(25) The abracadabrant story of the Moon Child

“Self-consciousness is in itself and for itself insofar as it is and because it is in itself and for itself for another self-consciousness; that is to say, it exists only in being acknowledged. […]
Self-consciousness attains its satisfaction only in another self-consciousness. […]
Each is indeed certain of itself, but not of the other; and for each, its own certainty of itself has as yet no truth, for its truth would be only if its being-for-itself had become an object for it, as it is for the other. […]
They must enter into this struggle to the death, for they must raise their certainty of themselves to truth, both in the other and in themselves.”

 

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit (trans. Jean Hyppolite)

 

 

 

One may wonder… what imaginary characters do when they are not present in the story… or… when the book is closed… The Moon Child, too, wonders about this.

— I was told about a group of philosophers called the Circle of Recalcitrant Mirrors. Are you aware of their existence?

— Indeed, I know their story. The Circle was a group of reflection founded by Plato the Elder and his disciples. Their aim was to explore the nature of conflicts and to use them as a source of inspiration to create something new.

— Interesting. And how did it work in practice?

— The group had no hierarchy or leader. Everyone was free to speak and to take part in decisions. They used “creative conflict” to discuss and debate their ideas, always seeking to reach a form of consensus.

— And their vision for the world?

— They believed that recognizing and accepting differences between individuals and cultures could lead to better understanding and greater harmony among peoples.

— That is an interesting vision. But how can this be applied in our daily lives?

— We must recognize that conflicts are inevitable, but that they can be used as a source of inspiration to create something new. We must accept and respect the differences between people and cultures around us, and seek to understand them rather than avoid them.

— I see. And for you, what is your vision for the world?

— For me, the key is the acceptance of oneself and of others. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are, with all our imperfections, and to accept others as they are. If we can do this, we may live in a more harmonious and fulfilling world.

— The refusal of any fixed hierarchy, the idea that each speaks, that each sets forth a position, but above all that this exposition commits. Conflict is not a superficial disagreement to be resolved by compromise; it is a trial in which each risks losing their initial certainty in order to reach a higher form of recognition.

And perhaps this is the most subtle point: there is no prior harmony that dialogue would merely reveal. Harmony, if it exists, arises from this very labor of the negative, from this tension between consciousnesses that do not coincide.

— What your “Circle” seems to seek is precisely this: not to avoid collision…

— … but to carry it far enough for it to become creative.

— And yet… for that… you will have to break the circle… and stop going around in circles…