Phenomenology of Spirit

Features of *Phenomenology of Spirit*—
　　●Hegel's philosophy has two characteristics: "change" and "opposition."
　　●*Phenomenology of Spirit* takes "Spirit" as its content and "phenomenology" as its method: it uses the phenomenological method to demonstrate the process of Spirit changing amidst internal opposition.

　　*Phenomenology of Spirit* demonstrates the process by which "Spirit," or "consciousness," continuously changes its forms. The text is divided into three parts: the first part is "Consciousness," the second part is "Self-Consciousness," and the third part comprises four further chapters: "Reason," "Spirit," "Religion," and "Absolute Knowing." In general, they are all the same protagonist of *Phenomenology of Spirit*, but because they manifest as different appearances or so-called "forms of consciousness" at different stages, they are given different names. Since *Phenomenology of Spirit* demonstrates the changes of Spirit, "demonstration" (Darstellung) is the method used by the author of this book. For the demonstration in *Phenomenology of Spirit*, the reader can only allow Spirit, or consciousness, to reveal itself without adding anything. Precisely because we merely observe, we can truly see the phenomena manifested by Spirit. This allowing of phenomena to manifest truly and as they are is the main theme of *Phenomenology of Spirit*; as for the author's "demonstration" and the reader's "adding nothing, only pure observation," these are the methods that allow us to see phenomena manifesting truly and as they are—this is the "phenomenology" (Phänomenologie) method of *Phenomenology of Spirit*.