Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit

Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit has acquired a paradoxical reputation as one the most important and most impenetrable and inconsistent philosophical works. In Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit , Michael N. Forster advances an original reading of the work. His approach differs from that of previous scholars in two crucial ways: he reads the work, first, as a whole-not piecemeal, as it has usually been analyzed-and second, within the context of Hegel's broader corpus and the works of other philosophers. The Phenomenology of Spirit emerges as an extraordinarily coherent work with a rich array of important and original ideas. These include a diagnosis of the ills of modernity in terms of its commitment to a series of dualisms, and a project for overcoming them; a sweeping naturalism; a deep rethinking of and response to problems of skepticism; subtle arguments for social theories of meaning and truth; and ideas based on the insight that human thought changes in fundamental ways over the course of history. Forster's unique and compelling reading unlocks the mysteries of Hegel's seminal work. xi, 661 pages ; 23 cm In Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit, Michael N. Forster advances an original reading of the work. His approach differs from that of previous scholars in two main ways: he reads the work, first, as a whole - not piecemeal, as it has usually been analyzed - and second, within the context of Hegel's broader corpus and the thought of other philosophers. Forster's reading reveals the Phenomenology of Spirit as in fact an impressively coherent text containing a rich array of ideas of extraordinary philosophical originality and depth. These ideas include a diagnosis of the ills of modernity in terms of its entanglement in a series of dualisms, and a project for overcoming them; a sweeping naturalism; a deep rethinking of and response to problems of skepticism; subtle arguments for social theories of meaning and truth; and a family of ideas based on the insight that human thought changes in fundamental ways over the course of history Includes bibliographical references and index The phenomenology as "introduction" to Hegelian science -- Curing modern culture: the pedagogical tasks -- Justifying Hegelian science: the epistemological tasks -- Creating god, meaning, and truth: the metaphysical tasks -- The phenomenology as "appearance" of Hegelian science -- The phenomenology's independence from Hegelian science -- The Aufhebung of the phenomenology to Hegelian science -- Two varieties of historicism -- History in the chapters consciousness through reason -- Intellectual historicism in the chapters consciousness through reason -- History in the chapters spirit through absolute knowing -- Further intellectual historicism in the phenomenology -- The issues -- The basic case for a shift in plan -- The underlying logic of the phenomenology -- The effects of the shift in plan on the design of the phenomenology -- Hegel's reasons for the shift in plan -- A fundamental reinterpretation or devaluation? -- The historical relativity of the phenomenology Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit has acquired a paradoxical regulation as one of the most important and most impenetrable and inconsistent philosophical works. In Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit, Michael N. Forster advances an original reading of Hegel's text. His approach differs from that of previous scholars in two crucial ways: he reads it, first, as a whole -- not piecemeal, as it has usually been analyzed -- and second, within the context of Hegel's broader corpus and the works of other philosophers. The Phenomenology of Spirit emerges from this reading as an extraordinarily coherent meditation with a rich army of important and original ideas. These include a diagnosis of the ills of modernity in terms of its commitment to a series of dualisms, and a project for overcoming them; a sweeping naturalism; a deep rethinking of and response to problems of skepticism; subtle arguments for social theories of meaning and truth; and ideas based on the insight that human thought changes in fundamental ways over the course of history. Porster's unique and compelling reading unlocks the mysteries of Hegel's seminal work. Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit has acquired a paradoxical reputation as one the most important and most impenetrable and inconsistent philosophical works. In Hegel's Idea of a Phenomenology of Spirit , Michael N. Forster advances an original reading of the work. His approach differs from that of previous scholars in two crucial ways: he reads the work, first, as a wholenot piecemeal, as it has usually been analyzedand second, within the context of Hegel's broader corpus and the works of other philosophers. The Phenomenology of Spirit emerges as an extraordinarily coherent work with a rich array of important and original ideas. These include a diagnosis of the ills of modernity in terms of its commitment to a series of dualisms, and a project for overcoming them; a sweeping naturalism; a deep rethinking of and response to problems of skepticism; subtle arguments for social theories of meaning and truth; and ideas based on the insight that human thought changes in fundamental ways over the course of history. Forster's unique and compelling reading unlocks the mysteries of Hegel's seminal work.