Hegel's Philosophy Research Articles

Buddhism as ‘Chinese Philosophy’: Buddhism in Hegel's History of Philosophy1

AbstractThe question of Hegel's views on Buddhism and its place within his system must be asked again as the history of effects, transmission, and reception continues to unfold. This unfolding highlights not only Hegel's effect on the Western European reception and understanding of Buddhism (and its sharp orientalist critique), but also the canny use of Hegel's philosophy by certain members of the so‐called Kyoto School of Japanese neo‐Buddhist philosophy, who, though primarily concerning themselves with Heidegger, were notable in their creative use of Hegel's philosophy of spirit (especially Nishida, Nishitani, Tanabe, and Abe). Our present task is likewise to look back to Hegel's own writing on Buddhism through the lens of the history of its effects—that is, to read Hegel again with his legacy in mind—so that we might, as strange as it may perhaps seem, see things more clearly. Our goal is relatively modest, as it aims only to seek out and coordinate Buddhism within Hegel's history of philosophy. Thus, as we have a proximate goal in mind, we also have an order of importance with respect to Hegel's texts, which, of course, brings the Lectures on the History of Philosophy to the fore.

Bungen—An East Asian Philosophy of Culture in Terms of Intercultural Interactions and a Reinterpretation of Watsuji’s Concept of Aidagara

Influenced by Hegel, modern Chinese philosophers (e.g., Mou Zong-San, Lao Sze-Kwang, etc.) and Japanese philosophers (e.g., Nishida Kitaro) were inclined to narrate Chinese or Japanese culture in terms of the Hegelian concept of ‘spirit’. Nevertheless, the Hegelian philosophy of culture assumes the existence of an unchangeable cultural spirit and was therefore criticised by Watsuji Tetsuro. Watsuji denies the existence of an unchangeable cultural spirit and argues that cultures arise from the aidagara (interactions) between Ningen (human society) and Fudo (nature). Yet Watsuji’s narration of culture overemphasised the aidagara between Ningen and Fudo but disregarded that culture may also arise from the aidagara among cultures. Therefore, by reinterpreting Watsuji’s concept of aidagara, this paper proposes the concept of Bungen to explain the formation of cultures in terms of intercultural interactions and therefore highlight the diversity of East Asian cultures.

Gerd Bornheim leitor da Estética de Hegel

This article analyzes Gerd Bornheim's reading of Hegel’s aesthetics in order to show in what sense it plays a fundamental role in the Brazilian philosopher's thinking on the question of History. In addition, it is a question of looking at the panorama of philosophical debates in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the early 1990s to show how the fact that Bornheim was reading and discussing Hegel and Marx went against the dominant trend of the time, which was strongly marked by resistance to both thinkers due to the collapse of the Soviet system in 1989. Although in Dialética Bornheim aligned himself with Heidegger to critique the notion of totality in Hegel's philosophy of history, he did not adhere to the Heideggerian proposal of a “return to origin”, popular in philosophy departments in Rio de Janeiro at the time. Arguing that the theme of sensibility was itself an obstacle to Hegel’s idealism, Bornheim sought to construct a meaning for history based on the assumption of the theme of difference in the 20th century philosophy.

Desde de Hegel, apesar de Hegel, mas com Hegel

this paper examines the reception of Hegel’s philosophy in Latin American “decolonial philosophies” from the 1960s onwards, especially in Enrique Dussel’s philosophy of liberation, whose “presence of Hegel” (sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit) is essential for the substantiation of the “analetic method” in terms of “absolute principle” and “final proposal”, despite the inversions. To this end, the text is divided into three moments. The first examines the significant participation of Hegelian philosophy in the foundation of Latin American decolonial thought. The second moment examines the substantiation of Dussel’s analetical method as a philosophical proposal to overcome Hegelian dialectics in epistemological, ontological and historical terms. In the third moment, we compare the “absolute principle” and “final proposal” of Dussel’s “practical-poietic method” with the principles and purposes of Hegel’s “dialectic of liberation” and “poietic”. In the end, we conclude that the “decolonial turn” claimed above all by Dussel’s method cannot escape the Hegelian idea of “universal history” as the “self-production of absolute freedom” in terms of principle and final solution, despite the methodological inversions.

Introduction to Part 2 of the Themed Issue, ‘Racism and Colonialism in Hegel's Philosophy’: Common Objections and Questions for Future Research

In the first part of our editorial introduction to the themed issue ‘Racism and Colonialism in Hegel's Philosophy’ we outlined its rationale and some of its main topics. Here we address some common objections against research of this kind and formulate questions for further research.

Hegel como filósofo da contingência: A leitura lacaniana de Hegel feita por Žižek

The objective of this article is to highlight, in a panoramic manner, the žižekian project of philosophy in his attempt to reconcile Lacanian psychology with Hegelian philosophy. We will highlight that this reading of Žižek will give primacy to Lacanian psychoanalysis by trying to interpret Hegel in the light of Lacan and not Lacan in the light of Hegel. Žižek's method depends on a sufficiently original reading of Hegel promoted by Žižek. The consequence of this reading of Žižek is to understand Hegel as a philosopher of contingency and not as a philosopher of the absolute.

Hegel e o caráter

This paper is devoted to a systematic analysis of the notion of “character” within Hegel's thought. So far, this notion has been considered marginal within Hegelian philosophy and has hardly been addressed in the critical literature. This article, however, attempts to argue in favor of the thesis that character plays a prominent role in Hegel's thought. In this paper we therefore aim to provide (i) a systematic reconstruction of the concept of “character” in Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of History and Lectures on the philosophy of Subjective Spirit in order to show that (ii) the notion of character in Hegel has a greater relevance than hitherto acknowledged, a relevance which invests central notions of his philosophy. Our thesis, more specifically, is that the notion of character turns out to be closely related to load-bearing notions in Hegel's thought – namely, the notion of self-consciousness (as distinctive element of human rationality) and the notion of the spirit of a people (as a set of sociocultural and dispositional factors that allow different levels of understanding of the autonomy of human rationality). Precisely on the basis of this relevance and the critical issues it brings, such an operation provides the basis for arguing that iii) the Hegelian concept of character has important repercussions both on the contemporary debate on Hegel and on contemporary hegelianisms.

From the Margins to the Center: A Reading of 'Antarah Ibn Shaddad' through Hegel's Master-Slave Dialectic

This study analyzes the Al-Moallaqa, a poem traditionally hung on the walls of the Kaaba, the holiest shrine for Muslims, by the pre-Islamic poet Antara bin Shaddad, through the lens of Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialectic. It explores the status of marginal identity, focusing on the poet’s portrayal of the suffering endured due to slavery, humiliation, and deprivation of honor in a tribal society that devalues the enslaved. It also examines self-awareness and the desire for change, addressing the essential awakening of the 'Self', which drives a rejection of marginalization and a commitment to struggle and risk in pursuit of freedom. A qualitative textual analysis is employed, focusing on the thematic exploration of identity, self-awareness, and the struggle for recognition within the poem. Antara’s poetry illustrates this self-awareness through vivid depictions of bravery, heroism, and chivalry, emphasizing the idea of testing oneself and others in the existential struggle between life and death. The contribution of this manuscript lies in its application of Hegelian philosophy to classical Arabic poetry, offering a new interpretative framework for understanding the dynamics of identity and freedom in pre-Islamic literature.

IMPLIKASI FILSAFAT HEGEL DALAM ETIKA PENDIDIKAN KRISTEN

It is undeniable that some philosophical sciences greatly influence Christian education today. In some universities, philosophy is combined with Christian theology and even produces scholars of philosophy of theology. Methods and philosophies of thinking in philosophy are often applied in scientific studies of Christian education today to find an objective truth. In this study, the researcher examines the implications of the thought of a famous modern philosopher, namely George W. F Hegel, on Christian education. Researchers find both in the study of literature that there are several contributions of Hegel's philosophy that have an impact on Christian education today. The religious philosophy of objectivity and subjectivity, the philosophy of process, the philosophy of dialectics, some of Hegel's philosophies found by researchers, have contributed greatly to Christian education today. The philosophies above can be applied by students in teaching education. For example, the implications of dialectical philosophy (thesis, antithesis, and synthesis) on teaching methods of Christian education. These methods and philosophies are often used by Christian education students to teach their students and often create questions and discussions by their students.

The Mediated Geography of Hegel

It is still largely ignored that Hegelian dialect is of great assistance to comprehend the production and contestation of space. Hegelian philosophy can help to enrich geographical scholarship, although Hegel-the-geographer is yet to be discovered and properly recognised. Considering the metabolism of reason, the articulation between the particular and the universal, and the function of otherness in the production of space, among other socio-spatial processes, this article offers a brief comparative analysis between Hegel’s minor geography (the more explicit and immediate considerations of space, spatial dimensions and geometry) and the more substantial, major geography, that is immanent in the main body of his philosophical system. The great geographical accomplishment of Hegel – his major geographical contribution – is the detailed investigation into the pursuit of higher reason and on what constitutes the absolute.

Transformation and Education to an Inclusive Community from Hegel’s Dialectical Perspective

Authoritarian, racist and anti-democratic tendencies have been on the rise in many societies around the world in recent years, partly as a reaction to the multiple crises of the present. In contrast, I argue for the idea of an inclusive community, which aims to recognize and include all individuals. To this end, I am guided by Hegel's dialectical philosophy. With his theory of ethical life, Hegel emphasizes that recognition is not merely a legal and moral claim, but must also be conceived in its concrete social realization. This recognition ultimately concerns the human being as a concrete individual, and it concerns cultural identities, without reducing individuals to these. For this to succeed, education is required. The transformation to an inclusive community requires inclusive institutions which are open in order to enable freedom and participation for all citizens. However, it also requires a specific form of inclusive education that is also geared towards the goal of inclusion. Education and the education system should be inclusive, and on the same time, it is about making inclusion itself the subject of education. This includes understanding diversity not as a threat, but as enrichment in terms of one’s own education. At the end, I argue for an inclusive understanding of school education that also strives to compensate for inequality based on origin by providing children in schools with individual support according to their respective needs. Schools should establish a culture of recognition in which diversity is valued and every individual is recognized as such and supported in its needs and potential.

Nature, significance, and the human perspective: Refusing the choice between scientism and posthumanism

This paper criticises contemporary posthumanist theories of anthropocentrism by reading an early essay by Bertrand Russell alongside work by Rosi Braidotti and Jane Bennett. It argues that, despite appearances, scientism and posthumanism share key commitments in common, such that clarifying the problems with which Russell struggles regarding nature and significance can illuminate symmetrical problems in posthumanism. Against these alternatives, the paper draws on insights from Bernard Williams, contemporary Hegelian philosophy, and J. J. Gibson’s work on animal agency to sketch a picture of what it means to take a human perspective. It is the perspective of one species among others, with a particular evolutionary history; it is also the perspective of a species that, because of certain developments in that history, knows itself as such. That opens us to forms of answerability to the world that do not touch the lives of unselfconscious animals. Some critics of the theoretical discourse on anthropocentrism have argued that taking a human perspective is morally unobjectionable. This paper goes further: it is necessary for grasping our relation to the rest of nature and so our responsibilities for it.

Hegel and the Hatäta Zär'a Ya‛ǝqob: Africa in the Philosophy of History and the History of Philosophy

Abstract This article explores an episode in the reception of Hegel's philosophy of history and historiography of philosophy with reference to the question of the possibility of non-Western philosophy, in particular African philosophy. Section I briefly outlines the contents of the Hatäta Zär'a Ya‛ǝqob and the controversy over its authorship, focusing in particular on the argument of the Ethiopianist and scholar of Semitic languages Carlo Conti Rossini that ‘rationalistic’ philosophy was impossible in Ethiopia. In section II I suggest that a major component of the intellectual background to this notion of the impossibility of philosophy in Africa can be traced to Hegel's philosophy of history. To substantiate this claim I begin by providing an account of the broader historiographical shift between 1780 and 1830, in which Africa and Asia came to be excluded from the history of philosophy, and I suggest that Hegel's philosophy of history was decisive in this process. I examine how Hegel's account of history as the realization and actualization of freedom goes together with the development of cultural production culminating in philosophy, and how both of these processes (if they are really separate processes at all), can be mapped onto particular historical-geographical populations and cultures. I suggest that, even though this was not Hegel's intention, by the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries this served as a cultural justification for political domination: those who are unfree are unfree because they are unthinking (unphilosophical), and those who are unthinking cannot be free. Finally in section III I connect this Hegelian conception to Conti Rossini's work, both his article on the Hatäta and as apologist for Italian imperialism. I conclude by reflecting on what this underexplored connection between Hegel and early twentieth-century theorists of culture might mean for attempts to construct global histories of philosophy.

Perspectiva lui Cieszkowski privind filosofia istoriei la Hegel

Is there a history of the future? The historian is the prophet of the past, but he can become a prophet of the future only if he can describe the future history of humanity by extrapolation from past events, as an a priori presentation of the events to be produced. This approach aims to study how Cieszkowski received the Hegelian philosophy of history by analyzing the historical context and criticism of Hegel.

Colonialism and the Sovereignty of Peoples: A Dialogue between Hegel and the French Revolution

Abstract This article discusses the relation between colonialism and the sovereignty of peoples through a dialogue between Hegel and the thought of the French Revolution. These two sides are relevant to each other not only because of their historical proximity, but also because of the connections that can be established when we approach the topic of colonialism through these two manifestations. Hegel is explicit that his philosophy of history and his philosophy of right are supposed to be philosophies of freedom. Yet despite the importance that he lends to freedom, Hegel also explicitly defends, in the very same text, colonial domination when he deals with the relation between peoples. A similar problem had arisen in the course of the French Revolution. Following the declarations of war, France is confronted on various occasions with the question of how to deal with other peoples and countries. With the foundation of the Republic in 1792, the relation with other peoples becomes central in the revolutionary debates. The topic of colonialism is part of the constituting debates, and not only because of the uprisings in then Saint Domingue leading to the Haitian Revolution. This article is a part of a larger research project that attempts to reassess the relations between Hegel and the French Revolution, and deals with the question of how we can re-read Hegel's interpretation of the French Revolution based on the evolving historiography of the Revolution. After an introduction of both sides of this dialogue, the paper discusses how Hegel's political philosophy can be applied to understand the debates about the emancipation of colonies that take place during the French Revolution. The next part further analyses some issues, such as the notion of sovereignty and, in the concluding remarks, I summarize my discussion and point to some avenues for further research.

Theorien des Nichtidentischen im Anschluss an Hegel und Adorno

Abstract This paper reevaluates Adorno’s theory of non-identity following from a critical examination of his reading of Hegel. The main discussion revolves around two theses central to both philosophers: 1. Conceptual thinking forms the centre of philosophical thought (identification). 2. Philosophical thought aspires to become everything (totality). The analysis of two distinct interpretations, one stricter and one more moderate, demonstrates that Adorno takes the hardline view. With the moderate view, however, not only do the limits of Hegelian philosophy become more pronounced, they also reveal novel systematic connections with pivotal concepts inherent to Critical Theory – connections that have notably lacked substantial consideration within relevant research.

Introduction to Part 1 of the Themed Issue, ‘Racism and Colonialism in Hegel's Philosophy’: Rationale and Topics

It is increasingly realized today that Western modernity has not only promoted progressive ideals such as scientific thought, human rights and democratic political systems. Its history is also marked by a much darker side, one of brutal conquest, biological and cultural destruction, enslavement and exploitation of non-European peoples in the context of European colonialism. This dark side of Western modernity was legitimized by pro-colonial ideologies of property, war, civilization, progress and race. Such ideologies emerged in areas like jurisprudence and philosophy since the 16th century, often building on views from classical antiquity (Pagden 1995). They shaped academic paradigms such as ‘scientific racism’, colonial anthropology and Orientalism in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in many ways continue to influence contemporary societies and their academic practices.

The Philosophy of the Universal Spirit as a theoretical and methodological basis for cultural knowledge of the uniqueness of Russia

The article presents an analysis of such categories as "unconscious", "universal spirit", "spiritual and national identity", "collectivism". The concepts of the essence of the spirit developed by G. V. F. Hegel are considered. The conclusion is made about the relationship between the Hegelian category of the universal spirit and spiritual and national identity. The problem of the Russian idea is considered, the main directions of its resolution are outlined. The evolution of ideas about the spiritual and national identity of Russians is described. It is noted that the conclusions about the universality of the spirit and its relationship with the spiritual and national identity of Russians are of great practical importance. The author notes that the conclusions about the universality of the spirit and its relationship with the spiritual and national identity of Russians are of great practical importance. The research can be used to develop strategies for the preservation and development of the cultural heritage of peoples, as well as for a deeper understanding of the processes of formation and development of national identity. The author used methods of philosophical analysis and interpretation of philosophical texts, a historical method to study the evolution of ideas about the spiritual and national identity of Russians, a comparative analysis of various approaches to the problem of the Russian idea, a study of the socio-cultural context of the formation of spiritual and national identity. The author also used analytical and synthetic methods to identify relationships. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the fact that it is an attempt to integrate G. V. F. Hegel's philosophical concepts of the universal spirit with the problems of spiritual and national identity. In addition, the study offers a new approach to understanding the formation of spiritual and national identity, based on Hegelian philosophy. This approach allows us to consider national identity not only as a subjective sense of belonging to a particular nation, but also as a manifestation of the universal spirit, which is embodied through collective values, ideals and cultural traditions. Thus, this study contributes to the development of the philosophy of national identity, offering a new interpretation of its nature and connections with the universal spirit. The results obtained can be used for a deeper understanding of the processes of formation and development of national identity, as well as for the development of strategies for the preservation and development of the cultural heritage of peoples.

Neo-Confucianism and the Development of German Idealism.

This article analyzes the influence of Chinese Neo-Confucianism on the development of German idealism. Information obtained by Leibniz from Jesuit missionaries included key concepts in Neo-Confucian philosophy that not only confirmed Leibniz's belief in the universality of his organic image of the cosmos but also influenced Leibniz's later writings. Such influence is also exhibited in Kant's work, especially in his crucial noumenon-phenomenon distinction, as well as in Hegel's phenomenology and philosophy of history. Recognition of these influences, unacknowledged by either Kant or Hegel, enhances our assessment of the import of both Neo-Confucianism and German idealism in international religio-philosophical discourse.

Диалектическое движение философской мысли: генезис Системы Знания в философии Александра Кожева. Статья первая: диалектика и дедогматизация

This work explores the main outline of the historical and philosophical conception of the French neo-Hegelian Alexandre Kojève, which is positioned within the Knowledge System as the culmination of sequential dialectics of philosophical discourse, concluded in the Hegelian philosophy. This representation is found in A. Kojève’s “Essai d’une histoire raisonnée de la philosophie païenne”, which is not only an analysis of ancient thought, going back to G. Hegel’s “Lectures on the History of Philosophy”, but also the author’s interpretation of the ge-nealogy of philosophical thought as such. After a series of incomplete resolutions of discursive antitheses by two philosophical doctrines in different historical periods the decisive role is attributed to I. Kant, whose philo-sophical system is a product, according to A. Kojève, of Judeo-Christianity and is its paradigmatic exponent. By crossing the eternal and the temporal through the dogma of the Incarnation, Christianity not only contributed to the emergence of Modern science, but also provided the opportunity for the emergence of Kantian philosophy, which established a “Christian” balance between the Lord and the Bondsman. Heterogeneous discursive com-ponents opposed ancient philosophical doctrines, thereby preparing the necessary ground for their merger, as well as for transforming oneself in this way into a Knowledge System. The research consists of two parts pub-lished in two separate articles. The first part is devoted to the beginning of the analysis of the Knowledge Sys-tem’s genesis in the context of A. Kojève’s historical-philosophical concept.