This is a one-day intensive seminar focused on the great German Idealist philosopher G.W.F. Hegel's first main work, the Phenomenology of Spirit.

We will be focusing specifically on one of the earlier sections of the work, Self-Consciousness, which contains a sub-section that is arguably the most often referenced and discussed portions of the text, the famous "Master-Slave dialectic" (Herrschaft und
Knechtschaft).

In addition to discussing that particular section of the work, we will also be engaging with the entirety of the Self-Consciousness section, and with selected interpretations by other philosophers of the Master-Slave dialectic

This seminar will take place online over the course of roughly 6 or so hours. We will be meeting online using Zoom videoconferencing for three roughly 90-minute sessions, with 30-minute breaks in between the sessions.

The sessions will include lecture and discussion, as well as plenty of opportunities for students to ask and get answers to questions, about the text and the key ideas we work through. Students are free to go on camera or not, and use their microphones or just write in the chat.

Students will also be provided with a number of downloadable resources in PDF form that they may find helpful as we work our way through this rather difficult philosophical text.

Each of the 90-minute sessions will be recorded and the recordings will be added to the seminar site as a resource for students enrolled in the seminar. Students will retain access to the seminar site after the seminar takes place, so that they can go back and watch or download the resources from the seminar.