Abstract

GWF Hegel has long been considered one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of the nineteenth century, and his work continues to provoke debate in contemporary philosophy. This new book provides readers with an accessible introduction to Hegels thought, offering a lucid and highly readable account of his Phenomenology of Spirit, Science of Logic, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophy of History, and Philosophy of Right. It provides a cogent and careful analysis of Hegels main arguments, considers critical responses, evaluates competing interpretations, and assesses the legacy of Hegels work for philosophy in the present day. In a comprehensive discussion of the major works, J.M Fritzman considers crucial questions of authorial intent raised by the Phenomenology of Spirit, and discusses Hegels conceptions of necessity and of philosophical method. In his presentation of Hegels Logic, Fritzman evaluates the claim that logic has no presuppositions and examines whether this endorses a foundationalist or coherentist epistemology. Fritzman goes on to scrutinize Hegels claims that history represents the progressive realization of human freedom, and details how Hegel believes that this is also expressed in art and religion. This book serves as both an excellent introduction to Hegels wide-ranging philosophy for students, as well as an innovative critique which will contribute to ongoing debates in the field.