Independence and Dependence of Self-Consciousness Summary and Analysis

This chapter has multiple sections as Hegel leads readers through what is intended to be a developmental progression. The first section of this is 'Lordship and Bondage'. The label may be misleading. Lordship and bondage are partially about dominance and submission. However, in the case of consciousness this also has a great deal to do with self-certainty which Hegel began to describe to us in the preceding chapter.

Hegel explains that each part of the lordship and bondage relationship seeks self-certainty of consciousness. The servant or bondage part has for its self certainty the relation to object. When the servant is fulfilled by his or her work, and when the relationship to the lord/ship is right then the 'bondage' position is not bad and results in this self-certainty where the servant's will...