Hegel's Dialectic And Upanishads' Neti Neti: Possible Antidotes To Religious Absolutism

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 16 May 2025 The so-called Truth is a Maya (Illusion)........So, don't fight or fuss over it. Before descanting upon Upanishads' "Neti, Neti" (not this, not that) and Hegel's dialectic, it's imperative to understand the context and concept of both the philosophies because Upanishads' "Neti, Neti " is an eastern or oriental concept with a spiritual or metaphysical context, whereas Hegel's dialectic is occidental and it has a predominantly materialistic context. The Upanishads' "Neti, Neti" (not this, not that) and Hegel's dialectic, while distinct, share a common thread: the use of negation and movement to arrive at a deeper understanding of reality, though Hegel's dialectic focuses on the development of concepts through thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, while "Neti, Neti" emphasizes the ineffable nature of Brahman or Ultimate Reality. Hegel's dialectic is a method of philosophical inquiry that posits that reality progresses through a dynamic interplay of opposing forces: a thesis (a proposition or idea), its antithesis (a counter-proposition), and a synthesis (a new proposition that reconciles the two). The Upanishads, particularly the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, use "Neti, Neti" (meaning "not this, not that") to describe the nature of Brahman, the ultimate reality. While there're dissimilarities in Hegelian dialectic and Upanishads' "Neti, Neti", both the systems or philosophies are unanimous on one count: Rejection of Absolutism. Nothing can be called the Ultimate Truth because even the so-called Truth is never the Universal Truth (Neti, Neti). What perpetually eludes is Truth. According to Nyaya Shastra, there're only subjective truths and relative realities. Hegel and Upanishads believe that to be absolute about anything, anyone, even god is to be intellectually dead. Spiritual quest must never stop. It should go on and on. "Tujhe Paa Lene Mein Woh Betaab Kaifiyat Kahan/ Zindagi Woh Hai Jo Teri Justajoo Mein Kat Gayee." In other words, it's always better to travel than to arrive. Hegel believed that to negate is a man's intellectual fate. Both Hegel and Upanishads must be understood and appreciated in today's 'Context of Obstinacy' when every religion insists that it's the Only Chosen Path (like the Sanatanis of today) and every belief system calls itself the best and flawless. Both Hegel and Upanishads believe in transcendence; transcendence of ideas and existing truths. Marcel Proust believed that there was indeed no end to ' Spiralling Ascendancy of Quality.' It's like perfection. You can only strive for it, but can never become perfect. One, therefore, needs to keep improving and evolving till the last breath. To be absolute is to close all doors to truth. No religion or ideology can claim to preach absolute truth. All religions and their moral codes are periodic and relative truths. What appears to be absolute today, may turn out to be dubious tomorrow. So, when someone insists that his/her scripture is the book of absolute truths, it blocks further enquiry and exploration. Remember Edwin Arnold's famous line "Veil after veil will lift but there will be veil upon veil behind" from The Light of Asia (translation of Ashvaghosh's Buddhacharitam), suggesting that as layers of understanding are revealed, deeper mysteries and veils remain, echoing the ongoing nature of spiritual and intellectual exploration. The phrase suggests that as we peel away layers of ignorance or illusion, we will find that there are always more layers to uncover, and that the journey of understanding and knowledge is an ongoing process. Hegel's dialectics and Upanishads' wisdom emphasise that true understanding is not a destination but a continuous journey. Once we imbibe the spirit of Hegelian dialectics and Upanishads' " neti, neti, " we shall be able to expand the scope of our knowledge and understanding. It'll also mellow us down and inculcate universal empathy. "That there could be an eternally elusive Truth forever beyond my grasp has humbled and spiritualized me" (William C Chittick's English translation of Shams-e-Tabriz's famous quote in Persian). Upanishads' Neti Neti has a great role to play in the context of Religious Relativism and also as an antidote to religious absolutism. Before that, it's imperative to understand what's Religious Relativism. It suggests that at least one, and potentially multiple, world religions are correct, with the validity of a religion's claims being relative to the worldview of its followers. It essentially argues that truth in religious matters is not universal, but rather dependent on the specific cultural and social context of a belief system. My book is the Final Book and my religion is the Final Revealed religion are immature religious assertions made by fanatics. Remember, a fanatic or zealot is not always an apparently violent person, physically harming others. A fanatic could also be a non-violent but obstinate follower of a (religious) belief system who thinks that his Truth is the Absolute Truth. This is lunacy. In fact, a fanatic is often a lunatic. Humans need to rise above this One king, One Law, One Faith kind of obstinacy and absolutism. Remember, nothing is irrefutable or unimpeachable in the universe. God can be refuted, accepted, refuted and so on. If you feel that he's there, be ready and open to accepting that he couldn't be there tomorrow. It's not vacillation. You're not oscillating for a definite answer because nothing in nature is definite or 2+2=4. It's what's called ' fluidity of perceptions', which's a positive human trait. Human life is in a state of constant flux. There's no fixed reality. Even truth is relative and variable. Before drinking the cup of Hemlock, Socrates called one of his favourite disciples and told him never to hold any belief as unchangeable. Change when circumstances demand. To be amenable to changes heralds a new beginning. It's in accordance with nature's self-preserving spirit and also of survival instinct. To quote an Urdu couplet, "Jo Shajar Khada Raha, Toofaan Se Ukhad Gaya/ Jisne Lachak Dikhai, Woh Toofan Ko Jhel Gaya" --The straight and stubborn tree was uprooted by the tempest/ But the tree that showed flexibility, could withstand the fury of it. We must always have that elasticity in our character and approach to life. It acts like a spring that positions itself as per the pressure. Absolutism is a crime against the cerebral evolution of an individual that eventually impacts humankind. Human existence is all about a purposeful survival and a meaningful existence. It's possible only when we shelve our mulish obduracy and resort to flexibility. Because of the pliability of Neti, Neti, Eastern consciousness is never over-assertive and no true follower of Eastern faiths will ever assert that his book is the book of absolute truths. So, whatever is there has to be true. This is a dangerous belief and a quintessence of absolutism. Hegel's dialectic and Oriental Neti, Neti warn us against this kind of morbid religious totalitarianism. My way is not only the perfect way but also the sole way is an erroneous belief that has created much mayhem. Neti Neti suggest that the Truth is but an illusion. So, don't fight or fuss over it. We must remember that the correctness of a religion is relative to the world-view of its community of adherents. In these times, when all religions, even the Eastern faiths, have become too militant and radical, the relativism of Neti Neti can be an antidote to this ill. Finally, Neti Neti and Hegelian Dialectic are not beliefs but noble ideas. Socrates is not just expounding noble ideas in a vacuum. He is in the middle of a war between those who think truth is absolute and those who think truth is relative. He is fighting that war with everything he has. ---- A shorter version of this write up appeared in TOI, Edit Page on May 15 ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/hegel-dialectic-upanishads-neti-neti-religious-absolutism/d/135550 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism