2. From the Introduction: An object in consciousness has two aspects, being-in-itself and being=for-consciousness. Consciousness itself compares these two aspects to check whether or not they correspond to each other or not-thereby becoming a self-certifying agent.
3. The General Movement of the Phenomenology: The general movement of the Phenomenology goes from Consciousness of Objects, that is, the phenomenon of objects for consciousness to Self Consciousness to Reason which in turn leads from Observational Reason to Rational Self-Consciousness to Spirit to Religion to Absolute knowledge.
Consider Consciousness and Self-Consciousness. What Hegel terms as Simple Self-Consciousness exists just as Desire with the external world simply being the other. Self-Consciousness is conceived through the relation of Master and Bondsman or Slave and is based upon Work, or Labor.
In the Initial stage The Master is everything and the slave is nothing. Simple Self-Consciousness is everything; and Self-Consciousness based upon the recognition of an other external object is nothing.
In the Traditional Stage a struggle ensues where the Master puts the Slave to work to satisfy the Master’s wishes. A struggle ensues where Simple Self-Consciousness treats Other-based Self Consciousness as subservient.
In the Completion Stage there is Interdependence in that the Master becomes dependent on the Salve through the Salves labor and the Slave gains a sense of self-identity through the labor, while still being in some way dependent on the Master. The two Self-consciousnesses become dependent on one another.
Hegel points out that with regard to Stoicism, Self-Consciousness seeks freedom by withdrawing within itself. It negates the Master-Slave relationship and it only occurs at a time of fear and bondage and of some mental cultivation or sophistication. The freedom of Self-Consciousness is indifferent toward natural existence. Stoic Self-Consciousness negates any determinate content to the external world. It is real freedom of though rather than just the notion of it and it develops a contradiction within itself.
With regard to skepticism, Hegel contends that Self-Consciousness negates any determinate content to the external world. It is a real freedom of thought rather than just the notion of it and it develops a contradiction within itself. Skepticism gives rise to a conflicting duality where Self-Consciousness recognizes, on the one hand, total freedom, but, on the other hand, finds itself immersed in chaos, change, aimlessness, fickleness, instability, and indeterminateness. The outcome of it all is an Alienated Soul and the Unhappy Consciousness.
