Where Should I Start With Hegel?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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For a first introduction, we recommend that you read Hegel's own introductions to his lectures:

the introductions to his lectures on History of Philosophy

(start with that one), Philosophy of Religion, Aestetics, and Philosophy of History

What should I read before reading Hegel?

(1)

Christian theology, debates over problem of evil, interpretations of trinity and fall

. (2) Diderot's Rameau's Nephew (an entertaining novel) (3) Sophocle's Antigone (4) Some background in Greek history, religion, and Homer. (5) History of French Revolution, 18th century politics, etc.

Is Hegel easy read?

4 Answers. To get things out of the way, I wouldn't describe Hegel as an obscurantist (i.e., a philosopher or thinker committed to making his position obscure), but I would say

he's very difficult to read

. At the same time, I would say that Hegel is often obscure to 21st century .

What is Hegel's most important book?

Hegel's major works included

the Phenomenology of Spirit (1807; also called the Phenomenology of Mind);

the Science of Logic, in two parts (1812 and 1816); Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences (1817); the Philosophy of Right (1821); and posthumously published lectures on aesthetics, the philosophy of religion, …

Does anyone actually read Hegel?


No one reads Hegel

, but no one ever admits to not having read Hegel. It's a sacred law of (not) reading Hegel. In fact, you cannot ever say you are reading Hegel when you are reading Hegel for the first time (if you have committed this atrocious act, see Rule 2), you are always re-reading Hegel.

Do I need to read Kant before Hegel?

A

basic understanding of Kant is absolutely necessary

since Hegel is directly in conversation with the methodology of Kant in the work, particularly in the first half. Also, don't read the introduction until you finish the rest of the book!

Is it hard to understand Hegel?

Hegel, Bertrand Russell observed, is

“the hardest to understand of the great philosophers

.” Hegel would not have liked very much that Russell had to say about his philosophy in A History of Western Philosophy (1945).

What is Hegel's theory?

Hegelianism is the philosophy of G. W. F. Hegel which can be summed up by the dictum that

“the rational alone is real”

, which means that all reality is capable of being expressed in rational categories. His goal was to reduce reality to a more synthetic unity within the system of absolute idealism.

Who is the famous German philosopher?

When Friedrich Nietzsche died 120 years ago, he missed the chance to enjoy fame — and notoriety — that was just beginning to grow. His radical thinking continues to influence the intellectual world to this day.

What is Hegelian dialectic?

“Hegel's dialectics” refers to

the particular dialectical method of argument employed by the 19th Century German philosopher

, G.W.F. … Hegel (see entry on Hegel), which, like other “dialectical” methods, relies on a contradictory process between opposing sides.

Who disagreed with Hegel?


Marx

began his critique of Hegel with the history of Greek philosophy, in his Doctoral Thesis. He went on to a critical examination of Hegel's summary of the history of political philosophy, the Philosophy of Right. … The other is his contention that philosophy must ‘turn outwards to the world'.

Was Nietzsche a Hegelian?

Hegel is a

systematic philosopher

who places his faith in the rigorous and methodical unfolding of dialectical reason, whereas Nietzsche is an unsystematic, highly literary writer, the champion of brilliant isolated perceptions and colourful, arresting metaphors. Linguistically the philosophers are worlds apart.

Can I start with Hegel?

For a first introduction, we recommend that you read Hegel's own introductions to his lectures: the introductions to his lectures on History of Philosophy (start with that one),

Philosophy of Religion, Aestetics, and Philosophy of History

(most of these are available online, but there also exists a useful of all …

Where should I start with Kant?

If you really want an introduction into Kant, as a whole system, I would absolutely recommend

reading secondary literature

. If not, start with the Prolegomena and the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.

What should I read before Kant?

So to understand Kant at more than a superficial level you need some acquaintance with the two traditions : the traditions of

Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz

(Rationalists) and of Locke, Berkeley and Hume (Empiricists).

What are the 3 basic laws of dialectics?

Engels discusses three principal laws of dialectics:

the law of the transformation of quantity into quality, and vice versa; the law of the interpenetration of opposites; and the law of the negation of the negation

.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.