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Hegel's Science of Logic

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An online review is a particularly inapt place to try to comment on the Logic itself - so I'll not do so. I will point out, however, that this is the most poorly bound book I have ever purchased. If one buys this book, chances are it will see some use - yet with even the most casual reading, the pages begin to separate from the spine. Anything more than casual reading will see the pages plumb fall out.

While there's a certain amount of poetic justice to this - it's a reminder, a propos of Hegel, that the material instantiation will fall away, leaving the essential, conceptual core in its wake - that's cold comfort after paying $35. I would recommend, if at all possible, that you try to find a hardcover edition.

In his Preface Hegel states he will defend Metaphysics, a science that has fallen into disrepute since the days of Kant. He does this with great skill and uncommon insight. His method is a new operator in Logic, the Speculative operator (popularly known as the Dialectic), and Hegel demonstrates the use of this new operator from the most Abstract to the most Concrete categories possible. In his Introduction Hegel states that his book will show forth 'the mind of God before the creation of the world and a finite spirit.' Decide for yourself if he was successful in this, but I say he was. This book is not usually well-received by the modernist, while the postmodernist will condemn these ideas as 'Logomachy.' Nevertheless, Hegel's SCIENCE OF LOGIC (1812) has had an enormous impact upon the avant-garde and upon some of the most influential intellectuals that history has ever seen. In this book Hegel incorporates the Categories of Kant in a new, metaphysical paradigm and demonstrates to those who struggle to follow his New Logic that God is Real, the Real is Spirit, Spirit is Mind, Mind is Reason and Reason is the Goal of all History. Others have rightly said that God is the Goal of all History, but Hegel fleshes out the details with scientific precision and invites scientific criticism of his new logical operator. (Note: This is a book for experts and specialists. If you have not yet read Kant, do not expect to understand even a single page of this technical tome.) For the student of modern philosophy, this book is a rocket ship to your next destination at the apex of Western Philosophy.

Having finished all of the labyrinthine Phenomenology of Spirit, I ordered his Science of Logic. Having received it in the mail promptly and in good condition, I began to peruse through the 'matter in hand.' Not 5 minutes had passed before it began to 'sunder' itself away from its binding; before I finished Hegel's prefaces entire chunks of this text were splitting apart from itself. I don't understand how the publisher could have thought this could hold up for all the use it inherently would have to go through for a proper study of this text. Study Hegel, yes. Study the green and white "Science of Logic," not unless you want to read it with the 800 page book falling apart as you glance through the table of contents.

Does anyone know if the Muirhead Edition of Science of Logic is the Miller translation? If it is the same version as that published by Humanities press?

This not the Miller Translation. It is not a Kindle version of the soft-cover Logic that appears with it on the Amazon page for the printed version.

As most kids do, I studied Hegel in high school. Back then I found him interesting, mainly because of Hegel's impact on Karl Marx. When you are a teenager it is more likely to be attracted by left-wings ideas. Several years later, during Ph.D. I got a copy of this new English translation of Science of Logic. It is outstanding. Together with the "Phenomenology of the Spirit" this book states the whole idea behind Hegel's philosophy. It covers a wide range of subjects, from Teleology, Objectivity and Measure to Essence, Appearance and Quantity.

Let me warn you, this is not an easy book, it is must likely that you will have to go through some chapters several times, like I did. In this book you will find the overwhelming and disturbing feeling of "am I not letting something out here?". Fear not though if you are persistent enough finishing the book will be a highly rewarded job, you might end up with a shot at understanding what life is all about. It is not wonder that Physicist/Philosopher David Bohm once claimed Hegel's Science of Logic had a huge impact in his development of the Implicate/ Explicate Order. Definitely this is a must have book

In the beginning of "The Doctrine of the Notion" find we "The relation of substance resulted from the nature of essence;" The example for the relation of substantiality is the causal necessity. Therefore it is said: "The transition of the relation of substantiality takes place through its own immanent necessity and is nothing more than the manifestation of itself, that the Notion is its truth, and that freedom is the truth of necessity."
Hegel says that the Notion(subject) and freedom are the truth of necessity. In short, this means the truth of nature is mind. Here the relation between necessity and freedom is told, but not equality. Is equality nature or mind? In other words, which truth [of what the truth] on earth is equality?
We know the Idea of the French Revolution of liberty, equality and fraternity( liberte, egalite et fraternite). True, we can understand Hegelian explanation about liberty, but does also equality come out from his logical explanation?

As most kids do, I studied Hegel in high school. Back then I found him interesting, mainly because of Hegel's impact on Karl Marx. When you are a teenager it is more likely to be attracted by left-wings ideas. Several years later, during Ph.D. I got a copy of this new English translation of Science of Logic. It is outstanding, together with the "Phenomenolgy of the Spirit" this book states the whole idea behind Hegel's philosophy. It covers a wide range of subjects, from Teleology, Objectivity and Measure to Essence, Appearance and Quantity.

Let me warn you, this is not an easy book, it is most likely you will have to go through some chapters several times, like I did. In this book you will find the overwhelming and disturbing feeling of "am I not letting something out here?". Fear not though if you are persistent enough finishing the book will be a highly rewarded job, you might end up with a shot at understanding what life is all about. It is not wonder that Physicist/Philospher David Bohm once claimed Hegel's Science of Logic had a huge impact in his development of the Implicate/ Explicate Order. Definitely this is a must have book

Can you read and understand a book on pure concepts, pure notions? I mean concepts that you cannot see on earth, represent, imagine!? Without things like dogs, tables, cards, girls...

Can you imagine the pure being? The nothing? Try to describe it in words... It's hard, isn't it? Now try to solve all the pure, teoretical problems of philosophy in a book... This is, in fact, a very hard work.

Hegel writes this book!!!

Now you think you are smart and intelligent... so try to read this!!! Believe me, it makes sense!!!

See you after 10 years of hard work (the time needed to seriously understand this book).
PS. It is important a good knowledge in history of philosophy (specially the works of Plato and Aristole).

It is with much regret and shame that I admit I spent two solid months of my life labouring to get through this book. I obviously did it out of obstinate stubborness, triggered by a college professor who chided that there was "no way I would be able to get through this book". In the time you will have to spend to get through this, you could instead read countless works which are better written AND simultaneously more profound and beneficial to the reader. If you have the time and energy to read something like Hegel's _Science of Logic_, please take my advice and read the complete works of Carl G. Jung instead. I realize that Jung is of a vastly different genre and time period, but after reading modern psychoanalysis, it is hard for me to get exited about something like Hegel anymore. Although there are some very fascinating aspects to this book, the reader does not stand to benefit in any realistic way from reading Hegel's _Science of Logic_.

The one thing I did like about this book is Hegel's discussion on the true nature of calculus and other advanced mathematics. Hegel reminds us that most types of calculus, and simple algebra for that matter, are limited in that they require the mathematician to have final answers before he can even proceed, and the mathematical process is usually just an exercise in seeing how one arrives at these final answers. In other words, mathematics is more about tracing the path connecting beginning and end points in an equation, after this end point is already known, than it is about conjuring up answers from nothing. Another interesting aspect of this book is its innovative contributions to the world of chemistry and the origins of the modern periodic table of the elements. Hegel sheds light on the earliest days of modern chemistry, reminding us of the revolutionary processes that led up to our understanding of chemical elements and compounds. We are reminded that everything stems from and starts with the compound, and the existence of the pure elements is inferred later by analysing phenomenon such as "mixing ratios" and saturation/absorbtion capacities. Hegel explains these founding pillars of chemical wisdom which many modern scientists take for granted. It is admittedly interesting to read about the processes that led to the discovery of the now-ubiquitous periodic table.