Hegel’s concept of “recognition” (or Anerkennung in German) is central to his philosophy, especially in his ‘Phenomenology of Spirit’. It refers to the process by which individuals come to see themselves as self-conscious and free through the recognition of others. For Hegel, self-consciousness is not something an individual can achieve in isolation; it requires acknowledgment from another self-conscious being.

Hegel argues that human self-consciousness is inherently relational. A person does not come to understand themselves simply by introspection. Instead, they need to be recognized by another self-conscious being. This recognition affirms their own existence as a self-conscious subject.

Hegel ultimately sees genuine self-consciousness as arising from a form of mutual recognition, where two or more individuals acknowledge each other’s autonomy and subjectivity. This process allows individuals to overcome alienation, as each person is not merely an isolated subject, but is recognized by others as a free and self-conscious being.