Hegel's Thoughts on Knowledge

Hegel proves a very interesting view of knowledge. He thinks that that knowledge is used, "either as the instrument to get hold of the Absolute, or as the medium through which one discovers it."

Hegel talks about absolute knowledge, that represents the journeys end. In order to achieve this Absolute knowledge, "Spirit attains to a knowledge of itself not only as it is in itself or as possessing an absolute content, nor only as it is for itself as a form devoid of content, or as the aspect of self-consciousness, but as it is both in essence and in actually, or in and for itself." Hegel believes that the human spirit is related to the Absolute Spirit in the beginning, but only achieves knowledge of it in the end.

He criticizes the Kantian notion that knowledge is an "instrument" that should be examined before used, "But the examination of knowledge can only be carried out by an act of knowledge. To examine this so-called instrument is the same thing as to know it. But to seek to know before we know is as absurd as the wise resolution of Scholasticus, not to venture into the water until he had learned to swim."