Hegel: The Essential Writings [Paperback]

Georg W. Hegel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0061318310 | ISBN-13: 978-0061318313 | Publication Date: April 21, 1977

Hegel's major works; dialectic; metaphysics; science; experience; philosophic truth; Absolute Spirit.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (April 21, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061318310
• ISBN-13: 978-0061318313
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Grotesque, July 9, 2006

By 

Beach Guy - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hegel: The Essential Writings (Paperback)

This book is an unmitigated disaster, and Harper Torchbooks should be ashamed of themselves for foisting it onto an unsuspecting public. The principle difficulty arises from the fact that it is impossible to distinguish the words of Hegel from those of Weiss, the editor. No reliable visual cue is provided for the reader, who sometimes finds he has plowed through 5 pages of "Hegel", only to discover they were actually 5 pages of Weiss! To make matters, worse, sections begin and end in an arbitrary fashion that is completely disorienting. In some cases, it genuinely seems pages have been inadvertently omitted! As a result, this "book" is unreadable. This is particularly annoying, since even when Hegel is presented clearly, he is challenging. For Harper Torchbooks to have mutilated his work in this grotesquely ill-designed book is a kind of intellectual crime. If you value your time and money, avoid this book!

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Wrong Premise, May 3, 2002

By 

Z. Liu (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hegel: The Essential Writings (Paperback)

The introduction claims that to get a picture of any philosopher's thoughts, it is usually best to approach him from a single representative work, but that Hegel is an exception.

That premise is rather shaky at best, most of Hegel's influence has come from his Phenomenology of Spirit, and while some still claim that it is an immature work which he later abandoned, it still makes for a better introduction than this volume.

And then there's the selections. for The Phenomenology, the editors chose to use the Baille translation, which is quite unfortunate. English usage has shifted dramatically form its stilted 1931 usage, and even so, it is full of inconsistencies, so that Hegel's technical use of the German is lost.

The inclusion of the Logic defies it. While reading The Phenomenology may, like Ulysses, require a guide, The Logic is more like Finnegan's wake--completely intractable. Especially to introductory students to which this volume is obviously aimed.

If your interest is Philosophy, read The Phenomenology. If your interest is Politics, read Philosophy of Right. If you're ambitious, and have a lot of time on your hands, read both.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Entry Point, October 27, 2005

By 

Anton Sevilla (Metro Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hegel: The Essential Writings (Paperback)

Hegel is, by reputation, notoriously difficult to read. Many people also misrepresent his views. I am no Hegel expert, but I felt that this book was a very readable introduction to Hegel's thought. And I think the premise of this book (that it is best to start with a shallow but broad selection than to jump into a core text) is indeed valid.