The originality of Hegel’s main ideas has been a subject of controversy, particularly regarding their overlap with those of Friedrich Schiller. While one can acknowledge Hegel’s refined improvements, a remarkably similar progression of ideas is clearly noticeable between the two thinkers.
In this article, I will put forth Schiller’s ideas from his masterpiece, “On the Aesthetic Education of Man (Über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen)“, and explore how Hegel (and even Marx) was highly influenced by them.
Fragmentation and Harmony
German intellectuals in the 18th and 19th centuries shared the common frustration: how fragmented the German (and European) states were and how could the harmony be restored. Even though the symptoms and the goals were the same, the diagnostics and the remedies varied.
Schiller
In “On the Aesthetic Education of Man“, Schiller argued that the problem of alienation exists on a few different layers:
- Individual vs. State (Social)
- Empirical man vs. Ideal man (Psychological)
- Manual Labor vs. Machine
This division seems familiar, but it should be approached with caution. Schiller’s concept of alienation is more like a separation between multiplicity and singularity.
Nature and Reason
While Nature seeks multiplicity and diversity, Reason and Logic pursue unity through generalization. Individuals are diverse and cannot be generalized; therefore, Reason cannot be the solution to achieving harmony.
Art and Beauty
According to Schiller, balance can be achieved via “Aesthetic Education,” which allows people to utilize reason while maintaining the inherent multiplicity of human nature.
Hegel
While multiplicity is important for Schiller, what matters for Hegel is reason. Hegel viewed how individuals act hierarchically.
- Passion – driven by instincts or desires
- Will – rationalized passion (by reason), linked with the idea of the “General Will” by Rousseau
- Philosophical Reason – pure ideas through the Universal Spirit
Passion and will are not random. They originate from the Folk Spirit and also change it. Only philosophical reasoning can reveal how the Universal Spirit unfolds in history.
Hegel was also highly influenced by Spinoza’s idea of “one substance and its extensions.” He acknowledged Schiller’s multiplicity, but argued that we are in a single historical movement.
Hegel provided a systematic explanation of how history manifests itself. However, it is clear how much Schiller provided the basis for Hegel’s underlying ideas.
