ABSTRACT
Friedrich Hegel views history as the work of the all-powerful spirit of the universe driving towards perfection. Hegel begins by observing that the history of philosophy can be described as bitter debates in which rival schools struggle to debunk each other. Hegel's views can be traced back to the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder who reacted against the Enlightenment belief that universal ways of organizing and dealing with people could be created and diffused worldwide. Herder rebutted with the notion that no universally superior strategies exist because every society/culture possesses its own unique volksgeist. Kroeber's theory of the "superorganic" emphasizes that every culture develops a particular style or pattern. The arrangement of traits includes ideals, beliefs, and sought after goals. Hegel developed his paradigm with reference to the volksgeist model that assumed that specific cultures have their own unique ethos or essence. This Hegelian perspective has been usefully applied in various ways within the social sciences and especially within anthropology.
