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Hegel's Mystical Materialism and The Lurianic Modernity

A thread
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Table of Contents

1/10. Introduction

2/10. Lurianic Kabbalah

3/10. The Mystical Idea in German Idealism 

4/10. Hegel's Mystical Materialism 

5/10. Karl Marx's Dialectical Materialism and its Mystical Structure

6/10. Walter Benjamin and Messianic Marxism

7/10. Erich Fromm and Radical Tradition

8/10. Deconstruction and Kabbalistic Hermeneutics

9/10. Gnostic, Lurianic, and Hegelian Concept Map

10/10. Cosmological Overlap Between Gnosticism, Hegelianism, and Lurianic Kabbalah:

X/10. Works Cited

Introduction

The recognition of this esoteric undercurrent in modern thought has significant implications for our understanding of the intellectual history of modernity. It challenges the conventional narrative of a purely rational, secular modernity, revealing instead a complex dialectic between reason and mysticism, enlightenment, and esotericism. The persistence of Gnostic and Kabbalistic themes in the works of thinkers as diverse as Schelling, Hegel, Benjamin, and Derrida suggests that these esoteric traditions have played a vital role in shaping the very categories and concerns of modern thought, from the nature of subjectivity and language to the philosophy of history and the critique of ideology.

Moreover, the Kabbalistic and Gnostic elements in modern philosophy point to a deeper continuity between ancient and modern forms of thought, one that transcends the conventional boundaries of religion, philosophy, and politics. The recurrence of motifs such as the self-alienation of the divine, the exile and redemption of the soul, and the utopian hope for cosmic repair suggests a persistent human need to grapple with the fundamental questions of existence, a need that finds expression in both religious and secular forms of discourse.

Ultimately, I am arguing that recognizing the Kabbalistic and Gnostic underpinnings of modern thought allows us to fully evaluate the influences contributing to philosophical modernity and allows us to obtain a better understanding of the challenges posed by the crises of meaning and purpose in our late modern age.

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Lurianic Kabbalah

Lurianic Kabbalah had a major impact on Christian thinkers like Jakob Böhme (1575-1624), whose mystical writings were a key source for the German Idealist tradition. F.W.J. Schelling (1775-1854), in his "Philosophy of Revelation," explicitly drew on Böhme and Kabbalah in his conception of the divine life and the process of creation.

Lurianic Kabbalah's influence on German Idealism is particularly noteworthy, as its key concepts and cosmological structure find striking parallels in the works of thinkers such as F.W.J. Schelling and G.W.F. Hegel. As noted by Gershom Scholem in his essay "Schelling and Kabbalah" (1962), Schelling's engagement with Kabbalistic ideas, particularly those of the Lurianic tradition, played a significant role in shaping his philosophical vision.

Schelling's concept of the "Absolute" as a dynamic, self-differentiating unity bears a remarkable resemblance to the Lurianic idea of Ein Sof, the infinite divine source that undergoes a process of contraction (Tzimtzum) and emanation (Sefirot) in order to create the world. For Schelling, as for the Lurianic Kabbalists, the finite world of nature and history is a necessary moment in the self-revelation of the divine, a process marked by rupture, alienation, and reconciliation (Vater, "Schelling and the Kabbalah: Myth, Revelation, Pantheism", 1996). This Kabbalistic underpinning of Schelling's thought is further evident in his conception of evil as a necessary stage in the unfolding of the Absolute.

In his "Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom" (1809), Schelling draws upon the Lurianic idea of the "shattering of the vessels" (Shevirat HaKelim) to articulate a metaphysical account of the origin and significance of evil. Just as in Lurianic Kabbalah, where the broken shards of the divine vessels give rise to the realm of the Kelipot (shells of evil), Schelling views evil as a byproduct of the Absolute's self-differentiation, a dark residue that must be confronted and integrated into the divine life (O'Regan, "The Heterodox Hegel", 1994).

Hegel's philosophical system, in turn, can be seen as a further development and transformation of these Schellingian and Lurianic themes. As Glenn Alexander Magee argues in his book "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" (2001), Hegel's dialectical conception of reality as a process of alienation and reconciliation is deeply indebted to Kabbalistic and Gnostic ideas. The Hegelian notion of "absolute negativity," the driving force behind the dialectic, bears a striking similarity to the Lurianic concept of Tzimtzum, the divine contraction that creates the space for otherness and difference.

Moreover, Hegel's understanding of history as a progressive unfolding of the Absolute Spirit (Geist) towards self-consciousness and freedom can be seen as a philosophical transposition of the Lurianic idea of Tikkun, the cosmic process of repair and restoration. Just as in Lurianic Kabbalah, where the divine sparks (Nitzotzot) scattered throughout creation must be gathered and reunited with their source, Hegel envisions history as a gradual process of overcoming alienation and fragmentation, culminating in the realization of "absolute knowledge" (Wolfson, "Hegel and the Kabbalah of the Absolute", 2011).

The Kabbalistic resonances in Hegel's thought are further amplified by his appropriation of the Christian Kabbalistic tradition, particularly the works of Jakob Böhme. As Cyril O'Regan demonstrates in his book "The Anatomy of Misremembering: Von Balthasar's Response to Philosophical Modernity. Volume 1: Hegel" (2014), Hegel's engagement with Böhme's theosophical speculations played a crucial role in shaping his dialectical vision of reality. Böhme's Kabbalistic understanding of God as a dynamic, self-differentiating unity, as well as his conception of evil as a necessary moment in the divine life, find clear echoes in Hegel's thought.

This genealogy of Kabbalistic influence, extending from Luria to Schelling, Böhme, and Hegel, highlights the profound impact of Jewish mystical ideas on the development of German Idealism. As Warren Montag argues in his essay "Hegel and the Kabbalists: Death, Desire, and Detachment" (2018), the Kabbalistic substratum of German Idealist thought represents a crucial but often overlooked dimension of modernity's philosophical and theological composition.

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The Mystical Idea in German Idealism

Schelling's ideas had a profound influence on G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831), whose dialectical philosophy can be seen as a rational reconstruction of Kabbalistic and Gnostic themes.  The link between Böhme, Schelling, and Hegel is crucial in understanding the transmission of esoteric ideas into German Idealism. Friedrich Schelling, a contemporary of Hegel and a key figure in the development of German Idealism, was deeply influenced by Böhme's theosophy. In his "Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom" (1809), Schelling draws heavily on Böhme's concept of the Ungrund and his doctrine of the "Three Principles" to develop his own understanding of the Absolute and the nature of evil.

Schelling's appropriation of Boehmean ideas, particularly the notion of a dynamic, self-differentiating Absolute, had a significant impact on Hegel's thought. While Hegel was critical of certain aspects of Schelling's philosophy, he nevertheless absorbed and transformed many of Schelling's insights, integrating them into his own dialectical system. Thus, the influence of Böhme on Hegel was mediated, in part, through Schelling's engagement with Boehmean theosophy, demonstrating the complex interplay of esoteric and philosophical currents in the development of German Idealism.

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Hegel's Mystical Materialism

Hegel's philosophical system is deeply rooted in the esoteric traditions of Gnosticism, Lurianic Kabbalah, and the Christian Kabbalah of Jakob Böhme. This genealogy has been extensively documented by scholars such as Cyril O'Regan, Hans Jonas, Eric Voegelin, Agata Bielik-Robson, and Gershom Scholem.
Cyril O'Regan, in his book "The Heterodox Hegel" (1994), argues that Hegel's thought is fundamentally shaped by Gnostic and Kabbalistic ideas. O'Regan traces the influence of Böhme on Hegel, showing how Böhme's theosophical cosmology, with its emphasis on the dynamic interplay of opposites and the process of divine self-revelation, is translated into Hegel's dialectical system. 

Similarly, Hans Jonas, in his seminal work "The Gnostic Religion" (1958), identifies the Gnostic concept of the "Alien God" as a key influence on Hegel's philosophy. For Jonas, Hegel's notion of the Absolute Spirit (Geist) that alienates itself from itself in order to realize itself through the dialectical process of history bears a striking resemblance to the Gnostic myth of the divine spark that falls into the material world and must journey back to its source.

Eric Voegelin, in his essay "On Hegel: A Study in Sorcery" (1971), goes even further, arguing that Hegel's system is essentially a form of "immanentized Gnosticism," a secularized version of the Gnostic mythos that relocates the drama of fall and redemption within the historical process. Voegelin sees in Hegel's philosophy a dangerous form of "sorcery" that seeks to transform reality through the power of speculative thought. Agata Bielik-Robson, in her book "Jewish Cryptotheologies of Late Modernity" (2014), explores the Kabbalistic underpinnings of Hegel's thought, particularly the influence of Lurianic Kabbalah. Bielik-Robson argues that Hegel's dialectical process of negation and sublation (Aufhebung) is a philosophical transposition of the Lurianic doctrine of Tzimtzum (divine contraction) and Tikkun (cosmic repair).

Gershom Scholem, the pioneering scholar of Jewish mysticism, also notes the Kabbalistic elements in Hegel's thought. In his essay "Kabbalah and Myth" (1960), Scholem suggests that Hegel's philosophy can be seen as a "Kabbalistic myth" that recasts the Lurianic drama of exile and redemption in philosophical terms. Hegel's system, with its emphasis on the self-alienation of Spirit (Geist) and the need for reconciliation (Versöhnung), bears striking similarities to the Lurianic conception of Tsimtsum and Tikkun.

The influence of Jakob Böhme on Hegel is particularly significant, as Böhme serves as a crucial link between the Gnostic and Kabbalistic traditions and German Idealism. Böhme's concept of the Ungrund (the groundless abyss from which all things emerge) and his doctrine of the "Three Principles" (the dynamic interplay of darkness and light, wrath and love) anticipate key elements of Hegel's dialectical system. F.C. Baur, in his book "Die christliche Gnosis" (1835), was one of the first scholars to identify the Gnostic roots of Böhme's thought and to suggest a connection between Böhme and Hegel. Baur argues that Böhme's theosophy represents a "speculative Gnosticism" that prefigures the dialectical structure of Hegel's philosophy.

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Karl Marx’s Dialectical Materialism and it’s Mystical Structure

Karl Marx's thought is deeply rooted in the tradition of Lurianic Kabbalah, albeit translated into a materialist and historical framework. At its core, Marx's dialectical materialism is a secularized version of the Lurianic creation myth, with its emphasis on the progressive unfolding of history through the dynamic interplay of opposites.

As Ernst Bloch argues in his seminal work "The Principle of Hope" (1954), Marx's vision of communist society is a direct heir to the Kabbalistic concept of Tikkun Olam, the messianic restoration of the world to its original unity. For Bloch, Marx's "classless society" is the secular equivalent of the Kabbalistic "world to come," a utopian realm in which all divisions and contradictions are finally reconciled.

This Kabbalistic underpinning of Marxist thought is also evident in the work of early socialist thinkers like Moses Hess (1812-1875), who explicitly drew on Jewish mystical traditions in his writings. In his book "Rome and Jerusalem" (1862), Hess argues that socialism is the modern expression of the ancient Jewish longing for redemption, and that the proletariat is the secular equivalent of the "suffering servant" of Isaiah.Similarly, the Russian Orthodox Marxist Aaron Libermann (1845-1880) saw in Marx's thought a continuation of the Kabbalistic tradition of social justice and messianic activism. In his essay "On the Social Ideal" (1875), Libermann argues that the struggle for socialism is a religious duty, rooted in the Jewish prophetic tradition and the Kabbalistic imperative of Tikkun Olam.

This mystical dimension of Marxist thought was not lost on later thinkers, even as they sought to emphasize its scientific and materialist aspects. Walter Benjamin, in his essay "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (1940), explicitly compares the revolutionary task of the proletariat to the Kabbalistic process of Tikkun, the gathering of the scattered sparks of divine light. For Benjamin, the Marxist concept of class struggle is a secularized version of the Kabbalistic battle against the "shells" (kelipot) of evil and oppression.

Even the French Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser (1918-1990), who sought to purge Marxism of its Hegelian and humanist elements, could not escape its Kabbalistic underpinnings. As Warren Montag argues in his book "Althusser and His Contemporaries" (2013), Althusser's concept of "aleatory materialism," with its emphasis on the contingency and unpredictability of historical events, bears a striking resemblance to the Lurianic notion of "rupture" (shevirat ha-kelim), the shattering of the divine vessels that sets the stage for the work of repair.

This Kabbalistic dimension of Marxist thought was not always acknowledged or understood by its adherents, many of whom sought to present Marxism as a purely scientific and rational doctrine. The French Marxist philosopher Alexandre Kojève (1902-1968), for example, famously interpreted Hegel's dialectic in purely anthropological and historical terms, downplaying its mystical and metaphysical aspects.

However, as Michael Löwy argues in his book "Redemption and Utopia: Jewish Libertarian Thought in Central Europe" (1992), this attempt to secularize and rationalize Marxism was ultimately unsuccessful. For Löwy, the messianic and utopian dimensions of Marxist thought are not accidental or incidental, but are integral to its very structure and meaning. 

This is particularly evident in the work of Ernst Bloch, who saw in Marxism a "utopian surplus" that could not be reduced to scientific or economic categories. In his book "The Spirit of Utopia" (1918), Bloch argues that Marxism is ultimately a form of "transcendental materialism," a philosophy that seeks to realize the spiritual and ethical ideals of religion in the material world.

For Bloch, the Marxist concept of "praxis," the transformative activity of the proletariat, is a secular version of the Kabbalistic idea of Tikkun Olam, the active participation of human beings in the redemption of the world. As Bloch puts it in "The Principle of Hope," "The true genesis is not at the beginning, but at the end, and it starts to begin only when society and existence become radical, i.e., grasp their roots. But the root of history is the working, creating human being who reshapes and overhauls the given facts. 

This Kabbalistic reading of Marxism is not without its critics, of course. Some Marxist thinkers have argued that the mystical and messianic elements of Marx's thought are mere vestiges of his Hegelian inheritance, and that the true core of Marxism lies in its scientific analysis of capitalism and its material conditions.

However, as the work of thinkers like Bloch, Benjamin, and Löwy demonstrates, the Kabbalistic and utopian dimensions of Marxism cannot be so easily dismissed. These elements are not merely incidental or peripheral, but are integral to the very structure and meaning of Marx's thought.

Moreover, as the historian Margaret Jacob argues in her book "The Radical Enlightenment" (1981), the influence of Jewish mysticism on the development of modern revolutionary thought goes back much further than Marx. Jacob traces the influence of Kabbalistic ideas on the radical thinkers of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as Baruch Spinoza and the French materialists, who sought to challenge the religious and political orthodoxies of their time. 

For Jacob, the Kabbalistic doctrine of Tikkun Olam, with its emphasis on the active participation of human beings in the redemption of the world, was a key source of inspiration for the radical politics of the Enlightenment. As she puts it, "The Kabbalistic concept of Tikkun, the restoration of the world to its original harmony, was translated into a secular, political idiom by the radicals of the Enlightenment, who saw in the overthrow of the old order the possibility of a new and better world."

This Kabbalistic legacy is also evident in the work of contemporary Marxist thinkers, such as the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben. In his book "The Time That Remains" (2000), Agamben draws on the Lurianic concept of Tsimtsum, the divine contraction that creates the space for human freedom and creativity, to develop a new understanding of revolutionary politics. For Agamben, the revolutionary task is not simply to seize power or to impose a new order, but rather to create a "void" or a "gap" in the existing order, a space of potentiality and creativity that opens up new possibilities for human action. As he puts it, "The void is the revolutionary element in every political system, the unrepresentable excess that disrupts the smooth functioning of the machine."

This Kabbalistic notion of the "void" as the site of revolutionary possibility is also central to the work of the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek. In his book "The Fragile Absolute" (2000), Žižek argues that the true legacy of Marxism lies not in its scientific analysis of capitalism, but rather in its utopian and messianic vision of a world beyond capitalism. For Žižek, the Marxist concept of the "proletariat" is not simply an economic category, but rather a kind of secular messiah, a revolutionary subject that embodies the hope and possibility of a new world. As he puts it, "The proletariat is not a positive social force, but rather the embodiment of the void, the 'symptomal torsion' of the existing social order."

This Kabbalistic reading of Marxism has important implications for contemporary politics and social movements. It suggests that the true power of Marxism lies not simply in its critique of capitalism, but rather in its utopian and messianic vision of a world beyond capitalism.

Moreover, it suggests that the revolutionary task is not simply to seize power or to impose a new order, but rather to create spaces of potentiality and creativity within the existing order, to open up new possibilities for human action and imagination.

In this sense, the Kabbalistic legacy of Marxism is not simply a matter of historical curiosity, but rather a vital resource for contemporary struggles for social justice and human emancipation. As the world faces unprecedented challenges and crises, from climate change to rising authoritarianism, the utopian and messianic vision of Marxism may be more relevant than ever.

As Ernst Bloch puts it in "The Principle of Hope," "The true Marxist criticism of religion is therefore not merely atheistic, but a-theistic: it is not directed against religion, but rather opens up a space beyond religion, a space of utopian possibility and hope."

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Walter Benjamin and Messianic Marxism

As Walter Benjamin puts it in his essay "Theses on the Philosophy of History," "The Messiah comes not only as the redeemer, he comes as the subduer of Antichrist. Only that historian will have the gift of fanning the spark of hope in the past who is firmly convinced that even the dead will not be safe from the enemy if he wins. And this enemy has not ceased to be victorious."

Walter Benjamin's engagement with Kabbalah is perhaps the most explicit and well-documented among the thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School. In his essay "On Language as Such and on the Language of Man" (1916), Benjamin draws on the Kabbalistic idea of the "language of things" to develop his own theory of language as a medium of expression that extends beyond human communication. For the Kabbalists, all of creation is imbued with divine language, and the task of the mystic is to interpret and redeem this language through the act of naming. Similarly, for Benjamin, the role of the philosopher is to "read what was never written," to uncover the hidden meanings and correspondences that lie beneath the surface of the material world.

Benjamin's interest in Kabbalah is also evident in his theory of allegory, which he develops in his book "The Origin of German Tragic Drama" (1928). Drawing on the Kabbalistic notion of the "breaking of the vessels" (Shevirat ha-Kelim), Benjamin argues that allegory is a mode of representation that arises from the experience of fragmentation and loss. Just as the divine light is scattered and concealed in the material world after the cosmic catastrophe of the breaking of the vessels, so too is meaning shattered and dispersed in the allegorical work of art. The task of the critic, like that of the Kabbalist, is to gather and reassemble these fragments, to redeem the truth that lies hidden within them.

In his later writings, particularly his "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (1940), Benjamin's engagement with Kabbalah takes on a more explicitly political and messianic character. Drawing on the Lurianic concept of Tikkun, Benjamin envisions a form of historical materialism that seeks to redeem the past by "blasting open the continuum of history." The Kabbalistic belief that the scattered sparks of divine light could be gathered and restored to their source through the work of Tikkun, was readily adopted by Benjamin and reframed as forgotten and oppressed moments of the past being redeemed through revolutionary action in the present. 

As Michael Löwy argues in his book "Fire Alarm: Reading Walter Benjamin's 'On the Concept of History'" (2005), Benjamin's messianic conception of history is deeply informed by Jewish mystical traditions, particularly the Kabbalah of Isaac Luria.

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Erich Fromm and Radical Tradition

Erich Fromm's engagement with Kabbalah is less explicit than Benjamin's, but no less significant. In his book "You Shall Be as Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition" (1966), Fromm offers a humanistic and psychological reading of the Hebrew Bible that draws on both Hasidic and Kabbalistic sources. Central to Fromm's interpretation is the idea of "radical monotheism," which he defines as the belief in a God who is not separate from the world but is immanent within it. For Fromm, this idea finds its clearest expression in the Kabbalistic notion of Ein Sof, the infinite and unknowable God who is the source and ground of all being.

Fromm also draws on Kabbalistic ideas in his understanding of human creativity and self-realization. In his book "The Art of Loving" (1956), Fromm argues that love is a creative act that requires the capacity for "productive orientation," the ability to relate to the world and to others in a spontaneous and authentic way. This idea of creativity as a form of loving engagement with the world echoes the Kabbalistic notion of Tikkun Olam, the human participation in the repair and transformation of the cosmos.

Martin Buber's influence on Fromm and the Frankfurt School is rooted in his dialogical philosophy and his engagement with Hasidic mysticism. In his book "I and Thou" (1923), Buber distinguishes between two modes of existence: the "I-It" relationship, in which the other is treated as an object to be used or experienced, and the "I-Thou" relationship, in which the other is encountered as a whole and unique presence. For Buber, the I-Thou relationship is the foundation of all authentic existence and is rooted in the encounter with the divine presence that pervades all of creation.

Buber's dialogical philosophy has important affinities with Kabbalistic thought, particularly the Hasidic tradition of devekut, or cleaving to God through prayer and contemplation. As Rivka Schatz Uffenheimer argues in her book "Hasidism as Mysticism: Quietistic Elements in Eighteenth-Century Hasidic Thought" (1993), Buber's conception of the I-Thou relationship is deeply influenced by the Hasidic idea of the "unity of being," the experience of the divine presence in all things. This idea is also central to Buber's understanding of community and social transformation, which he sees as rooted in the "genuine dialogue" between individuals and groups.

Gershom Scholem, in his essay "Martin Buber's Interpretation of Hasidism" (1961), argues that Buber's dialogical philosophy is a "secularized and existentialized" version of Hasidic mysticism, one that seeks to translate the experience of devekut into the language of modern philosophy and psychology. Scholem also notes the influence of Kabbalah on Buber's thought, particularly in his understanding of the divine-human relationship as a dynamic and reciprocal process of revelation and concealment.

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Deconstruction and Kabbalistic Hermeneutics

In the poststructuralist tradition, Jacques Derrida's deconstruction can be seen as a form of Kabbalistic hermeneutics, one that seeks to unsettle and transform the binary oppositions that structure Western thought. In his book "Writing and Difference" (1967), Derrida argues that the act of writing is always haunted by a "trace" of alterity, a residue of meaning that cannot be fully captured or represented in language. This idea of the trace bears important similarities to the Kabbalistic notion of the "residue" (reshimu) of divine light that remains after the contraction of Ein Sof in the process of creation.

Derrida's notion of "differance," the endless play of signification that defers meaning and presence, can also be seen as a kind of Kabbalistic hermeneutics. As Elliot R. Wolfson argues in his book "Language, Eros, Being: Kabbalistic Hermeneutics and Poetic Imagination" (2005), the Kabbalistic understanding of language as a creative and transformative force is predicated on the idea of the "unboundedness of meaning," the infinite possibilities of interpretation that arise from the interplay of letters and words. For Wolfson, Derrida's deconstruction can be seen as a "postmodern Kabbalah," one that seeks to liberate meaning from the constraints of binary logic and to open up new spaces of creativity and imagination.

Agata Bielik-Robson, in her book "Jewish Cryptotheologies of Late Modernity" (2014), offers a detailed analysis of the Kabbalistic underpinnings of Derrida's thought. Drawing on the work of Gershom Scholem and Harold Bloom, Bielik-Robson argues that Derrida's deconstruction can be seen as a form of "negative theology," one that seeks to preserve the mystery and alterity of the divine by constantly deferring and displacing its representation in language. For Bielik-Robson, Derrida's notion of the "trace" is a secular version of the Kabbalistic idea of the "withdrawal" (tzimtzum) of God, the self-limiting act that creates the space for human creativity and interpretation.

Harold Bloom, in his book "Kabbalah and Criticism" (1975), offers a similar reading of Derrida's deconstruction as a form of Kabbalistic hermeneutics. For Bloom, the Kabbalistic notion of "midrash," the creative interpretation of sacred texts, is the key to understanding Derrida's approach to language and meaning. Just as the Kabbalists sought to uncover the hidden meanings and correspondences within the Torah, so too does Derrida seek to reveal the "dissemination" of meaning within the texts of Western philosophy and literature.

Other thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School and poststructuralism have also drawn on Kabbalistic and Gnostic themes in their work. Theodor Adorno, in his "Negative Dialectics" (1966), develops a form of philosophical critique that bears important similarities to Gnostic thought. Like the Gnostics, Adorno sees the world as fundamentally broken and alienated, and he seeks to develop a form of thinking that can resist and negate the "false totality" of modern reason. Adorno's idea of the "non-identical," that which exceeds and resists conceptual identification, can be seen as a secular version of the Gnostic notion of the "alien God," the divine otherness that cannot be reduced to human categories and representations.

Giorgio Agamben, in his book "The Open: Man and Animal" (2002), draws on the Kabbalistic idea of the "redemption of language" to develop his critique of the Western metaphysical tradition. For Agamben, the Kabbalistic understanding of language as a creative and transformative force offers a way to think beyond the "anthropological machine" that separates human beings from animals and nature. Agamben's idea of the "coming community," a form of social life that resists the sovereign power of the state, can also be seen as a secular version of the Kabbalistic notion of Tikkun Olam, the repair and transformation of the world through human action.

The emergence of queer theory in the late 20th century can be seen as a radical challenge to the ontological foundations of gender and sexual identity, echoing the subversive impulses of Gnostic and Kabbalistic thought. Judith Butler's seminal work "Gender Trouble" (1990) is a foundational text that deconstructs the very notion of a stable, coherent gender subject, resonating with the Kabbalistic idea of the "shattering of the vessels" (Shevirat HaKelim).

For Butler, gender is not an innate or essential identity, but rather a stylized repetition of acts that produce the illusion of a stable self. This idea of gender performativity bears a striking resemblance to the Kabbalistic understanding of the divine as a dynamic, ever-unfolding process of emanation and withdrawal (Tzimtsum). For Butler, as for the Kabbalists, the process of subjectivation is always incomplete, always leaving a remainder or excess that resists full incorporation into the symbolic order. 

Moreover, Butler's concept of the "constitutive outside," the idea that the subject is always haunted by the alterity that it excludes and repudiates, can be seen as a secular translation of the Kabbalistic notion of the "residue" (reshimu), the trace of divine light that remains after the contraction of the Ein Sof.

This Kabbalistic dimension of Butler's thought is explored in depth by Elliot R. Wolfson, who argues that her understanding of gender as a "chiasmatic interweaving" of materiality and performativity bears a striking resemblance to the Kabbalistic idea of the "perpetual infolding" of the divine light into the material world. Wolfson sees Butler's queer theory as a form of "critical Kabbalah" that seeks to destabilize and transgress the boundaries of normative identity and embodiment.

Similarly, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick draws on Gnostic and Kabbalistic themes in her work on the epistemology of the closet, exploring the relationship between knowledge and sexuality. Sedgwick's analysis of the closet as a "regime of the open secret" bears a resemblance to the Gnostic concept of the "secret knowledge" (gnosis) that is both revealed and concealed in the material world. Her notion of "queer performativity" can be seen as a secular translation of the Kabbalistic idea of Tikkun, the ongoing work of repair and restoration necessary to redeem the scattered sparks of the divine.

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Cosmological Overlap Between Gnosticism, Hegelianism, and Lurianic Kabbalah:

In Lurianic Kabbalah, the Shekinah represents the divine presence or immanence, the aspect of God that dwells within the created world. She is often depicted as the tenth and lowest of the sefirot, the emanations or attributes of the divine, and is associated with the realm of Malkhut (Kingdom), the physical universe. 

According to Lurianic mythology, the Shekinah was exiled or separated from the divine pleroma as a result of the "breaking of the vessels" (Shevirat HaKelim), the cosmic catastrophe that shattered the original unity of creation. The restoration of the Shekinah to her proper place in the divine order is a central goal of the kabbalistic path of tikkun (repair), which seeks to heal the fragmentation of the world and reunite the divine sparks scattered throughout creation.

Similarly, in Gnostic cosmology, Sophia (Wisdom) is a divine aeon or emanation that plays a pivotal role in the unfolding of the spiritual drama. According to the Gnostic myth, Sophia fell from the divine pleroma, giving birth to the Demiurge, the flawed creator of the material world. This fallen state of Sophia corresponds to the exiled condition of the Shekinah in Kabbalah, as both represent the divine principle that has become separated from its source and entangled in the realm of multiplicity and finitude. The Gnostic path of salvation, like the kabbalistic process of tikkun, aims to liberate the divine spark (pneuma) within the human soul and reunite it with the transcendent godhead, thereby restoring Sophia to her original unity.

In Hegel's philosophical system, we find a striking parallel to these Kabbalistic and Gnostic motifs in the dialectical movement of Spirit (Geist). For Hegel, Spirit is the absolute reality that unfolds itself through the process of self-differentiation and self-reconciliation, generating the finite world of nature and history. This process of emanation and return corresponds to the exile and restoration of the Shekinah in Kabbalah, as well as the fall and redemption of Sophia in Gnosticism.

More specifically, the Hegelian concept of "self-alienation" (Selbstentfremdung) can be seen as a philosophical translation of the Kabbalistic and Gnostic ideas of divine exile and fall. According to Hegel, Spirit must alienate or externalize itself in order to actualize its potential and become fully self-conscious. This means that the finite world, with all its negativity and contradiction, is a necessary moment in the self-realization of the Absolute. Just as the Shekinah must descend into the realm of multiplicity and the Sophia must give birth to the Demiurge, so too must Spirit "empty itself" into the world of nature and history in order to fulfill its destiny.

Furthermore, Hegel's concept of "reconciliation" (Versöhnung) can be seen as a philosophical analogue to the Kabbalistic tikkun and the Gnostic salvation. For Hegel, the ultimate goal of the dialectical process is the reconciliation of all oppositions and contradictions within the unity of the Absolute. 

This means that the finite world, which appears to be separate from or opposed to the infinite, is ultimately sublated (aufgehoben) and integrated into the self-consciousness of Spirit. Just as the exiled Shekinah is reunited with the divine pleroma and the fallen Sophia is restored to the godhead, so too is the self-alienated Spirit reconciled with itself through the movement of negation and sublation.

Thus, in comparing the metaphysical systems of Lurianic Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and Hegelian philosophy, we find a common pattern of emanation, fall, and redemption, centered around the feminine divine principle of Shekinah/Sophia.

***Moist Hegel (@Dialectiks):***

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Gnostic, Lurianic, and Hegelian Concept Map

Original Divine Unity:

Gnosticism: The Pleroma, the fullness of the transcendent divine realm.

Lurianic Kabbalah: Ein Sof, the Infinite, without limit or end.

Hegelianism: The Absolute, the totalizing unity of all reality.

Manifestation or Emanation:

Gnosticism: Emanation of aeons, divine beings from the Pleroma creating the cosmos.

Lurianic Kabbalah: Tzimtzum (Contraction) and the subsequent emanation of the Sefirot, channels of divine energy.

Hegelianism: The dialectical process, the unfolding of the Absolute into nature, human society, and thought.

Divine Spark or Essence Within Creation:

Gnosticism: Divine spark, the fragment of divinity within humans, seeking to return to the Pleroma.

Lurianic Kabbalah: Nitzotzot (Sparks), the divine essence entrapped within the material world, requiring liberation.

Hegelianism: Geist (Spirit), the essence of the Absolute manifesting in human history and consciousness, striving for the realization of freedom.

Contrasts and Conflicts:

Gnosticism: The material world, created by a lower deity (Demiurge), marked by ignorance and suffering.

Lurianic Kabbalah: The broken vessels (Shevirat HaKelim), the shattered aspects of creation needing repair (Tikkun).

Hegelianism: The historical and philosophical evolution, characterized by contradictions (thesis vs. antithesis) leading to progress (synthesis).

Process of Return or Redemption:

Gnosticism: Gnosis, the knowledge that enables the divine spark’s return to the Pleroma.

Lurianic Kabbalah: Tikkun Olam, the restoration of the world through human actions, reuniting the divine sparks with the Ein Sof.

Hegelianism: The self-realization of the Spirit (Geist) through the dialectic, culminating in absolute knowledge and freedom.

Final Unity:

Gnosticism: The reunification of divine sparks with the transcendent God, transcending the material cosmos.

Lurianic Kabbalah: The completion of Tikkun, restoring the original harmony and revealing the divine light fully.

Hegelianism: The Absolute knowing itself fully in philosophical reflection, achieving a state of complete self-awareness and freedom."

***Moist Hegel (@Dialectiks):***

X/10

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