Hegels philosophy of history is perhaps the most fully developed philosophical theory of history that attempts to discover meaning or direction in history 1824a, 1824b, 1857. Not yet at the level where it can transcend the influences of the environment, africa proper is unable to fit within hegels philosophical scheme where history is only significant when it has reached the minimal level of consciousness. In the philosophy of history 1899 he saw the temperate zone as the true theater of history. Hegel s philosophical system was perhaps the most ambitious since aristotle, comprising logic, psychology, religion, aesthetics, history, law. Hegels philosophy of history marxists internet archive. In lectures on the philosophy of history, hegel seeks to interpret the whole scope of history through his dialectical method.
In discussing the geographical basis of history, hegel said africa lies outside of history. The massive text we have today is a reconstruction of a series of lectures hegel gave at the university of berlin in the. The universal idea, the superior form of the spirit, is at the end of the process. This text comprises hegels introduction to a series of lectures on the philosophy of history. J sibree this dover edition, first published in 1956. On the racial basis of hegels eurocentrism nineteenthcentury. Hegel geographical basis of world history general determinations the universal premise of this investigation is that world history represents the idea of the spirit as it displays itself in reality as a series of external forms. Hegel s one, some, and all proposition follows the basic geographical metaphor hegel takes throughout his philosophy of history, namely, world history travels from east to west.
His political philosophy, philosophy of right, was published in 1820 and contains a paragraph that would form the basis for geopolitical thinking about the geographical importance of land and sea. Hegel, the philosophy of history, 38 under the conditions of morality in a state. The philosophy of history, by g w f hegel, with prefaces by charles hegel and the translator, j. The greatness of a nation and the individuals who illustrate this greatness, which, according to hegel, has only one time and corresponds to a phase of expansion that can not last forever. Hegel, the africa of the nineteenth century is said outside of history, that is the adventure of the spirit that governs the world. Hegel was clearly unfamiliar with the history and geography of africa, yet he based his entire theory of history on this incomplete view. The philosophy of history is not a work that hegel lived to see published.
We have spoken of the idea of freedom as the nature of spirit, and the absolute goal of history. These works are by notable authors on the general topic of the philosophy of history. This text comprises hegel s introduction to a series of lectures on the philosophy of history. Development of speculative philosophy, from kant to hegel. The entire first part is a reflection on the story the events and those that tell of the events, and those who give meaning.
He did so in a section of his philosophy of history entitled geographical basis of history, and in a section of his philosophy of mindentitled anthropology of the soul. He has figured minimally in histories of geography, and critical geographers who have engaged with hegel have done so indirectly, either through karl marxs work or through marxist and postcolonial. This paper sketches out the contours of the philosopher g w f hegel s geographical thought. He argues that all of history follows the development of reason. In his philosophy of history hegel offers a dismal vision of the negro. Hegel s philosophy of history is very much a product of its times, the more so for the overarching context of reason in which he interprets history.
Note that both questions are linked to the essay question. Hegel and the geographical basis of the infinite thirst of the west. Therefore, the african is splashing in the infrahuman realm. In addition to epitomizing german idealist philosophy, hegel boldly claimed that his own system of philosophy represented an historical culmination of all previous philosophical thought. The assyrians, babylonians, medes, and persians chapter iii. Lattimore applies the key of geographic and ecological determinism to the. With this work, he created the history of philosophy as a scientific study. The suggestion that there is something essentially mistaken in the endeavour to comprehend the course of history naturalistically and within an explanatory framework deriving from scientific paradigms was powerfully reinforced by conceptions stemming from the. Born the son of a government clerk in stuttgart, germany, george wilhelm friedrich hegel received his education at tubingen in theology.
A critical examination of hegelian dialectic, determinism, and contingency term paper, college of the holy cross, april 1991. This is the first of a series of five essays on hegels lectures many of professor strausss classes at the university of chicago were taperecorded, and typewritten. Articles hegel on history lawrence evans rationally interprets hegels rational interpretation of history we are often taught that history is nothing but the record of past events. Hegels philosophy of history is very much a product of its times, the more so for the overarching context of reason in which he interprets history. Not yet at the level where it can transcend the influences of the environment, africa proper is unable to fit within hegel s philosophical scheme where history is only significant when it has reached the minimal level of consciousness. Hegel has a rather notable disciple in karl marx who adapted hegels dialectic away from being related to the unfolding of spirit and towards marxs own materialist conception of history where the economic factors of human society and the associated social relations would critically determine the unfolding of human history and could only, for. The events of human history are the embodiments of spirit necessary for the realization of historical reason. And by this must be understood, not a collection of general observations respecting it, suggested by the study of its records, and proposed to be illustrated by its facts, but universal history itself. Geographical basis of history classification of historic data. Introduction to the philosophy of history with selections. He has figured minimally in histories of geography, and critical geographers who have engaged with hegel have done so indirectly, either through karl marxs work or through marxist and postcolonial scholars readings of. Spirit is undeveloped still within the range of nature.
Historicism tends to be hermeneutic because it values cautious, rigorous, and contextualized interpretation of information. In his book, geographical basis of world history 1820s, he divided africa up into three regions based on racial differences. As an introduction, the text lays out only the general outline of. Until now, geographers have shown little interest in hegel s geographical writing. Following a detailed analysis of hegels comments on race and racial diversity, i maintain that these. Hegel is a german philosopher who built a vast system ordering all knowledge of his time, after kant s attempt to do it. The suggestion that there is something essentially mistaken in the endeavour to comprehend the course of history naturalistically and within an explanatory framework deriving from scientific paradigms was powerfully reinforced by conceptions stemming from the development of german. Many of hegels critics, from popper to bernasconi, have argued that the philosopher provided a basis for modern racism and established a role for race in history by correlating a hierarchy of civilisations to a hierarchy of races, notably in the encyclopaedia and the history of philosophy.
Universal spirit traverses at one moment or another every individual in history. Hegel regards history as an intelligible process moving towards a specific conditionthe realization of human freedom. He reveals philosophical theory as neither an accident nor an artificial construct, but as an exemplar of its age, fashioned by its antecedents and. It presents world history in terms of the hegelian philosophy in order to show that. To gain a clear idea, at the outset, of the nature of our. The basis for hegels belief that history is moving toward a goal is that, in retrospect, it has advanced since its beginnings, and thus, one may claim that it displays a progressiveness. In a sense, this question is best answered on the basis of a careful. Lectures on the philosophy of history logos bible software. In his attempts at creating an explanation of africas place in world history, hegel is notorious for having said that africa is a continent without history or movement or development to exhibit. Introduction to the history of philosophy i have an older edition 1951 yet not featured in gr. Georg wilhelm friedrich hegel 1770 1831, the world famous german philosopher, is not known for his geopolitical and geostrategic ideas. Geographical loan names and their importance in the history of southeast europe in the first millennium a. As an introduction, the text lays out only the general outline of hegels method of philosophic historyany details tend to be about theoretical entities and concepts, and there are very few direct analyses of historical periods or events. He has figured minimally in histories of geography, and critical geographers who have engaged with hegel have done so indirectly, either through karl marxs work or.
The text provides a perfect solution to the problem of how to introduce students to hegel in a survey course in the history of western philosophy. Geographical basis of history contrasted with the universality of the moral whole and with the unity of that individuality which is its active principle, the natural connecticm that helps to produce the spirit of a people, appears an extrinsic element. Social and political thought georg wilhelm friedrich hegel 17701831 is one of the greatest systematic thinkers in the history of western philosophy. Hegel goes on in great detail to derive a theory of history based on the geographical characteristics of the upland in contrast with the important regions of asia and europe. Explain social differentiation in colonial and precolonial africa in the comment box below briefly post your responses to both tutorial tasks. According to hegel, universal history itself consists of the progressive exteriorization of the universal spirit. However, as an idealist, hegel is reluctant to credit physical causes as. Yet georg wilhelm friedrich hegel 17701831 thought that world history was not just a random sequence of happenings but progressed rationally, according to a specific purpose. The telos of history as understood by hegel inquiries. Lectures on the philosophy of history, also translated as lectures on the philosophy of world history lph. The philosophy of history georg wilhelm friedrich hegel. In his introduction to those lectures hegel said that there is reason in history because reason rules the world. Hegel emerges in human history and culture, the gradual genesis of the absolute, which has, in itself, its foundation.
In presenting this page we wish to thank david burrell for consent to use material from his a historian looks at hegel philosophically. The telos of history as understood by hegel inquiries journal. History is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation. Apr 21, 2015 hegel published four books during his lifetime. Arguably the most influential philosopher of the nineteenth century, hegel s lecturesmost notably at the university of berlin from 1818 to his deathdeeply influenced not only philosophers and historians but generations of political activists of both the. The stage of selfconsciousness which the spirit has reached manifests itself in world history as the existing. Hegel introduction to the philosophy of history selection.
It may be to correct this possible misapprehension that he now brings us down to earth, that is, to geography. Hegels lectures on the philosophy of history are recognized. Hegel begins by outlining three major types of historical method. Geographical basis of history contrasted with the universality of the moral whole and with the unity of that individuality which is its active principle, the. For hegel, history is the manifestation of the spirit. Until now, geographers have shown little interest in hegels geographical writing. The philosophy of history georg wilhelm friedrich hegel with prefaces by charles hegel and the translator, j. Still, the text of hegel is that the metahistory, and is one of the first pieces of geopolitics as a vauban or montesquieu. Hegels geographical thought dean w bond, 2014 sage journals.
There are much harsher, more pessimistic ways of viewing history than as a swinging pendulum moving toward some greater end. Montesquieu in the spirit of laws, he noted the importance of the relationship between land and sea p 222, and even that water, in fact, c is. Social and political thought internet encyclopedia. Rent textbook introduction to the philosophy of history by hegel, georg wilhelm friedrich 9780872200562.
The subject of this course of lectures is the philosophical history of the world. As an introduction, the text lays out only the general outline of hegel s method of philosophic history any details tend to be about theoretical entities and concepts, and there are very few direct analyses of historical periods or events. This paper sketches out the contours of the philosopher g w f hegels geographical thought. Hegels philosophical system was perhaps the most ambitious since aristotle, comprising logic, psychology, religion, aesthetics, history, law.
Bernasconi, r, 2000, with what must the philosophy of history begin. Many of hegels critics have argued that the philosopher provided a basis for modern racism and established a role for race in history by correlating a hierarchy of civilisations to a hierarchy of races, notably in the encyclopaedia and the history of philosophy. As well as his published works, many volumes were compiled from the notes of his longsuffering students. By prehistory, historians mean the recovery of knowledge of the past in an area where no written records exist, or where the writing of a culture is not understood. Passion is regarded as a thing of sinister aspect, as more or less immoral. Then comes the geographical basis of world history pp 216230, which appears as the geopolitical determination of the geographical history. The history of the world is the memory of the past experience of homo sapiens sapiens around the world, as that experience has been preserved, largely in written records. It comprises a preface by joaquim carvalho with interesting words, namely, referring germany as holding the philosophy flame like once athens did. Hegel wrote this classic as an introduction to a series of lectures on the philosophy of history a novel concept in the early 19th century. Hegel and his socially influential students like martin luther king and john dewey have generally operated on the basis of some faithin reason, divine justice, or secular humanism. Jun 11, 2012 hegel was a critic of early scientific racism, in particular of phrenology.
Lectures on the philosophy of history, also translated as lectures on the philosophy of world. Philosophy of history stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. The author argues that in contrast to a too common approach to hegels philosophy of history that relies almost solely on the separately published introduction, the philosophy of history must be read and studied in its entirety and that doing so reveals the organizing structure of hegels lectures on this topic. May 28, 2019 in his attempts at creating an explanation of africas place in world history, hegel is notorious for having said that africa is a continent without history or movement or development to exhibit. Philosophy of history philosophy of history history as a process of dialectical change. The books have sections or chapters on hegel, except for kant 1963, an important precursor of hegel. Hegels philosophy of history is most lucidly set out in his lectures on the philosophy of world history, given at the university of berlin in 1822, 1828 and 1830. World history, says hegel, represents the development of the spirits consciousness of its own freedom and of the consequent realization of this freedom. The history of the world is not intelligible apart from a government of the world.
In the chapter called, geographical basis of history of the philosophy of history of g. Perhaps you have discovered an ambiguity in hegels exposition between a. The philosophy of history faculty of social sciences. Hegel and his dialectic thesis antithesis synthesis. His explanation, bluntly expressed, is that the geography of europe engendered a. Hegels one, some, and all proposition follows the basic geographical metaphor hegel takes throughout his philosophy of history, namely.
Hegel, as we learn from michelet, in his preface to the first edition of this work, lectured in all nine times on the history of philosophy. Jan 17, 2020 d the geographical basis of history with all this talk of spirit and its selfconstructing selfovercoming, one might take hegel to move toward the platonic idealism he rejects. Hegels whole discussion of africa is under the rubric geographical basis of history, with his of course threefold division of the world into seacoasts, river valleys, and uplands. Klausdetlev grothusen 1983 philosophy and history 16 2. Historicism is the idea of attributing meaningful significance to space and time, such as historical period, geographical place, and local culture.