Abstract

As is well known, Hegel was intrigued by words having opposed significations, words like aufheben in German, or ‘cleave’ in English; he was convinced that superficial conflicts in meaning generally point to hidden truths. Deep in the Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel reveals a similar interest in a physical organ that serves dual and opposed functions; in his words, “In living beings, nature … combines the organ of its highest completion, the organ of generation, with the organ of urination.”