Hegel, Love and Forgiveness: Positive Recognition in German Idealism (Pickering Studies in PHIL of Religion)

This study offers a new interpretation of Hegelian recognition focusing on positive ethical behaviours, such as love and forgiveness. Building on the work of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, Disley reassesses Hegel's work on the subject/object dialectic and explores the previously neglected theological dimensions of his work. This study offers a new interpretation of Hegelian recognition – a central tenet of German Idealism – focusing on positive ethical behaviours, such as love and forgiveness. Building on the work of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, Disley reassesses Hegel’s approach to the subject/object dialectic and explores the previously neglected theological dimensions of his writings. Her new interpretation offers an innovative reading of Hegel’s stance on the relationship between intersubjectivity, forgiveness and repentance in his social theory.0 Acknowledgements 8 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 12 1 The Social Self and the Master–Slave Dialectic 30 2 The Self of Self-Consciousness: Ethical Concepts, Metaphysical Frameworks 54 3 Intersubjectivity, Monistic Ontology and the Social World 78 4 Ambiguity and the Ontologically Split Self 104 5 Forgiveness: Confrontation, Metanoia and the Freedom of the Other 122 6 Love: Ethical Partnership and the Self in the Other 142 Conclusion 160 Works Cited 164 Notes 170 Index 184 By Liz Disley. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 153-158) And Index.