The Philosophy of History [Hardcover]

Georg W. F. Hegel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1899. Excerpt: ... PART I THE ORIENTAL WORLD WE have to begin with the Oriental World, but not before the period in which we discover States in it. The diffusion of Language and the formation of races lie beyond the limits of History. History is prose, and myths fall short of History. The consciousness of external definite existence only arises in connection with the power to form abstract distinctions and assign abstract predicates; and in proportion as a capacity for expressing Laws [of natural or social life] is acquired, in the same proportion does the ability manifest itself, to comprehend objects in an unpoetical form. While the ante-historical is that which precedes political life, it also lies beyond self-cognizant life; though surmises and suppositions may be entertained respecting that period, these do not amount to facts. The Oriental World has as its inherent and distinctive principle the Substantial [the Prescriptive], in Morality. We have the first example of a subjugation of the mere arbitrary will, which is merged in this substantiality. Moral distinctions and requirements are expressed as Laws, but so that the subjective will is governed by these Laws as by an external force. Nothing subjective in the shape of disposition, Conscience, formal Freedom, is recognized. Justice is administered only on the basis of external morality, and Government exists only as the prerogative of compulsion. Our civil law contains indeed some purely compulsory ordinances. I can be compelled to give up another man's property, or to keep an agreement which I have made; but the Moral is not placed by us in the mere compulsion, but in the disposition of the subjects--their sympathy with the requirements of law. Morality is in the East likewise a subject of positive legislation, and although the moral prescrip...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From the Back Cover

Here is one volume is an important series of the lectures of philosopher Georg Hegel on the philosophy of history, including:

* "Original History"
* "Reflective History"
* "Philosophical History"
* "Reason Governs the World"
* "Essential Destiny of Reason"
* "The Abstract Characteristics of the Nature of Spirit"
* "The Means Spirit Uses to Realize Its Idea"
* "The Embodiment Spirit Assumes - the State"
* and more.

This essential volume belongs in the library of all students of philosophy and of 19th-century intellectualism.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 472 pages
• Publisher: Cosimo Classics (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602064385
• ISBN-13: 978-1602064386
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,673,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survey all of Western History through the idea of Freedom., July 1, 1998

By 

Paul Trejo - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Philosophy of History (Paperback)

Hegel's Philosophy of History is his easiest book to read. He angered some people by saying that History is Freedom, and so those countries which did not have Free States (in 1821, the year he wrote his book) were not truly part of History but part of the Pre-historic period. He begins with a narrative of Africa in 1821 which was steeped in Slavery, both internal and external. He stated that all nations were once at this level of Pre-history, where no king could last more than a year. But China was the first nation to make One but only One Person free, namely, the Emperor. This was the beginning of History. From this point Hegel traces those nations which increased Freedom slowly - from Egypt to Assyria to Babylon to Persia to Greece to Rome to Spain and then Europe as we know it today. The Idea of a Free Republic was born in Greece, but was first made material in Rome. Caesar opposed the Republic because he knew that the fullness of time had not yet come for it; so he opened up barbarian Europe instead. The Free Republic eventually grew to a point where a great, courageous World Historical Individual, Napoleon Bonaparte, overthrew the Medieval structures and paved the way for the eventual abolition of Slavery. Hegel was an Abolitionist and lived to see England and Spain renounce Slavery, but died long before Lincoln, so his view of the USA was pretty pessimistic.

24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hegel's most accessible introduction to his thought, December 31, 1999

By 

booklover "booklover" (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philosophy of History (Great Books in Philosophy) (Paperback)

Philosophy of History is Hegel's most accessible introduction to his thought.

The introduction and preface are the most valuable parts of the book.

Much of the book is only of historical interest. His history of Greece, Rome, Israel and the Germans cannot be taken seriously anymore. There are racist and jingoist views in this book that seriously date it.

On the other hand, the book clearly expresses Hegel's spiritual philosophy of an evolving God who learns from the history of the world that is his thought.

For those who are looking for an introduction to Hegel that is written in his own words, this book is invaluable.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good place to start with Hegelian philosophy, October 22, 2006

By 

Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Philosophy of History (Dover Philosophical Classics) (Paperback)

Hegel's lectures on History (along with those of his on Law) probably represent the most accessible introduction to the thought of this very important German idealist.

Hegel's ideas on history and social organisation and Law had a critical influence on many key 19th and 20th century Philosophers, including Karl Marx, Isaiah Berlin and Karl Popper. While some philosophers followed Hegel, many also vigorously rejected his ideas and thought, and it is only more recently Hegel is undergoing a kind of rehabilitation in Philosophy.

This reaction though is understandable since Hegel is a very difficult philosopher to both read and understand. His prose is certainly in my experience the most awfully written and most obscure of any philosopher, and much of the time Hegel seems to be writing nonsense which makes little sense (especially in his more idealist works like phenomeology of spirit). It is understandable then why Schopenhauer called him a 'charlatan' who spouted nothing but 'sophistry' which ruined the intellectual background of Germany, and Bertrand Russell said his philosopy stems from a 'set of simple logical mistakes.'

Nevertheless Hegel is a great Philosopher, and the fact he is extremely obscure does not invalidate some very original and profound and interesting ideas which are to be found in his philosophy, especially in his notion of the dialectic, of Spirit manifesting itself through history and historical events, of his interesting reaction to Kant, his ideas on Art and the reactions to his philosophy from students like Marx. His idealism also influenced important philosophers like Fichte and Schelling in the 19th century, and in the 20th century idealists such as McTaggart, F.H. Bradley, and J.N. Findlay, who built on his thought and provided valuable new philosophical ways of thinking about the Absolute and in bringing religion and mystical experience back into a better relationship with Philosophy, given much of Philosophy since the time of Hume has savagely attacked religion as meaningless nonsense. In the 21st century, it is probably Hegel's thought on ethics, art, history and religion which have the most relevance.