Or the comic represents the most common misunderstanding of Hegel's philosophy of history.
Imao it's not really his point to say that the spirit of his time was the absolute ideal, but that doing (philosophical) history we can't help but look back at those past people and spirits always somehow misunderstanding how it's actually supposed to be. After all, only in looking back does it make sense to talk of the progress of reason on a world-historical basis. So I'm in favor of saying that Hegel is performing that insight in his lectures when he comes to say that the spirit of his time and place with all its blablabla embodies the absolute ideal. The progress of reason is indefinite, and all we can hope for is to become free, that is to become self-conscious, or to know ourselves in virtue of recognizing our thoughts in the world surrounding us -- recognizing we're a product of that world with all that implies, while also being part of producing that world through action.
Or the comic represents the most common misunderstanding of Hegel's philosophy of history.
Imao it's not really his point to say that the spirit of his time was the absolute ideal, but that doing (philosophical) history we can't help but look back at those past people and spirits always somehow misunderstanding how it's actually supposed to be. After all, only in looking back does it make sense to talk of the progress of reason on a world-historical basis. So I'm in favor of saying that Hegel is performing that insight in his lectures when he comes to say that the spirit of his time and place with all its blablabla embodies the absolute ideal. The progress of reason is indefinite, and all we can hope for is to become free, that is to become self-conscious, or to know ourselves in virtue of recognizing our thoughts in the world surrounding us -- recognizing we're a product of that world with all that implies, while also being part of producing that world through action.