Overview

"""Robert Wicks has achieved the near-miracle of presenting the whole of Hegel's thought in a way that will both enlighten the novice and be of great interest to seasoned Hegel buffs for its originality and insight. Wicks's esteem for Hegel is evident throughout; he writes from the heart as well as the intellect."" -- Michael Inwood, author of A Hegel Dictionary and Emeritus Fellow, Trinity College, University of Oxford Born in Stuttgart, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) attended the Gymnasium Illustre and, at the age of 18, entered the Tübingen Seminary, from which he received his theological certificate in 1793. His early writings, composed while he was serving as a family tutor in Bern and Frankfurt, dealt with religious subjects. From 1801 until his untimely death thirty years later, Hegel held professorships at several prestigious universities and went on to write the landmark works for which he's known, including his masterpiece the Phenomenology of Spirit (1807). Renowned in his own time, he gained great fame as a lecturer, with students coming from all over Europe to attend his classes. In Simply Hegel, Robert L. Wicks presents Hegel's revolutionary philosophy in clear and simple language, illuminating not only his basic ideas, but also the deeper meanings hidden within the text. Wicks's analysis also contextualizes Hegel's thought by providing a vivid chronology of his times, which included such earth-shaking events as the French Revolution and Napoleon's invasion of Prussia. Offering the reader key insights into German idealist philosophy, as well as Hegel's unique role in the evolution of ideas, Simply Hegel is a superb introduction to both a towering historical figure and a philosophical system that continues to echo through our own times."

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9781943657407

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"""Robert Wicks has achieved the near-miracle of presenting the whole of Hegel's thought in a way that will both enlighten the novice and be of great interest to seasoned Hegel buffs for its originality and insight. Wicks's esteem for Hegel is evident throughout; he writes from the heart as well as the intellect."" -Michael Inwood, author of A Hegel Dictionary and Emeritus Fellow, Trinity College, University of Oxford ""Hegel is a notoriously difficult philosopher to approach on one's own. This brief introduction offers a useful companion to those making the effort: after opening a window on Hegel's life and times, Wicks gives a helpful reading of some of the most crucial moments within Hegel's writings, including key sections of the Phenomenology of Spirit and Encyclopedia. And, in nicely emphasizing the dynamic, practical, and ultimately comprehensive character of Hegelian thought, Wicks suggests-perhaps most importantly of all-some of the reasons why his work still matters so much to us philosophically."" -C. Allen Speight, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Boston University ""Hegel is one of the world's most important-and most difficult-philosophers. This short book brings these ideas to life in real simplicity that would help spark future interest in his groundbreaking ideas."" -Thom Brooks, Professor of Law and Government at Durham University and Dean of Durham Law School ""This short book, which outlines G.W.F. Hegel's main ideas, summarizes the philosophical works and positions with clear non-technical language while maintaining the dominant threads and principles of explanation that carry throughout Hegel's systematic philosophy. Indeed, Robert Wicks's highlighting of Hegel's view that all of reality is a complex process of growth and development is mirrored in the author's own tracing of the development of Hegel's philosophical positions, from the earliest to the last of his writings. By accentuating the biographical, historical, and intellectual context of Hegel's thought, Simply Hegel provides an excellent introduction-simply but not oversimplified-that will be accessible to anyone new to Hegel, as well as a helpful refresher for those who already have some familiarity with this great thinker."" -David A. Duquette, author of Hegel's History of Philosophy: New Interpretations and Professor Emeritus, St. Norbert College ""Simply Hegel is an extraordinary achievement. Robert Wicks manages to explicate Hegel's multifaceted system and convoluted arguments in ways that are grounded in scholarship, enlightening, sympathetic, and humorous. This book is welcome to anyone trying to make plausible Hegel's thinking to first (and second, and third) time readers of it. Whether one approaches Hegel from the traditional perspective of the Phenomenology of Spirit or from that of the Encyclopaedia system, Wicks's contribution helps seeing the wood beyond the trees while whetting readers' appetite for studying the trees as well."" -Allegra de Laurentiis, Professor of Philosophy, State University of New York at Stony Brook"

Robert Wicks has achieved the near-miracle of presenting the whole of Hegel's thought in a way that will both enlighten the novice and be of great interest to seasoned Hegel buffs for its originality and insight. Wicks's esteem for Hegel is evident throughout; he writes from the heart as well as the intellect. -Michael Inwood, author of A Hegel Dictionary and Emeritus Fellow, Trinity College, University of Oxford Hegel is a notoriously difficult philosopher to approach on one's own. This brief introduction offers a useful companion to those making the effort: after opening a window on Hegel's life and times, Wicks gives a helpful reading of some of the most crucial moments within Hegel's writings, including key sections of the Phenomenology of Spirit and Encyclopedia. And, in nicely emphasizing the dynamic, practical, and ultimately comprehensive character of Hegelian thought, Wicks suggests-perhaps most importantly of all-some of the reasons why his work still matters so much to us philosophically. -C. Allen Speight, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Boston University Hegel is one of the world's most important-and most difficult-philosophers. This short book brings these ideas to life in real simplicity that would help spark future interest in his groundbreaking ideas. -Thom Brooks, Professor of Law and Government at Durham University and Dean of Durham Law School This short book, which outlines G.W.F. Hegel's main ideas, summarizes the philosophical works and positions with clear non-technical language while maintaining the dominant threads and principles of explanation that carry throughout Hegel's systematic philosophy. Indeed, Robert Wicks's highlighting of Hegel's view that all of reality is a complex process of growth and development is mirrored in the author's own tracing of the development of Hegel's philosophical positions, from the earliest to the last of his writings. By accentuating the biographical, historical, and intellectual context of Hegel's thought, Simply Hegel provides an excellent introduction-simply but not oversimplified-that will be accessible to anyone new to Hegel, as well as a helpful refresher for those who already have some familiarity with this great thinker. -David A. Duquette, author of Hegel's History of Philosophy: New Interpretations and Professor Emeritus, St. Norbert College Simply Hegel is an extraordinary achievement. Robert Wicks manages to explicate Hegel's multifaceted system and convoluted arguments in ways that are grounded in scholarship, enlightening, sympathetic, and humorous. This book is welcome to anyone trying to make plausible Hegel's thinking to first (and second, and third) time readers of it. Whether one approaches Hegel from the traditional perspective of the Phenomenology of Spirit or from that of the Encyclopaedia system, Wicks's contribution helps seeing the wood beyond the trees while whetting readers' appetite for studying the trees as well. -Allegra de Laurentiis, Professor of Philosophy, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Author Information

Robert L. Wicks is a professor of philosophy at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Prior to his appointment at the University of Auckland, he studied Hegel's aesthetics as a Fulbright Scholar at the Hegel Archives in Bochum, Germany, and taught philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Arizona. He is the author of eight books and essays on late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century philosophy, most of which focus on the philosophy of art and metaphysics.

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