According to Hegel, one must merge the individual self with the "social substance" in order to be a whole person. The social substance is the world of human interactions, and Hegel felt that this world is the "objective form" of the human spirit (p. 40). Thus, in order to attain one's true human nature, one must find a balance between individuality and universality (p. 41). If a person becomes separated from the universal social substance, the result is the condition known as alienation. However, Hegel also claimed that there is a second type of alienation which can be used to help a person overcome the separation of the first type. This second type of alienation involves "a surrender or sacrifice of particularity and willfulness" (p. 44). Thus, a person can reattain unity with the social substance by "alienating" himself or herself from the selfish form of individuality which disregards the rules and requirements of the universal social order (p. 54).
The first type of alienation seems like an assertion of independence and individuality; however, Hegel claimed that this type actually makes people more dependent on others. With the second type, a person rejects this selfish form of independence "in favor of a more genuinely independent one" (p. 65). By merging one's individuality with the social substance, a person attains a greater sense of spirituality and inner freedom. In Hegel's view, this is the proper condition for wholeness as a human being. Hegel also claimed that the first type of alienation is a natural stage in the development of a person's individuality. Although most people pass through this stage, it results in a sense of separation from the social world. In order to overcome this separation, the person must make a deliberate and conscious effort to sacrifice the "particular self" and to thereby regain unity (p. 44). Whereas the first type of alienation is "something unfortunate - although necessary - a...