Final answer:
Rationality may go against itself as each stage of development creates its contradictions, leading to a new understanding. Hegel's dialectical method and Max Weber's and Freud's theories highlight the self-contradictory and dynamic nature of rational development in relation to society and the subconscious mind.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hegel suggests that rationality may go against itself eventually and this can be understood within the context of his dialectical method. Hegel’s philosophy is characterized by the idea that the historical process involves the dialectical movement of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. This notion highlights that each stage of rational development (thesis) creates its own contradictions (antithesis), which then lead to a higher form of rational understanding (synthesis). However, as each synthesis becomes a new thesis, the process continues infinitely, which means rationality is continually overcoming itself in a dynamic and self-contradictory way.
Furthermore, Max Weber’s concept of rationalization points towards the potential for rationality to undermine the very agency and happiness it seeks to enhance, as society becomes more bureaucratic. In addition, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory suggests that humans are not entirely rational beings, indicating that the subconscious mind has a significant influence on behavior, which can be counter to rational thought.
Hegel’s dialectic addresses the complexity of human progress and development, acknowledging that while rationality seeks to improve itself, it also contains the seeds of its own transformation and potential negation as it advances.