Philosophy Course: Hegel

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

Hegel is a towering figure in the history of philosophy. At the core of his social and political thought are the concepts of freedom, reason, and self-consciousness.

In this course, we will look at how Hegel’s philosophy influenced areas of thought from Marx to Freud and even Frederic Nietzsche, right down to the identity politics of the present.

We will discuss how Hegel took political theory in directions no other philosopher had done before him. He produced a ‘modern’ understanding of the role of bureaucracy and defined the distinction between civil society and the state. We will also consider Hegel’s lectures on religion and art.

Aims

The aim of this course is to provide you with an overview of the philosophy of Hegel and insight into how Hegel has shaped other schools of philosophical thought.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• grasp an idea of the development of Hegel’s life, works and the history of the times
• describe Hegel’s ideas on human nature; the dialectical nature of history and thought, the psychology of our relations to others and the world of objects; the role of both religion and art in history
• identify the impact which Hegel had on the philosophical world
• relate Hegel’s ideas to contemporary debates in political discussion
• apply Hegel’s theory to the assessment of some current debates on law and religion.

Content

Introduction to Hegel’s (1770-1831) life and times

Hegel was influenced by the French Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo (1815). He condemned the absolutism of Duke Ferdinand but was wary of representational political systems. His position on his contemporary political world was subtle and complex.

Introduction to concepts

We introduce some terminology and primary concepts, such as 'negation' and 'identity in difference'. Both ideas had a major impact on later postmodernists such as Derrida.

The invention of the dialectic

Dialectical thinking is at the heart of Hegel's system and is probably his most well-known idea. This is partly because Marx made Dialectical Materialism into the basis of Communism. But Hegel's theory has many other applications, which we will consider.

The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807)

The Phenomenology of Spirit is a monumental work covering subjects such as the evolution of consciousness and an account of how sense-perceptions work to produce ‘knowledge’. Over the next three sessions we will review this book.

The making of the human

The human activity of self-production is, for Hegel both the process of self-discovery and the process of self-revelation; it is a fusion of making oneself and finding oneself.

The structure of desire

Desire is the engine which drives us into a world of things and others: it produces a consciousness of ourselves in an objective space.

The Philosophy of Right (1820)

The Philosophy of Right discusses politics and law. Hegel distinguished between civil society and the state in a way no other philosopher had done so before. This theory produced two branches: The Right Hegelians and the Left Hegelians. Much of subsequent political theory is based on this split.

Freedom, truth and history

For Hegel, history is the long and twisted process of humans coming to the consciousness of their own freedom.

Lectures on religion

Hegel covers most of the major religions in his lectures, he is also interested in magic, myth, and Paganism. We consider the role which Hegel believes religion played in human development.

Lectures on aesthetics

Hegel believed that the arts could teach ethics and values in a different way to philosophy and was particularly interested in the works of Shakespeare. We consider his thoughts on the role of the arts in human development.

Contemporary

In this last week we discuss a range of philosophers concerned with the relevance of Hegel for our time.

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in philosophy and the course themes.

Delivery style

Lecture/seminar

Materials

Course notes are distributed electronically.