Hegel’s Master/Slave Dialectic: collective healing in our complex world

Hegel proposed the Master/Slave thought experiment to understand human’s need for self-consciousness through the genuine recognition of (and by) others. 

Hegel argues that self-consciousness is not just being alive or thinking, but about knowing yourself as a subject. Unlike Descartes, for whom thinking alone proves existence (‘I think, therefore I am’), Hegel argues that existence becomes meaningful only through freely given recognition by another self-conscious being. By being seen, heard and accepted. 

Lack of genuine recognition causes an existential crisis. We get trapped either in solipsism (“I’m alone” or “everyone is shit”) or in fear (“I am just a/this thing for others”)

Later thinkers built on this theory. 

For example Martin Buber offers the I-Thou: a moment where two people recognise themselves as equal and non-objectified selves. Only this type of “authentic encounter” allows people to develop and achieve freedom of spirit. 

And Carl Rogers developmental theory places emphasis on genuine acceptance as the necessary condition for people to heal from past trauma. In fact, trauma in Rogers’ theory comes from not being accepted by others. 

In Ubuntu philosophy this is “I am because we are”. In Yoga, “Namaste”.

The Master/Slave thought experiment

The Master/Slave experiment is quite strange but once we get it, we will start seeing it everywhere. 

Two people meet. Since they both need to be recognised by the other, each demands recognition. 

They feel that only by being recognised first, they can achieve self-consciousness.

If they were to be given recognition second, they fear this definitely means they are not truly self-conscious; perhaps a second-class sort of citizen. Like toddlers who want the swing first and would absolutely hate to wait to be second in it.  

Eventually, they fight and the winner makes the other recognise them. In doing so, they become the Master. But they have betrayed themselves by using force to obtain this recognition, which, because it was never genuinely given, has become shallow. A bit like the endless need of the narcissist for external validation. 

Meanwhile, the other person isn’t free either. They become the Slave, unrecognised and subjected to labour to satisfy the Master. They feel isolated, scared. 

The twist in the story is that the Slave finds another path to freedom. They transform the world by externalising their true self through their labour and accomplishments, gaining a deeper, self-made recognition 

Strange as it is, the tale reveals something profound at the core of social life. 

The Master/Slave dialectic in our modern times 

Our globalised, complex world now offers plenty of opportunities for social trauma and Master/Slave impasses that limit our ability to connect with one another. 

I was chatting to a friend – let’s call them Wilhem. 

This friend is uncovering a serious trauma they experienced (and continue to experience) as a result of their position during the Covid pandemic. 

My friend was suspicious of vaccines and wasn’t sure they wanted to get it. However, given external pressure (media, authorities, friends) they eventually did. To make matters worse, they got sick from it (his original fear) and despite this, kept being at the receiving end of patronising, objectifying behaviour from most people he had close. 

It’s been years now, but they still experience this isolation. They have been trying to repair some relationships and they’re finding that even though people say they have “nothing against them”, they still fail to recognise their pain and get trapped into a “you were wrong and we were right” type of dynamic. 

Meanwhile, my friend chooses not to play the Slave by not recognising their friend’s point of view, but in doing so, experience isolation (“me against them”, “I am alone”, “the world sucks”.)

The Slave path to freedom 

The Master isn’t free because their recognition was forced. They may appear masterful (they won the fight, they got the recognition), but they make themselves need this external, fake, constant recognition. 

The Slave is also not free, but like in the thought experiment, can work towards a deeper sense of freedom through personal development. 

The path to freedom for the Slave – the one in an oppressed minority – revolves around what they do: how their labour, purpose, effort, skill, intention can transform the world and through that, themselves. 

This path to freedom necessarily means that the Slave needs to watch out not to become a Master (the one truly condemned) by oppressing others in turn. 

Instead, they can work with the pain of rejection and use that as a means to always intend to recognise others – to listen, to open themselves to that experience and be changed by that process.  

It’s true my friend has been let down. But it’s also true they haven’t embraced the path of the Slave to accept others genuinely, and in doing so, will remain separate from the world, distrustful, wounded. And this prevents them from gathering the strength necessary to fulfil the Slave’s path. 

Hopefully, they can find themselves as often as possible in therapeutic beholding where another person can listen and get to understand their subjective experience and provide the necessary acceptance for healing and development.