The Origin of History in Hegel's Philosophy
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Date
2008-09
Authors
Barth, Wolfgang Josef, 1978-
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
In his Lectures on the Philosophy of History, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
claims to describe the whole of world history. He locates the beginning of history
between the Persian and the Greek world, which are not only places for Hegel but also
steps in time. In his lectures he describes a time before the emergence of history and a
time after the emergence of history. My thesis focuses on the problems that arose from
placing the beginning of history at a moment different from the beginning of time. The
question I am answering is: How does Hegel understand the beginning of history if not as
the beginning of time? The argumentation follows his Lectures on the Philosophy of
History and explains how he saw the period prior to history and how he saw history itself.
In a second step, the transition from one to the other will be examined. The place where the transition happened was Persia. Therefore, Persia is the focus of my investigation. I
examine the elaboration of reason described by Hegel and his notion of the relation
between time and history as well as subjektiver and objektiver Geist. In a third step, the
question of relevance will be answered. Hegel connects the elaboration of reason with the
separation of quality and quantity in the sphere of logic and the separation of time and
space in the sphere of nature-philosophy. The parallel construction of these separations
must have a fundamental impact on the philosophical discussion of Hegel. I simplify the
separation step and describe it as a form of shift in denomination. I conclude with an
abstract discussion of numeric as well as symbolic systems and their relation to the
religious context in which Hegel has to be read. This approach to Hegel is so close to the
precise and often idiomatic wording of Hegel's theories that it is in the best interest of
anyone reading this thesis that it is written in German.
Description
vii, 70 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
Keywords
Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 1770-1831