Georg wilhelm friedrich hegel stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Prior to rushing the book into publication at the very end of his sixyear stint in jena, he had been preparing a properly systematic philosophy in conjunction with lectures he was offering on. Routledge philosophy guidebook to hegel and the phenomenology of spirit routledge philosophy guidebooks to go into greater detail, peter kalkavages logic of desire was always helpful and insightful. Introduction hegelspathtothephenomenology thevoyageofdiscovery hegelfrequentlydescribedhis1807phenomenologyofspirittohisstudents ashisvoyageofdiscovery. An introduction cambridge introductions to key philosophical texts larry krasnoff on. Hence the phenomenology of spirit is an introduction to philosophy, systematically tracing the development of consciousness up the level of what we properly call philosophical consciousness reason. Hegels philosophy is a phenomenology insofar as he looks at the world as it appears to consciousness.
Lectures on the phenomenology of spirit, edited by allan bloom, ithaca. It really doesnt matter in as much as the reader will get the same out of this book as they would have from rereading pos. Hegel never intended the phenomenology of spirit to be his signature work. By late 1806 hegel had completed his first major work, the phenomenology of spirit published 1807, which showed a divergence from his earlier, seemingly more schellingian, approach. Hegels phenomenology of spirit by georg wilhelm friedrich. Part of cambridge introductions to key philosophical texts. Introduction hegels phenomenology of spirit youtube. Phenomenology is an introduction to philosophy in that it means to reveal what is in a. Introduction to hegels phenomenology of spirit phenomenolog y of s pir it is one of a small number of books from the nine teenth ce ntury that may be said to have singlehandedly changed the course of civilization.
In this lecturediscussion session we tackle the introduction to a very challenging philosophical work, georg william friedrich hegels phenomenology. First published in 1807 the foundation of philosophy was forever transformed after. Michael inwood translation phenomenology of spirit published in 2018 by oxford university press. Phenomenology of spirit is one of a small number of books from the nineteenth century that may be said to have singlehandedly changed the course of. This process shows a gradual evolution from a state of natural consciousness 56 1 to one of complete selfconsciousness which leads to an understanding of. In interpreting the work, scholars have often used the phenomenology to justify the ideology that has tempered their approach to it, whether existential, ontological, or, particularly, marxist. Miller translation phenomenology of spirit published in 1977 by oxford university press. It is natural to suppose that, before philosophy enters upon its subject proper namely, the actual. English translations of the phenomenology of spirit. This is an introduction to hegels famous 1807 phenomenology of spirit, which is the introduction to hegels system of absolute science. They would be a good, if dense and difficult, place to start. Miller with analysis of the text and foreword by j.
The numbers in findlays explanations are linked to the numbers in the miller translation, with which it was published by clarendon press in 1977. Nor, if it is to concern only the phenomenology, can this be a bookliketheworksofcharlestaylor,robertpippin,andmichaelforsterthatattemptstolayout hegels project in the phenomenology and to then relate its status to the logic and to hegels idea of a philosophical system. Larry krasnoff this book introduces hegels bestknown and most influential work, phenomenology of spirit, by interpreting it as a unified argument for a single philosophical claim. Whereas the preface was written after hegel completed the phenomenology, the introduction was written. This science of phenomena aims to capture the essence of things in the world. The difficulty arises in part because hegel, working within the tradition of german idealism, was attempting to grapple with dimensions of human experience that lie largely outside the scope of this tradition, which was established above all by kant.
Hegels phenomenology spirit introduction nineteenthcentury. Sterns interpretation is distinctive, and yet accessible, useful, and stimulating for students and professionals alike. Georg wilhelm friedrich hegel stanford encyclopedia of. In this lecture we will be covering the introduction of the work. In the previous lecture i covered the foreword which did not get into hegels own writing, but with this work we will be diving into hegels. It is natural to suppose that, before philosophy enters upon its subject proper namely, the actual knowledge of what truly is it is necessary to come first to an understanding concerning knowledge, which is looked upon as the instrument by which to take possession of the absolute, or as the means through which to get a sight of it. This author writes his book as if he is channeling hegel and this book reads in the same vein and for the most parts this book read as if it is a concept entwined within a concept about a thought of.
Phanomenologie des geistes 1807 is georg wilhelm friedrich hegel s most widely discussed philosophical work. Hegels introduction paraphrased by takeda with comments in the enigma of knowledge in philosophy since philosophy is a science a discipline of studies seeking to know what truly exists, it seems quite natural to suppose that it. Baillie translation phenomenology of mind published in two volumes in 1910 by swan sonnenschein. This recording is from from my spring 20 introduction to philosophy class at marist college. The phenomenology is an extremely difficult book to read, much less to understand. Georg wf hegel, phenomenology of spirit, introduction youtube. Phenomenology of spirit, force and understanding 10. There are currently three english translations available, by. Hegels first masterpiece, the phenomenology of spirit, is one of the great works of philosophy. One can reread phenomenology of spirit pos or one can read this book. We will see how hegel takes spirit to have come to be realized in absolute knowledge. Hegels philosophical development prior to the differenzschrift.
The introduction, written before the perhaps one of the most revolutionary works of philosophy ever presented, the phenomenology of spirit is hegels 1807 work that is in numerous ways extraordinary. My other candidates are goethes faust 180 81832, with an exten sive preliminary publication of sc enes from the first part. It is possible to view the lord and bondsmen relationship as an early stage of history, since the phenomenology describes the evolution of spirit throughout the course of human civilization, culminating in modern society. An introduction to hegels phenomenology of spirit g.
The phenomenology of spirit is thus the history of consciousness in the lived world. Phenomenology is the exposition of the forms of the finite or phenomenal spirit, and this from the standpoint of a philosophy that has come to know what spirit is. Hegel lays out a process by which one may come to know absolute truth. Hegels phenomenology of spirit, first published in 1807, is a work with few equals in systematic integrity, philosophical originality and historical influence. The task and system of philosophy according to the differenzschrift. The distinctive introduction to that system, the phenomenology of spirit, which contains the famous analyses of the masterslave relation, the unhappy consciousness, and sophocles antigone, was published in 1807. Hegel and the phenomenology of spirit filosofia usp. However the book is definitely not an introduction to philosophy in the sense that it is a preparation for doing philosophy since hegel deemed that impossible. I treat hegels philosophy as a kind of dynamical platonism. Hegel described the work as an exposition of the coming to be of knowledge. It is based on a series of lectures i gave during the spring semester of 2019 at st. These numbers have been inserted into the baillieu translation of the phenomenology published on this site. Phenomenology of spirit by hegel summary philosophers. The epistemology of hegels introduction to the phenomenology of spirit in his phenomenology of spirit, g.
In the phenomenology of spirit, spirit or geist, can mean spirit or mind, but its german definition is quite broad and can include notions such as culture and human mental activity in a wide. This site presents my introduction to hegels phenomenology of spirit. For the unprepared lay reader, phenomenology of spirit, the earliest of hegels major mature works, can be a frustrating introduction to his highly idiosyncratic and difficult philosophical style. Genesis and structure of hegels phenomenology of spirit, trans. Michael inwood presents this central work to the modern reader in an intelligible and accurate new translation. Schelling, who had left jena in 1803, interpreted a barbed criticism in the phenomenology s preface as aimed at him, and their friendship abruptly ended.
Hegels preface to the phenomenology of spirit, translated with introduction, running commentary and. Introduction to hegels phenomenology of spirit phenomenology of. Samuel cherniak and john heckman northwestern university press, 1974. To get a general introduction to each section i found sterns routledge guide very clear.
The goal of this site is to provide a clear, straightforward introduction to hegels work. While he was rector of a school in nuremberg, hegel completed the. Introduction hegels phenomenology of spirit welcome to the second lecture on hegels phenomenology of spirit. It remains, however, one of the most challenging and mysterious books ever written. Hegels classic phenomenology of spirit is considered by many to be the most difficult text in all of philosophical literature. The difficulty arises in part because hegel, working within the tradition of german idealism, was attempting to grapple with dimensions of human experience that lie largely outside the scope of this tradition, which was. Hegels phenomenology of spirit 4185 words 123 help me. Westphal, university of east anglia the phenomenology of spiritis hegels most in. This process shows a gradual evolution from a state of natural consciousness 56 1 to one of complete self. Werner marx deftly avoids this trap of misinterpretation by rendering. The phenomenology of spirit and the science of logic are both, in part, hegels replies to kant and locke.