Hegel's most influential work introduces the idea that philosophical truths are inseparable from the history of philosophy and the histories and politics of the societies in which they arise. He argues that our perception of reality is flawed, that to know anything, we must understand everything—and that everything is interrelated, forming what Hegel calls the "Absolute." Only by understanding the Absolute can we discover what really matters. Exploring self-consciousness and social relations, along with themes of mutual recognition and the struggle between master and slave, Hegel argues for a society in which both the mind and the universe are understood as one indivisible "spirit" or whole.