The Blackwell Guide to Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit

Providing a groundbreaking collective commentary, by an international group of leading philosophical scholars, Blackwell’s Guide to Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit transforms and expands our understanding and appreciation of one of the most challenging works in Western philosophy.

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• Collective philosophical commentary on the whole of Hegel’s Phenomenology in sequence with the original text.
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• Original essays by leading international philosophers and Hegel experts.
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• Provides a comprehensive Bibliography of further sources.

Führende internationale Philosophen und Experten beleuchten in ihren Abhandlungen eines der wohl anspruchvollsten Werke westlicher Philosophie. Notes on Contributors.

References.

Introduction.

1. Hegel’s Phenomenological Method and Analysis of Consciousness: Kenneth R. Westphal (University of Kent, Canterbury).

2. Desire, Recognition, and the Relation between Bondsman and Lord: Frederick Neuhouser (Columbia University, New York).

3. Freedom and Thought: Stoicism, Skepticism, and Unhappy Consciousness: Franco Chiereghin (University of Padua).

4. The Challenge of Reason: From Certainty to Truth: Cinzia Ferrini (University of Trieste).

5. Reason Observing Nature: Cinzia Ferrini (University of Trieste).

6. Shapes of Active Reason: The Law of the Heart, Retrieved Virtue, and What Really Matters: Terry Pinkard (Georgetown University, Washington, DC).

7. The Ethics of Freedom: Hegel on Reason as Law-Giving and Law-Testing: David Couzens Hoy (University of California, Santa Cruz).

8. Hegel, Antigone, and Feminist Critique: The Spirit of Ancient Greece: Jocelyn B. Hoy (University of California, Santa Cruz).

9. Hegel’s Critique of the Enlightenment in “The Struggle of the Enlightenment with Superstition”: Jürgen Stolzenberg (Martin-Luther-Universität, Halle-Wittenburg).

10. “Morality” in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit: Frederick C. Beiser (Syracuse University, New York).

11. Religion, History, and Spirit in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit: George di Giovanni (McGill University, Montreal).

12. Absolute Knowing: Allegra de Laurentiis (SUNY-Stony Brook, New York).

13. Spirit and Concrete Subjectivity in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit: Marina F. Bykova (North Carolina State University).

General Bibliography.

Index of Names.

Subject Index.

Table of Concordances

“This collection of essay is an invaluable guide to Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit for graduate students and Hegel Scholars. As well as being a lucid and detailed commentary on the entire of the Phenomenology of 1807, it also offers original contributions, which on certain occasions challenge traditional interpretations or the received view.” (Evangelia Sembou, The Owl of Minerva, 1 November 2012)

"This collection reunites the leading experts on Hegel's philosophy who systematically address key issues in the notoriously difficult Phenomenology of Spirit. In every chapter the authors accompany the unfolding of Hegel's argument and guide the reader through the intricacies of dialectical transitions." (CHOICE, August 2009) "A very impressive collection of essays by some of the most acute readers working on Hegel today. ... The essays in this volume provide many accessible points of entry into Hegel's thought. Scholars and teachers of Hegel's most rewarding and perplexing work should be grateful." (Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, December 2009)

Kenneth R. Westphal is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kent. His books include: Hegel’s Epistemological Realism (1989), Hegel’s Epistemology: A Philosophical Introduction to the Phenomenology of Spirit (2003) and Kanfs Transcendental Proof of Realism (2004); he is the editor of Pragmatism, Reason and Norms (1998).

THE BLACKWELL GUIDES TO Great Works

“This is an impressive collection of papers, covering the Phenomenology in sequence. The authors provide much enlightenment on this difficult text, often shedding new light on well-known problems of interpretation and philosophical understanding. This makes it an extremely welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on Hegel’s philosophical masterpiece.”
Robert Stern, University of Sheffield

“This is an invaluable resource for anyone attempting to come to terms with Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. The reader of Hegel’s classic work is supposed to journey through a series of shapes of consciousness and spirit in a way that is not meant to be governed by some single, mechanically imposed, overarching point of view. By having a series of leading Hegel “guides”, each of whom illuminates one of the stages of the journey, the Blackwell Guide is able to capture the type of organic transitioning that characterizes the work itself.”
Paul Redding, University of Sydney

This groundbreaking collective commentary on the whole of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, written by a select group of leading international scholars, peels back the layers of Hegel’s great work to reveal new insights into one of the most challenging works in the history of Western philosophy.

By closely analyzing the original text, each essay illuminates the philosophical issues addressed in each section of Hegel’s work. By considering the role and function of each section of text within the Phenomenology as a whole, these essays achieve an impressive degree of cohesion. Individually and collectively, these essays also address the question of the internal unity of the Phenomenology, revealing its true cohesiveness.

The essays are suitable for advanced undergraduates and non-specialists, whilst also making original contributions to the field. The Guide begins with a synopsis of Hegel’s Phenomenology by the editor based on the Guide’s contributions, and features a select Bibliography of further sources on each of the chapters of the Phenomenology and a comprehensive analytical index. "This is an impressive collection of papers, covering the Phenomenology in sequence. The authors provide much enlightenment on this difficult text, often shedding new light on well-known problems of interpretation and philosophical understanding. This makes it an extremely welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on Hegel's philosophical masterpiece." –Robert Stern, University of Sheffield

"This is an invaluable resource for anyone attempting to come to terms with Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. The reader of Hegel’s classic work is supposed to journey through a series of shapes of consciousness and spirit in a way that is not meant to be governed by some single, mechanically imposed, overarching point of view. By having a series of leading Hegel “guides,” each of whom illuminates one of the stages of the journey, The Blackwell Guide is able to capture the type of organic transitioning that characterizes the work itself." –Paul Redding, University of Sydney