Hegel (Great Philosophers)

by Raymond Plant

Book Overview

Philosophy is one of the most intimidating and difficult of disciplines, as any of its students can attest. This book is an important entry in a distinctive new series from Routledge: "The Great... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 075380185X
• ISBN13: 9780753801857
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.3" x 4.4"

Customer Reviews

A Hegelian unity in 56 pages...

Hegel sits atop the promontory of nineteenth century philosophy. The grandfather of almost all subsequent thought, the thick turgid prose of his tomes both inspired and disgusted eminent thinkers from Kierkegaard to Derrida. To say that all philosophy subsequent to the nineteenth century comprises footnotes to Hegel would only be a slight exaggeration. He spun orbs of theory that attempted to encompass everything: philosophy, history, psychology, religion, sociology, and whatever else he could pack into his grand narrative. A basic understanding of Hegel remains a prerequisite for comprehending what came after his impenetrable cathedralesque philosophy. Finding an unimposing entry point will pose the greatest challenge for the uninitiated. This diminutive book in no way provides the keys to Hegel's kingdom. Nonetheless, it does give a view of the doormat in front of the gate. Religious philosophy remains the focus throughout. After a brief summary of Hegel's influence and life, the book delves into the "fears of fragmentation." Many people, especially younger people, find crises in their contemporary cultures. Like the Nietzsche of "The Birth of Tragedy," Hegel exemplifies the Greeks as the ideal of culture. He sees a crisis in the "otherworldly" posturing of Christianity, in contrast with the very in-the-world ancient Greek religion. People's minds, inspired by their beliefs, turn towards the heavens and away from terra firma. One of Hegel's main goals became the reinterpretation of Christianity. To bring religion to the foundation of everyday life required conceiving of mind in terms of people's workaday experiences. It also requires, borrowed from the linear conception of Christianity itself, an irreversible progression called "dialectic" which leads to "Absolute Knowledge." In stark contrast to post-modern and "language game" thinking, Hegel posits an ultimate end and goal to history. We're all heading somewhere. We're not just drifting in dark matter. Not only that, we can also discover this process, called the "Absolute Idea," and finally comprehend it fully, when it becomes "Absolute Spirit." These ideas also tie into a new sociological interpretation of the Holy Trinity. Roughly, this process provides a basis for Christianity in the community. As the author puts it: "The philosophical understanding of the rationality of human experience and history is equivalent to the incarnate life of God, or the embodiment of the Absolute Idea, linking the divine to the human in everyday life and experience." Say that three times fast. The remainder of the book deals with religion and theology. Hegel, in contrast to orthodox belief, argues that we can know God through studying history and nature because God externalizes him/herself as all conscious beings do (in "otherness"). Next, also in opposition to certain orthodoxy, creation is seen as a necessary phenomenon, not just a simple whim of God. God is disclosed through creation. The incarnation of G

An Interesting Take

The Great Philosopher's book on Hegel is interesting because it approaches him from a religious context. Normally one would expect a fifty page survey of Hegel to focus on the dialectic, his views on history or materialism or government. Instead, the book places its emphasis on his metaphysical philosophy. Different and intriguing, this book is well worth a read.