Abstract

Professor Walsh, of the University of Edinburgh, has here given us an admirable little book. But the well-informed admirer of Hegel must read it through to the end to be sure it is admirable. For it begins where most of the condescending hacks who squeeze an academic living out of exploitation of Hegel begin - with the assertion that Hegel lacked what the condescending hacks presumably have: mastery of the art of philosophical writing; and also with the suggestion that there may be a kernel of truth in the widespread belief that, as W.D. Hudson phrases it in the "Editor's Preface," "the most repugnant forms of totalitarianism from which our modern world has suffered, and still suffers, owe their inspiration to him." It is a relief to realize, when one has read through his text, that Professor Walsh has not been in the least tempted to acquire anti-Nazi credentials at Hegel's expense. And one may reasonably expect that, if ever he becomes less dependent on translations than he says he is, the author may come to admire Hegel's style - which has the "rebarbative" excellence of permanent intelligibility - perhaps as much as Giovanni Gentile admired it.