Affirmation
(for greater detail see Hegel-Affirmation)
"When a man has finally reached the point where he does not think he knows it better than others, that is when he has become indifferent to what they have done badly and he is interested only in what they have done right, then peace and affirmation have come to him." (G. F. W. Hegel in Carl Friedrich, The Philosophy of Hegel)
Hegel could not use the absolutist word "wrong" which would re-introduce what he was against, the "above-below," "right-wrong" system of the father's/Father's authority. He therefore used the relativistic word "badly" instead. His "peace" is that every man and child would find oneness with themselves personally, individual, and with one another, collectivity, according to their carnal human nature, 'liberated' from the father's/Father's authority system, "affirming" one another according to everyone's common (natural) desire for pleasure and resentment toward restraint (and the restrainer). This could only take place in an environment based upon "social" interaction, 'liberated' from the restraints of the father's/Father's authority system.
Karl Marx therefore stated: "It is not individualism [the child under the parent's/God's authority system, being personally held accountable to them for his thoughts and actions, or isolated by himself, doing what he wants to do but for himself alone] that fulfills the individual, on the contrary it destroys him. Society ["the group," "human relationship based upon 'self interest'"] is the necessary framework through which freedom and individuality [freedom from the father's/Father's authority system and freedom to do as one desires in the 'moment,' i.e., to be carnal, i.e., to be of the world only, with group approval] are made realities." (Karl Marx, quoted in John Lewis, The Life and Teachings of Karl Marx)
© Institution for Authority Research, Dean Gotcher 2015