Change

The German idealist Friedrich Hegel said there is no right or wrong, just moments and
individuals throughout history which shape the ideological landscape of morality. No absolutes,
no sins, and no morals, just temporary fads of thought which combine with opportunity, giving
birth to philosophies. While observing my own morals and undertaking the arduous task of
justifying my own personal philosophy, I've come to covet the wisdom of Hegel's perspective. A
party here, some introspection there, and a small change in personal outlook emerges- everyone
experiences thousands of subtle Hegelian moments throughout their lives. The whole theory
seems quite obvious really. I can just imagine Hegel contemplating his own morals and scouring
his own experiences: just probing the depths of his mind and searching for a more universal
truth. I can imagine that chagrined look on his face, that look of realizing you've searched up and down for your glasses for half an hour and they're on your head, that look of realizing the
obvious. I can just imagine as his personal experiences and the monolith of historical evidence aligned to reveal the subjectivity of morality. I can just imagine him muttering in guttural German, "eureka."

Hegel never argued that morals were random though, quite the contrary, he realized that
technology, thought, and a catalyst combined in an orgy of fortune to give birth to the values of
individuals- simple cause-and-effect logic applied to human psychology and sociology. Looking
at my own values, and the microcosmic Hegelian moments forging them, I can only identify one
absolute in which I would digress from Hegel- open-mindedness. The most potent virtue from
which all others are derived: the ability to objectively evaluate, reason, and judge any value or moral. Now, the willingness to submit to reasonable change and progress is the core pillar of my personal philosophy. After all, open-mindedness in the end is simply a search for truth- an objective, Hegelian truth for one's circumstances, time, and place.

My new philosophy, my cornerstone, my weapon- Change. For the longest time, as an
atheist, many religious friends would demand where I could attain my morals if not from religion
and dogma, and for the longest time I lacked the ability to adequately retort. Now, not only can I
justify my morals, I now know my morals are superior to those who harbor blind faith. Even
when holding the same values, my morals hold more weight- more substance and meaning- yet I
fully respect any open-minded and reasoned belief even when digressing from my own opinion.
Whereas as those who follow blindly must subscribe to stories, unreasoned values, and faith in
dogma as guidelines how to live, I open-mindedly reason and evaluate my morals, beliefs, and
experiences, and weigh them against natural human psychology, sociology, philosophy and proven science. Even if a common conclusion is reached, my belief will hold more weight, for I
have found the Hegelian truth myself, and will change when I find that Hegelian moment which
disproves my belief.

As the time changes, old Dogma grows increasingly irrelevant and illogical. The
values of old most give way to the change of the future, and those who embrace blind faith only hinder progress and deny the inevitable; they embrace the only sin of my religion- provincialism- the willingness to submit to ignorance and unfounded belief. As new truths clash with old morals, the old must increasingly deceive themselves and others to maintain their faith. So Yes, I can hold morals- morals more relevant, logical, and personally veritable than any blindly faithful zealot will ever know.

As Hegel said, right and wrong are fleeting and fickle like the wind, and when the
Hegelian breeze blows back in my face, I'll change my course- but the provincial and shallow will be left clinging to their Dogma and unreasoned ideas until the winds of change efface their beliefs into the void of historical oblivion.