World history is a court of judgment."1
Wrote Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), a German philosopher, and one of the most important thinkers in the history of Western thought. His works left a significant impact on subsequent intellectuals in Europe, such as Karl Marx, and around the world. He examined many subjects, including theology and the nature of God, the state and its power, history and its progress, as well as beauty. The concept of dialectics and the philosophy of identity (sameness) are some of the best-known Hegel ideas. Let's explore his philosophy and his life in this article.
Fig. 1: A Portrait of the Philosopher Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel, Jakob Schlesinger, 1831.
G.W.F. Hegel's Biography
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart in 1770. His father was a revenue officer. Hegel studied several subjects as he grew up, including theology, philosophy, and classics, at the University of Tübingen. Early on, Hegel was very influenced by his predecessor in German idealism, the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). He also focused on writing about theology at this time.
G.W.F. Hegel University of Tübingen StudySmarter
In 1801, Hegel began teaching in Jena. One of his first monumental works, The Phenomenology of Spirit, came out shortly afterward in 1807. In 1811, Hegel married Marie von Tucher. Throughout his life, Hegel held a number of other academic positions, including being a rector of a gymnasium in Nuremberg as well as a professor in the city of Heidelberg.
In 1818, Hegel was appointed as the chair of philosophy at the University of Berlin. This position was his most important professional accomplishment within academia. During his tenure in Berlin, Hegel was linked to the Prussian state. At this time, Prussia was controlled by King Frederick William III (1770-1840). The Prussian King issued a decoration for Hegel in 1831.
Hegel died that same year. Some of his works, such as Lectures on the Philosophy of History, were released posthumously. They continue being published and examined by scholars to this day.
Fig. 3: Equestrian Portrait of Frederick William III, Franz Kruger, 1831.
King Frederick William III of Prussia (1770-1840) was born in Potsdam. Before leading his country, he was a soldier, lieutenant, and colonel. Frederick William ascended the throne in 1797. He exercised a great degree of power over the Prussian State. For example, he promised to provide a constitution for his country but reneged on this promise later. Frederick William also attempted to centralize his control over the Protestant churches.
The King practiced neutrality in his foreign policy, but eventually entered the early 19th-century Napoleonic wars. At first, Prussia experienced a series of losses. However, after Russia defeated Napoleon in 1813, Prussia gained land at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815).
Hegel's Concept of Philosophy
Hegel's writing can be divided into periods. For example, his earliest works focused on theology. At this time, his texts were affected by his predecessor, the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Later, he moved away from Kant's influence. Hegel addressed many subjects, including the question of God and the nature of the state. He used his dialectic triad to explain historic events and established the philosophy of identity. These two latter concepts are the foundation of his philosophy.
Hegel's Key Sources and Ideas
Like a handful of key Western philosophers, including the fellow German Karl Marx and the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, Hegel focused on constructing an entire system out of his philosophy. In other words, different aspects of his thought are meant to be understood as part of a single whole. This system drew from ancient Greek texts, including Heraclitus, Aristotle, and the aforementioned Plato.
Hegel's philosophy fits within the late 18th to the early 19th-century movement called German idealism. German idealists emphasized the importance of the mind and its connection to being. Other philosophers in this school were Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling.
Hegel analyzed many subjects within the framework of his philosophical system. These subjects included theology and the nature of God, historic progress, the question of beauty, as well as the state and its power. Hegelian dialectics and the philosophy of identity (sameness) are some of the most important aspects of his work.
Dialectic Triad
Hegel's dialectic was based on a triad comprised of a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. According to this philosopher, two opposing ideas or things merge, then produce a third idea or a thing, which is a combination—or a compromise—of the two. The resulting synthesis is more complex than its components. Then the process repeats getting more complex each time. It is this process that is the foundation of historic progress.
Philosophy of Identity
The philosophy of identity is also important for understanding Hegel's system. When Hegel used the term "identity," he meant sameness. In turn, this sameness helped to understand differences and contradictions.
The Spirit of History
According to Hegel, history expresses itself through its Spirit. This Spirit is, therefore, a key force responsible for historic progress.
God
Hegel was critical of the classic ideas about God as an omnipotent being. Instead, Hegel believed that God is not a being, but, rather, an all-encompassing reality, which includes everything capable of self-determination, even ourselves.
The State
Hegel thought that the state was the highest expression of moral action. In his view, the state was automatically good because there are no standards other than those that already exist. This line of thinking fits into his idea of history as the ultimate judge. He also believed that the state should be led by a powerful ruler because only such a ruler could meet the demands of the masses. In other words, the individual was subordinate to the state.
G.W.F. Hegel's Writings
Hegel's writing is systematized in different ways. Sometimes, these are thematic periods, such as his early theological work. Alternatively, some scholars organize his work chronologically based on his residences, such as the Jena period, the Heidelberg period, or the Berlin period.
The Early Theological and Other Writings of G.W.F. Hegel
Some of Hegel's earliest writings are focused on religion and theology. In his early works, Hegel examined many subjects, such as the nature of a moral society, the way in which Christianity overcame paganism, and interpretations of the teachings of Christ. These works can be used to examine Hegel’s later development into a mature intellectual and philosopher. These works are:
Three Essays, 1793-1795: The Tübingen Essay, Berne Fragments, the Life of Jesus (1793–95)
Early Theological Writings (1795–1800)
Faith and Knowledge (1802)
Phenomenology of Spirit (1807)
Hegel's Later Works
Hegel’s key works include:
- The Science of Logic (1816)
- Encyclopaedia Philosophy of Spirit (1817, 1827, 1830)
- Lectures on Natural Right and Political Science (1817–18)
- The Philosophy of Right (1821)
- Lectures on the Philosophy of History (1820s, 1837)
G.W.F. Hegel Quotes
World history is a court of judgment."2
Everything actual is an idea.”3
The way west and the way east are the same.”4
Moreover, what we enjoy in the beauty of art is precisely the freedom of its productive and plastic energy.”5
Interpretations of Hegel's Works
There are many interpretations of Hegel's works by different thinkers and movements. Hegel is typically considered a remarkable intellectual who synthesized many complex ideas but was also a difficult one to fully understand.
Liberal Critiques of G.W.F. Hegel
Karl Popper (1902-1994), a prominent philosopher of science, was one of the harshest critics of Hegel's work from the standpoint of Liberalism. He believed that the German philosopher inspired 20th-century European totalitarianism by subjugating the individual to the powerful state. Popper also argued that Hegel used his philosophy as an instrument to strengthen the reactionary Prussian rule under King Frederick William III, whom he served.
Feminist Interpretations of G.W.F. Hegel
Feminist scholars have also interpreted Hegel’s work in different ways. For example, Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) used Hegel’s writing to inform her seminal work The Second Sex. Later, other feminist thinkers analyzed Hegel’s perceptions of women throughout his work. Others yet went beyond Hegel's specific ideas about women and focused on the question of identity.
G.W.F Hegel - Key Takeaways
- G.W.F. Hegel was a late 18th to early 19th-century German idealist philosopher and one of the most important thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition of all time. He influenced many important intellectuals, such as Karl Marx.
- Hegel was a system-builder, and the separate components of his writings should be interpreted as part of his philosophical system.
- Hegel discussed many subjects, such as the nature of God and the state.
- His philosophy rested on two crucial concepts: the dialectic triad (thesis, antithesis, synthesis) and the philosophy of identity (sameness).
References
- Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, The Philosophy of the Right, translated by Alan White, Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, 2015, p. 266.
- Ibid.
- Quoted in Popper, Karl, The Open Society and Its Enemies, Princeton Classics, Kindle edition, 2020, p. 250.
- Ibid.
- Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, In K. Paul, Trench, The Introduction to Hegel's Philosophy of Fine Art, 1886, p. 9.
- Fig. 2: Tuebingen Uni Bibliothek (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TuebingenUniBibliothek.jpg) by Der gestiefelta kater (not registered) licensed by CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en)
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