In his famous book On History, Hegel claims that history is “a process wherein spirit evolves”. In other words, in each period of time, the Spirit of that period is different – the Zeitgeist. Each period contains its own particular ideas, beliefs, and ways of thinking. At any given point in time, the Spirit of age will be dominant, and thus determine the predominant manner in which all thought takes place. For example, during ancient times, belief systems were mainly concerned with cosmology, while during modern times, they are mostly concerned with economics. This idea of developing a system of philosophy revolving around a concept of history is a very important element of Hegelianism.
However, contrary to how we are all a part of the Zeitgeist, Hegel suggested that we are trapped in society, and this society is made up of individuals and groups. We create norms, laws, and other forms of governance that shape the way we interact with each other. These are not always fair, just, or effective ways of organizing ourselves. Hence we feel the need to challenge, reevaluate and change them when they fail to serve us well. We need to create new ones if they work better. Thus, arises a feeling of alienation. We get stuck in the Zeitgeist, believing that the codes of conduct we follow are universal truths. Our own ideas about how to organize ourselves may be out of step with the world around us and we feel alienated from the very social and economic institutions we have created.
