the dominant position due to fact that they control the wage laborer’s work and pay. However, if you cut the jobs of workers, or lower their pay, then those workers loose their ability to buy the capitalists product. This contradiction of relationships is what Hegel’s refers to as the Master / slave dialect; the relationship between two parties which rely on each other for the good of their own.
Other articles to check out:
Capitalism’s Master/Slave Relationship and Hegel’s Dialectic
Works Cited:
Cole, Andrew. “What Hegel’s Master/Slave Dialect Really Means.” Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Volume 34, Number 3, Fall 2004. Duke University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/174870/pdf.
Feilmeier, J.D. “Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialect: the search for self-consciousness.” Central College. Accessed Aug 27, 2021. https://central.edu/writing-anthology/2019/07/08/hegels-master-slave-dialectic-the-search-for-self-consciousness/#:~:text=Hegel’s%20Master%2DSlave%20dialectic%20tells,life%2Dand%2Ddeath%20struggle.&text=Self%2Dconsciousness%20indicates%20that%20an,the%20only%20point%20of%20view.
I enjoyed reading this post. I found the quote “The truth of the master reveals that he is the slave, and that the slave is revealed to be the master of the master” to be extremely interesting because I had never thought of a master/slave relationship in that way. Without the slaves the master would be nothing. I also found the Capitalism example to be very interesting because it does seem like all the big corporations and businesses have control over everything in the economy but in reality the consumers and workers do because without them the corporations/businesses would be out of business.
Hello!
Great job explaining the fact that both master and slave are dependent on the other. I agree with your comparison of this dialectic with capitalism, I think that is a great example. I also like the example of a popstar that was provided to us in the lecture video. The fact that without one there couldn’t be the other, is such an important aspect of the relationship between the two. Thanks for the links you provided!
Hi! I enjoyed your post and specifically felt intrigued by your discussion relating to dependency. Throughout life sometimes one may fail to realize how dependent things are on each other that is fundamental for their survival. Society is dependent on each other for mental, economic, environmental, and overall survival reasons. The slave is dependent on the master, but the master is also dependent on the slave. These are just positions issued, where the dependency is similar. I felt as though your comparison to Capitalism was well thought of, as that is how the economy works and establishes itself. There is always a buyer and a seller where both positions depend on each other as without that they do not have much. There are so many comparisons out there relevant to this issue and discussion! These relationships are fundamental for all!
I loved hearing about how Hegel views the dependency among two people in a relationship involving power. I never really thought that a master was dependent on the slave because I had never really thought of a slave being able to say no; I had always been taught that a slave would be beaten or killed if they stood up for themselves. I believe the idea that there should be no real “dominant” power in certain relationships; we should strive to create relationships of co-dependency where both have power and no one dominates. We should begin to understand our need for others.
I think the comparison of the master/slave dialect to our economy is fantastic. In fact, we are seeing it happen right before our eyes. Low-wage workers are beginning to almost think for themselves and no longer want to work for the bad conditions and low wages that the capitalists set for them. Places like Taco Bell, Chipotle, and other fast-food restaurants are closing way earlier and moving much slower than before because of all the workers who refuse to work for capitalists who do not care for them.
Capitalism has many great examples of Master-Slave interactions, I really like your choice! I think mass colonialism or religious cleansings throughout history could fit into the Master-Slave Dialect as well based on Cole’s reasoning. Hegel’s ideas of an antithesis arising from a thesis, and how Consciousness has dependent components, continue to reiterate the fact our lives are filled with so many cool dipoles. Dipoles between humans; biotic and abiotic factors; and, everything else out there. Capitalism, just like the Master-Slave relationship, is so challenging to label as “good or bad” because humans cannot simply be labeled as such. In everything we create, including Capitalism, the present subject can always be strung back to “the nature of humanity”, so your post really made me think and you did an amazing job. Thank you for the additional articles.
This post did a great job of summarizing the main points from the Kojeve/Hegel reading, plus the current world example helps put this ideology into context. I definitely agreed with what you said about how the Master/Slave relationship is completely reliant on each party playing their role. If the Slave didn’t believe that they were inferior to the master, this would just be a balanced relationship, with both people not giving in to the other. I thought you did a great job with this post and the extra articles provided helped to understand this writing from Hegel even more.
This was helpful in explaining Hegel’s work in more manageable language. I also appreciated the modern example of capitalism, since the whole time I was reading I was almost exclusively picturing a master and a slave. I also liked Isabella’s comment above about labeling things as good or bad. Hegel elaborates on how although the slave (or consumers and workers if we’re talking capitalism) is reliant on the Master, thus having little freedom and living in fear, the slave does have the benefit of being free from himself and nature, finding himself through work, and becoming educated. In theory I think all of things sound like the ultimate goal, but I also think that it would be hard to come by a slave that is thankful for their time spent in slavery, even if they are later freed. I think all people would prefer to be free from the beginning, but then again, would they have the same appreciation for that freedom? To translate that to capitalism, most people would probably prefer to be the private business owners who have plenty of money and power rather than the workers that rely on minimum rage jobs and live pay check to pay check, but when you work hard for your living, you appreciate the things you earn more, may have more drive to to get out from your current circumstances, and be less likely to become stagnant as you remember where you came from and the conditions you don’t want to return to. The relationship between the Master and the Slave is complicated in determining which is truly the better position to be in.
I really like your comparing the Master / Slave dialect to Capitalism. There are so many parallels between those two ideas. I would like to add on to that by saying that if the workers in a Capitalist society ceased to work, the system itself would collapse. Further, once they stop working and earning money, the roles flip again and the workers will also no longer benefit from the system. This further proves the idea that the roles can often be reversed, and the master becomes the slave. The links provided were very helpful. Great job!
Hi!
I think this post does a very good job of explaining the master slave dialectic, it really helped me to understand the concept more! The language of the reading was very confusing, so reading this helped me to fully understand the concept. I really liked the comparison to capitalism and our economy in general.
I enjoyed this post and how the comparison helped boil Hegel’s main points into a more relatable/understandable concept. I really was interested with kershner.30’s comment above and how they considered all aspects of each side of Master/Slave dialect and who has the “better” position. Both sides however depend on each other and are what keeps the system alive; the desire for something from the other is what allows this system to function. Without the desire or without the idea of knowing where one’s place is, the system falls apart.
This post perfectly detailed the meaning of the “Master-Slave Dialect” and put into a way that is more clear and easier to understand. I thought it was really well put how the master and the slave both have some sort of dependence on each other. The master controls the slave, but would not have any power without the slave. Comparing capitalism to this kind of relationship was excellent. The way the master-slave relationship was applied to capitalism was perfect in the way that it applied to current real-world situations. It is a great metaphor in that capitalists are the masters, the wage laborers are the slaves, and yet they are still dependent on one another.
Thank you for explaining the “Master Slave Dialect” in terms that are more familiar to college students. This excerpt was difficult to read but your post helped me understand it better! Almost everything on this planet is dependent on something else. This can be seen every day in the simplest form of a mother has authority over her child while her child has authority over the mother because without the child, she would not be a mother. If the child choses to be independent, the mother loses her authority role. This post has encouraged me to look closer into different types of relationships around me and see the dependency between each of them.
Having read the “Master Slave Dialect” before the context presentation, the presentation provided good clarification of how the two consciousnesses interact with each other and how they are compared to the master and slave. Many things in society interact and depend on each other like the master and slave. One point that I thought was important in the first article listed, is that the “‘Master and slave’ therefore is not the ‘master in control’ and the ‘slave all together dependent. The dependency runs both ways.” Both the Master and the slave think they are in control of each other when in reality they are dependent on each other. Without each other, the “master” and the “slave” would not have their status.
https://dissident.blog/2017/06/23/capitalisms-masterslave-relationship-and-hegels-dialectic/
I enjoyed reading the presentation you provided with a detailed and more thorough explanation of the Master/Slave dialect. This presentation aided me in understanding the readings more clearly due to the comparisons that were provided. The post was helpful in demonstrating how you mentioned that both are dependant on each other, both benefit from each other. One example that I chose to relate to this dialect is the king and his people’s illustration. The king cannot hold the power of being a “master” if his people do not know their power as “slaves.” Thank you for the clarifying presentation.
The comparison to capitalism is an interesting way to understand the master to slave relationship. I never thought of the relationship to be like that however, that is relationship that would have to be correct as if the people of the U.S. did not purchase products of whatever value they desire, then companies producing those products would not survive. In the same instance the people would be struggling as not having necessities would be devastating. Do you think this is relationship that will last infinitely or is there a time limit on how long this dependency can last?
The comparison to capitalism is an interesting way to understand the master to slave relationship. I never thought of the relationship to be like that however, that is relationship that would have to be correct as if the people of the U.S. did not purchase products of whatever value they desire, then companies producing those products would not survive. In the same instance the people would be struggling as not having necessities would be devastating. Do you think this is relationship that will last infinitely? Is there a time limit on how long this dependency can last between the master and slave?
Hello! I completely agree with your explanation of the master/slave dialect in our world today dealing with capitalism. For a long time, low wage workers let themselves be “powerless” to their master aka their bosses and owners. But like you said, the relationship between the two is dependent and we can see in today’s economy with millions of businesses being severely understaffed how people today are fighting back, or at least trying to fight back against capitalism.
Capitalism is a great example of the master / slave dialect. It goes to show that if the slaves relized the power they have over their masters there could be a momentum swig and the whole system could be fliped around. It also shows the fluidity of the mindsets and that they are really interchangable depending on where you are at in the system.
Thank you for making the “Master Slave Dialect” easier to understand. Reading through some of the other comments has helped too. Understanding the thought that they both work simultaneously can be kind of odd. I think I have a much better understanding now about the whole process.
I think the way Hegel explains the relationship with between the master and slave is a better understanding than the normal things that we know about slavery. He shows that they are depended on each other to survive as you stated.
I think you show me another way to understand the relationship between slave and master. I used think it’s just the difference in social status and abilities. Also, you mentioned the master and slave both dependent on each others. It is really help me to better understanding this relationship.
I appreciate the way you made it easy to understand the complexity behind how both a master and a slave work simultaneously in thought. I agree with you in the thought that they are dependent on each other by that the master only has power over the slave if the slave is present.
This was such an insightful read! I came in with a different thought of the master/slave relationship, but I enjoyed how you laid it out and explained it at its rawest form. It made look more into a social aspect of the dynamic. I can see why there must be a balance rather than a power struggle between two parties.
Hello! This context presentation was very insightful and informative. Thank you for analyzing this week’s readings; it definitely allowed me to have a better understanding. At first, I thought the “master” had all the power, but after reading this post, I now realize that the master truly depends on the slave to obtain authority. I thought capitalism was a great example of the master/slave dialectic. As you stated, the master and slave rely on each other in a relationship. I will bring this newfound understanding into next week’s materials!
Hello, I think you are very smart to use Hegel’s dialectical relationship between master and slave to analyze the current situation of interpersonal relations in today’s capitalist society. In addition to the interpersonal relationship after forming a family, the most important interpersonal relationship for adults is the working relationship. Workers work for capitalists. In many cases, they don’t need to spend a lot of energy thinking about the future development direction of the company, but they also have to hand over part of the value they create, often the vast majority, to the capitalists. Capitalists are responsible for the development prospects of the company, but when the company operates normally, they can enjoy the support from the output of workers. I think this is very similar to Hegel’s dialectical relationship between master and slave. But compared with the narrow sense of slavery, today’s system is more equal and free.
Hi! This was such an interesting read. I have never truly considered the master/slave relationship as being dependent on each other, but after reading the post I got a slight understanding on how they are intertwined. The capitalist example made me think about how without the workers, the capitalists would be almost powerless. For example, say the workers went on strike, the capitalists wouldn’t have the means to continue to control the workers that they claim to have a “hold” of.
I really enjoyed reading this post about the master/slave dialect. The statement in this post that really stood out to me would have to be when you said, “Between a master and a slave, they are in a relationship where they are both dependent on each other.” This brought up a very good point. It is something that I have not considered before and has opened up a new way for me to look upon this topic.
I loved how you compared the master-slave dialectic to modern capitalism. I find it so interesting how the wealthy have such a large desire to be recognized. I also believe that the majority of the power in the relationship is held with the slave, but the master is only very good at convincing the slave it is not. An example I think of is “A Bugs Life”when the ants gather food for the crickets and soon realize they don’t need the crickets at all.
Hello,
Great job! I learned a lot from your post. When I first heard the master and slave dialect, I thought that master is definitely the dominant role in this relationship. However, as your post points out “Between a master and a slave, they are in a relationship where they are both dependent on each other”. Then, I realized that master and slave are both important in the relationship. Moreover, I think you provide a good example to explain the relationship. It seems that capitalists is the dominant role in the relationship between wage laborers and capitalists. However, the lower incomes of labor will lead to the lower income of capitalists because wage labors are unable to buy capitalists’ products.
Hello,
I really enjoyed reading your post. I think this is a very realistic example of the master slave dynamic. Men and women were not viewed as equals, which is exactly how the master and slave are viewed. We have came a long way and are now viewed as equals (Men and women). I think the master and slave can be positive in some cases but this was not one of them. I am glad men and women are viewed as equals now.
Hello! I feel that the way your worded this was much easier to understand than the way Hegel explained it. It really helped you understand the true power behind his dialectic. The example you used is very accurate and eye opening. There are many other examples in modern day America that accurately portray the Master/Slave dialectic. It honestly feels like this is involved someway or another in every relationship. The president is given power over the people through the process of voting. If the people don’t vote, how would a president be inaugurated? If people don’t work for stores, they cannot sell their products. We truly don’t realize how many of these situations we are in in our everyday lives.
This was very interesting to read! I think you explained the concept of the master and slave relationship very well. I liked how you used an example that relates to the economy because it is a well known topic. You perfectly represented the relationship of the master and slave concept, of them relying on each other, through your capitalists and laborers example. I think it is a good way of thinking about it because it is something a lot of people have heard and talked about, so it helps explain the concept.
I loved the comparison of the master/slave dialect to capitalism. When I read this text I though of this dialect as person relationships only existing in situations between two people. It is so eye opening to look at it in a larger perspective and see it as not only people but concepts and a common way of living that I completely looked over.
I really enjoyed reading this post and thought it was very interesting to see how you analyzed the relationship with capitalism and Master/Slave positions. This comparison reminded me of child labor laws, and why children’s rights are often overlooked in capitalist factories. The Master only cares about the profit of their company, and pushes young children (the Slave persona) to work for extremely low wages. The reason why the children in the Slave persona agree to work at these rates is because their families are in poverty. They have no other option but to agree to the Master’s terms. This enables this harsh capitalist Master/Slave relationship to continue and effect children all around the world.
The concept was a very interesting because it reminded me of a book i recently started called the “power of now”. It refers to a self struggle within ourselves. How there are two different people or perspectives of ourselves one being “my” and the other being “self”. but very challenging to grasp in Hegels way of explaining it. The master and slave concept is a very broad topic but i really valued how you made the very relatable topic “economy” a point in a better way of explaining this concept.