“Hegel in 90 Minutes” by Paul Strathern is a brief introduction to philosophy of Hegel. Main content ‘Hegel’s Life and Works’ describes Hegel’s biography with his philosophy and historical context.
A remarkable point of this book is the commentary on theory of dialectical method of Hegel like descriptions below.
“The entire system rests on Hegel’s original mode of reasoning—his celebrated dialectical method. This starts with a ‘thesis.’ For example: Existence. According to Hegel, this is inevitably seen to be inadequate and incomplete. When we contemplate the notion ‘existence,’ it generates its opposite, its ‘antithesis’: Nonexistence. This too is then seen to be in adequate, and the two opposite then merge to form a ‘synthesis.’ In this case: Becoming. This synthesis retains what is rational in both the thesis and the antithesis, and in its turn may become another thesis. This allows the process to be repeated, in a series of triads, ascending in to ever more rational realms.”
“Hegel begins by saying that logic is the study of thought. As we have seen, the dialectical process ascends toward mind or Absolute Spirit. Mind is the ultimate reality, abstracted from the particular forms it assumes in the natural world. It is mind that shapes the world.”
And Strathern comments the Hegel’s system on “The Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Science in Outline” and the world-historical view of “Philosophy of History”.
This small book exclusively concentrates on commentary on Hegel’s “absolute idealism” and “dialectical method”. So Strathern can’t write entire Hegel’s tremendous philosophical theory and system. And descriptions to Hegel’s philosophy in this book is typical, stereotyped and superficial. Strathern emphasize Hegel’s progressiveness, idealism and influence to Karl Marx.
This book is an only brief introduction to Hegel and his philosophy.
Hegel in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series)
Paul Strathern
Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 28 April 1997
91 pages $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-56663-154-9
Contents:
Introduction
Hegel’s Life and Works
Afterword
From Hegel’s Writings
Chronology of Significant Philosophical Dates
Chronology of Hegel’s Life
Chronology of Hegel’s Era
Recommended Reading
Index