Phenomenology of Spirit (Galaxy Books)
EUR 10,59
The greatest work in the history of philosophy - There comes a point when a philosophic work is so influential that people forget what it actually said, and how important it is in the light of today s developments. This is exactly the case with Hegel s Phenomenology of Spirit, which remains startlingly contempary when closely read. The complex sections on epistemology, and the mediation of the This, and the negativity of the This, in fact contain, in a different form, most of the epistemological insights (although from a completely different direction) of much of Derrida s work (especially Speech and Phenomena), while Hegel s view of theology has not been properly surpassed by any modern theologian. Even phenomenology owes most of its most important aspects to Hegel - while Husserl was more Kantian than Hegelian, Heidegger and Derrida both showed how with Husserlian premises we inevitably end up with Hegelian conclusions. While arguably Hegel s work would never have existed were it not for Kant s Critique of Pure Reason, this is an exaggeration, as while Hegel s work would have taken a different form, what is amazing about this is the little it relies upon previous philosophers, with only two or three scattered references to Plato, Fichte and Kant. Also, most of the pomposity and over-totalisation which philosophers like Sartre attribute to Hegel is only the result of his later philosophy. In fact, phenomenology, deconstruction and all modern developments in epistemolgy and theology can be seen as simply elaborations of certain themes in the Phenomenology. While it is true that we cannot say Hegel hasn t been improved upon at all, it is also true that a return to the Phenomenology, in light of modern philosophical developments, could well be the best idea for modern philosophy, after Adorno s bleak Negative Dialectics.
A Masterpiece - Many will agree with me in saying that this is the most difficult text in the canon to read. But the profundity of Hegel s insights and the sheer range of topics he treats in this book are astounding. Whether he is discussing the famous master/slave relationship, epistemology, natural science, law, or religion, Hegel s views are always provocative. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book can be examined historically both backwards to Hume and Kant, and forwards toward phenomenology. But for me, this text is so valuable because I find so much that stands on its own. Hegel need not be seen in context to be appreciated. Though now almost 200 years old, Hegel s thesis that he had completed the progress of philosophy by recognizing the necessary development of the universal self-consciousness is still relevant, and not entirely untenable despite its grandiose appearance. This is a book that, in the broad view, does come together as a whole, despite scholars focus on some parts over others. Even if you don t agree with Hegel, his influence on philosophy was immense, and many of the ideas expanded upon in his other works are given a preliminary treatment here. This is probably not a good book for beginners, unfortunately, Hegel never gave us anything like a primer. But for those with a bit of experience and the sensitivity to understand the subtleties of Hegel s sometimes confusing vocabulary, this is an endlessly rewarding book, Western philosophy at its very finest.
Turgid Translation of Classic Text - It s too bad the translater was drunk when he wrote this book. Poor spelling, grammatical errors, and American idioms, i.e., ... which let the cat out of the bag..., unnecessarily cloud the shimmering beauty of Hegel s poetry. Everyone should read Hegel, but opt for the original Estonian. This translation simply doesn t cut the mustard.
The end of philosophy put to ink - I had the great pleasure of taking a class on German Idealism where the teacher was a Hegel scholar. During those lectures the book seemed to be impossible to understand. It was ungainly and unweidly. Even a bit of understanding of German couldn t help me pierce this titanic work. Spirit lacked the naive elegance of Descartes, the roots appeal of the Greeks, and the ominous quality of Deconstructionism. It was a boulder sized work making what, at the time, seemed like trivial improvements/updates to Kant. Yet, I ve only truly come to appreciate his gift in the light of Merleau-Ponty, Heidegger, French Existentialism, Habermas, Husserl...the list goes on. He was the architect of phenomenology, of the dialectic solution, of the vision of mankind transcending mind. When one speaks of Hegel, one feels a Beethoven-like phraseology, a fluidity of verse and composition. When you consent to give your attention to Hegel give it wholly. He is a tour guide to a tidal wave of optimism, revolution, and a new type of man. Don t pick him apart like a Bach fugue, let the brazen brass of his Chorale like battle sweep your resistance away.While the work ends in an absurdly upbeat way, it was a fascinating way to end philosophy. His dialected created a whole new phenomenal world in which the rest of philosophy would have to play. It is a challenge, a terror, and a masterpiece.I ve not described the book as a philosopher should. I ve described it as it ought be read - passionately, violently, and deafeningly brave.
A challenging book. - I was very unimpressed when I first encountered Hegel in my history of philosophy courses. I had been very impressed in my studies of Hume and Kant and the problems they were adressing, but then I found Hegel to be completely impossible to comprehend. I sat through my Hegel lectures, rather unhappily, and then moved on with my other courses. But Hegel s notions apparently kept stirring about in my mind, because later I came back to read the Phenomenology in detail, and some of Hegel s other works as well. Hegel s notions have become a significant part of my outlook and have helped me to comprehend other philosophies and events. Many of his notions are full of depth and meaning, but this meaning requires serious work for extraction. I have no doubt that his work could easily be misused, but one can always find ways to misuse any work, so I don t see this as a serious argument against Hegel.