Herbart's Theory of Being

This post outlines Herbart's account of being, which is characterized by the credence given to metaphysical analysis in a Leibnizian vein and the critique of Fichte’s idea of the “self creation of man”. We draw for our account on Marcel Mauxion's La Métaphysique de Herbart (1894). Above is an extract from the manuscript of Leibniz's Monadology.

Herbart on Metaphysics and Method

This post continues on from our biography of Hegel's contemporary Herbart and discusses his general view of metaphysics and method. We use Mauxion's La Métaphysique de Herbart (1894). The above is a picture of Old Königsberg, the former capital of East Prussia, where Herbart lectured as successor of Kant.

Herbart and Hegel (Part One)

This post covers the biography and principal writings of Hegel's realist contemporary, Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841). It begins a short series of posts aiming to shed light on the intellectual possibilities of Hegel's time and place through comparison with the contrasting ideas of Herbart.

Key to our Hegel Biography

Here is a key to our Hegel biography, which is based largely on Karl Rosenkranz's Hegels Leben (1844) in the French edition by Pierre Osmo. It includes links to the individual chapters. Whilst we cannot compete with the books of Walter Kaufmann, Horst Althaus, Jacques D'Hondt or Terry Pinkard, we can claim an exposition refounded on the earliest source, Karl Rosenkranz. Hegel scholarship has corrected Rosenkranz on the dating and authorship of several early manuscripts and built on his indications of Hegel's role in society, but perhaps diverged for many years from the facts he set out, particularly on the politics of the Restoration period in Berlin.

Hegel in Berlin (Part Three)

 

This is my concluding entry on Hegel's life, drawing from Rosenkranz's Hegels Leben (1844), the first biography of Hegel. I describe Hegel's final words on politics and falling out with Edouard Gans, his last sudden illness and death and the life of his sister.

Friedrich Carové, the battle of nations and the "Liberation of Germany"

This weekend marks the bicentenary of the Battle of Nations (Völkerschlacht) at Leipzig from 16-19 October 1813 that ended Napoleonic rule in Europe. Whilst Hegel was present in the vicinity of the equally significant Battle of Jena in October 1806 and we have a contemporary letter giving his impressions, his reaction to the Battle of Leipzig is harder to trace. The above memorial was erected to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1913.

Hegel's late political thought

After some remarks about scholarship on Hegel's political philosophy, I summarise Hegel's political writings and reputation from the 1820s, including his response to the July 1830 revolution in France and the essay On the English Reform Bill (1831). The information is drawn from Karl Rosenkranz's Hegels Leben (1844), the first biography of Hegel.