How should we understand Hegel's “Absolute Idea”?

Question

I've read about Hegel's ideas on philosophical progress:

Hegel's main philosophical project was to take these contradictions and tensions and interpret them as part of a comprehensive, evolving, rational unity that, in different contexts, he called "the absolute idea" or "absolute knowledge".

How should I understand the notion of Absolute Idea or Absolute Knowledge? Is it actually a point that can be reached by humans, or by mankind? Can it be compared to God? What would happen after reaching the Absolute Idea, if that's even possible?

Answer 1

I believe the most important part of Hegel's vision is the rational unit. Hegel's vision of absolute knowledge is the unification of truth through reason.

Ideas, tensions, philosophical debate are the natural process of rational evolution and absolute knowledge is the climax of that evolutionary process. Reason can progress to perfection, in what Hegel saw as the ultimate evolution.

Reason is a trait of man, not of god, and divine knowledge is absolute through belief, not reason. Hegel saw it as achievable by man. Perhaps it is easy to see it as the opposite of Plato's theory of forms and pure ideas. Plato redeems absolution as existent, but intangible. Hegel deems it achievable through perpetuum rational and philosophical evolution.