THE DUALITY OF THE SOUL AND THE ABSOLUTE SPIRIT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MACHADO DE ASSIS' WORK THE MIRROR AND THE CONCEPT OF FREEDOM OF SPIRIT IN HEGEL'S PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

This article discusses self-knowledge, knowledge of others, and knowledge of the world through Hegel's philosophy, based on an analysis of Machado de Assis's short story "The Mirror." In this work, Machado de Assis envisions the possibility of the existence of two souls, an inner and an outer one. He analyzes human behavior, asserting that the external soul, which represents our social status and our image before society, is more important than our inner soul, which corresponds to our true self, our personality. In turn, Hegel's philosophy values the whole, all the representations that constitute the Whole, the Absolute. For Hegel, the soul is the universal in the form of contemplation and pure reflection upon itself. Thus, this work allows us to employ literature, as an expression of the human spirit, in a philosophical approach, since Hegel's philosophy is based on the purposes of the spirit, through its multiple representations of life. Therefore, we find a link between the work The Mirror and Hegel's philosophy of spirit, since the subjective soul encompasses the deepest interests, the most comprehensive truths of the spirit (HEGEL, 2001).