Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Volume 1 : Greek Philosophy to Plato

G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God’s purpose. At the beginning of this masterwork, Hegel writes: “What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge.” In his introduction to this Bison Book edition, Frederick C. Beiser notes the complex and controversial history of Hegel’s text. He makes a case that this English-language translation by E. S. Haldane and Frances H. Simson is still the most reliable one. Lectures on the History of Philosophy......Page 2 TRANSLATOR'S NOTE......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 6 1— The Historicist Context......Page 9 2— The Question of Method......Page 14 3— The History of Philosophy in the System......Page 16 4— Logical Order, Temporal Order......Page 20 5— Philosophy as the History of Philosophy......Page 23 6— Critical Conclusion......Page 26 7— History of the Text......Page 29 Notes......Page 32 INAUGURAL ADDRESS......Page 39 PREFATORY NOTE......Page 42 INTRODUCTION......Page 45 A— The Notion of the History of Philosophy......Page 51 1— Common Ideas Regarding the History of Philosophy......Page 54 a— The History of Philosophy as an Accumulation of Opinions......Page 55 b— Proof of the Futility of Philosophical Knowledge Obtained through the History of Philosophy Itsel.........Page 59 c— Explanatory Remarks on the Diversity in Philosophies......Page 61 2— Explanatory Remarks Upon the Definition of the History of Philosophy......Page 63 a— The Notion of Development......Page 64 b— The Notion of the Concrete......Page 67 c— Philosophy as the Apprehension of the Development of the Concrete......Page 71 3— Results Obtained with Respect to the Notion of the History of Philosophy......Page 73 a— The Development in Time of the Various Philosophies......Page 76 b— The Application of the Foregoing to the Treatment of Philosophy......Page 80 c— Further Comparison between the History of Philosophy and Philosophy Itself......Page 83 B— The Relation of Philosophy to Other Departments of Knowledge......Page 93 a— Outward and Historical Conditions Imposed Upon Philosophy......Page 94 b— The Commencement in History of an Intellectual Necessity for Philosophy......Page 95 c— Philosophy as the Thought of Its Time......Page 97 2— Separation of Philosophy from other Allied Departments of Knowledge......Page 99 a— Relation of Philosophy to Scientific Knowledge......Page 100 b— Relation of Philosophy to Religion......Page 105 a— Difference between Philosophy and Religion......Page 108 [beta]— The Religious Element to be Excluded from the Content of the History of Philosophy......Page 125 [gamma]— Particular Theories Found in Religion......Page 135 c— Philosophy Proper Distinguished from Popular Philosophy......Page 136 a— Freedom of Thought as a First Condition......Page 138 b— Separation of the East and Its Philosophy......Page 140 c— Beginnings of Philosophy in Greece......Page 143 1— Division of the History of Philosophy......Page 145 2— Sources of the History of Philosophy......Page 154 3— Method of Treatment Adopted in this History of Philosophy......Page 158 ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY......Page 161 A— Chinese Philosophy......Page 163 B— Indian Philosophy......Page 169 Introduction......Page 192 SECTION ONE— FIRST PERIOD, FROM THALES TO ARISTOTLE......Page 208 Chapter I— Period I.—Division I.—Thales to Anaxagoras......Page 209 1— Thales......Page 214 2— Anaximander......Page 228 3— Anaximenes......Page 232 B— Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans......Page 237 C— The Eleatic School......Page 282 1— Xenophanes......Page 284 2— Parmenides......Page 292 3— Melissus......Page 300 4— Zeno......Page 304 D— Heraclitus......Page 321 E— Empedocles, Leucippus and Democritus......Page 341 1— Leucippus and Democritus......Page 342 2— Empedocles......Page 353 F— Anaxagoras......Page 362 Chapter II— First Period, Second Division: From the Sophists to the Socratics......Page 393 A— The Sophists......Page 395 1— Protagoras......Page 415 2— Gorgias......Page 421 B— Socrates......Page 427 C— The Socratics......Page 491 1— The Megarics......Page 497 a— Euclides......Page 498 b— Eubulides......Page 499 c— Stilpo......Page 507 2— The Cyrenaic School......Page 512 a— Aristippus......Page 513 b— Theodorus......Page 518 c— Hegesias......Page 520 d— Anniceris......Page 521 3— The Cynic School......Page 522 a— Antisthenes......Page 524 b— Diogenes......Page 527 c— Later Cynics......Page 529 Lectures on the History of Philosophy 2 TRANSLATOR'S NOTE 4 CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION TO THE BISON BOOK EDITION 9 1— The Historicist Context 9 2— The Question of Method 14 3— The History of Philosophy in the System 16 4— Logical Order, Temporal Order 20 5— Philosophy as the History of Philosophy 23 6— Critical Conclusion 26 7— History of the Text 29 Notes 32 INAUGURAL ADDRESS 39 PREFATORY NOTE 42 INTRODUCTION 45 A— The Notion of the History of Philosophy 51 1— Common Ideas Regarding the History of Philosophy 54 a— The History of Philosophy as an Accumulation of Opinions 55 b— Proof of the Futility of Philosophical Knowledge Obtained through the History of Philosophy Itsel... 59 c— Explanatory Remarks on the Diversity in Philosophies 61 2— Explanatory Remarks Upon the Definition of the History of Philosophy 63 a— The Notion of Development 64 b— The Notion of the Concrete 67 c— Philosophy as the Apprehension of the Development of the Concrete 71 3— Results Obtained with Respect to the Notion of the History of Philosophy 73 a— The Development in Time of the Various Philosophies 76 b— The Application of the Foregoing to the Treatment of Philosophy 80 c— Further Comparison between the History of Philosophy and Philosophy Itself 83 B— The Relation of Philosophy to Other Departments of Knowledge 93 1— The Historical Side of This Connection 94 a— Outward and Historical Conditions Imposed Upon Philosophy 94 b— The Commencement in History of an Intellectual Necessity for Philosophy 95 c— Philosophy as the Thought of Its Time 97 2— Separation of Philosophy from other Allied Departments of Knowledge 99 a— Relation of Philosophy to Scientific Knowledge 100 b— Relation of Philosophy to Religion 105 a— Difference between Philosophy and Religion 108 [beta]— The Religious Element to be Excluded from the Content of the History of Philosophy 125 [gamma]— Particular Theories Found in Religion 135 c— Philosophy Proper Distinguished from Popular Philosophy 136 3— Commencement of Philosophy and of Its History 138 a— Freedom of Thought as a First Condition 138 b— Separation of the East and Its Philosophy 140 c— Beginnings of Philosophy in Greece 143 C— Division, Sources, and Method Adopted in Treating of the History of Philosophy 145 1— Division of the History of Philosophy 145 2— Sources of the History of Philosophy 154 3— Method of Treatment Adopted in this History of Philosophy 158 ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY 161 A— Chinese Philosophy 163 B— Indian Philosophy 169 PART ONE— GREEK PHILOSOPHY 192 Introduction 192 SECTION ONE— FIRST PERIOD, FROM THALES TO ARISTOTLE 208 Chapter I— Period I.—Division I.—Thales to Anaxagoras 209 A— The Ionic Philosophy 214 1— Thales 214 2— Anaximander 228 3— Anaximenes 232 B— Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans 237 C— The Eleatic School 282 1— Xenophanes 284 2— Parmenides 292 3— Melissus 300 4— Zeno 304 D— Heraclitus 321 E— Empedocles, Leucippus and Democritus 341 1— Leucippus and Democritus 342 2— Empedocles 353 F— Anaxagoras 362 Chapter II— First Period, Second Division: From the Sophists to the Socratics 393 A— The Sophists 395 1— Protagoras 415 2— Gorgias 421 B— Socrates 427 C— The Socratics 491 1— The Megarics 497 a— Euclides 498 b— Eubulides 499 c— Stilpo 507 2— The Cyrenaic School 512 a— Aristippus 513 b— Theodorus 518 c— Hegesias 520 d— Anniceris 521 3— The Cynic School 522 a— Antisthenes 524 b— Diogenes 527 c— Later Cynics 529 G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God's purpose. At the beginning of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Hegel writes: "What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge." Volume 2 of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, titled Plato and the Platonists for this Bison Books edition, introduces the most renowned disciple of Socrates and the theory of Platonic forms before moving to Plato's disciple, Aristotle, whose advance to scientific thinking is carefully detailed. The subsequent increasing systematization and sophistication of philosophy leads to a discussion of the Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics. The first period in the history of philosophy comes to maturity with Plotinus in the third century B.C. G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God's purpose. At the beginning of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Hegel writes: "What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge." Volume 3 of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, titled Medieval and Modern Philosophy for this Bison Books edition, begins with a survey of the philosophy of the middle ages, leaving the pagan world for the Christian and extending to the sixteenth century A.D. Hegel shows how scholastic theology and philosophy developed through the efforts of Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and others. Hegel's treatment of the modern period of philosophy focuses on Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hobbes, Leibnitz, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Fichte. G. W. F. Hegel (17701831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God's purpose. At the beginning of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Hegel "What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge." Volume 2 of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, titled Plato and the Platonists for this Bison Books edition, introduces the most renowned disciple of Socrates and the theory of Platonic forms before moving to Plato's disciple, Aristotle, whose advance to scientific thinking is carefully detailed. The subsequent increasing systematization and sophistication of philosophy leads to a discussion of the Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics. The first period in the history of philosophy comes to maturity with Plotinus in the third century B.C. G. W. F. Hegel (17701831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God's purpose. At the beginning of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Hegel "What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge." Volume 3 of Lectures on the History of Philosophy, titled Medieval and Modern Philosophy for this Bison Books edition, begins with a survey of the philosophy of the middle ages, leaving the pagan world for the Christian and extending to the sixteenth century A.D. Hegel shows how scholastic theology and philosophy developed through the efforts of Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and others. Hegel's treatment of the modern period of philosophy focuses on Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hobbes, Leibnitz, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Fichte. G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the influential German philosopher, believed that human history was advancing spiritually and morally according to God’s purpose. At the beginning of this masterwork, Hegel writes: “What the history of Philosophy shows us is a succession of noble minds, a gallery of heroes of thought, who, by the power of Reason, have penetrated into the being of things, of nature and of spirit, into the Being of God, and have won for us by their labours the highest treasure, the treasure of reasoned knowledge.” In his introduction to this Bison Book edition, Frederick C. Beiser notes the complex and controversial history of Hegel’s text. He makes a case that this English-language translation by E. S. Haldane and Frances H. Simson is still the most reliable one. Originally published: Hegel's lectures on the history of philosophy. London : K. Paul, Trench, Trèubner, 1892-1896. v. 1. Greek philosophy to Plato v. 2. Plato and the platonists v. 3. Medieval and modern philosophy.