Overview
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was one of the most important German philosophers whose groundbreaking ideas regarding historical processes and the nature of reality not only influenced Karl Marx and other political thinkers, but significantly affected fields as disparate as art, psychology, religion, and philosophy itself. In Simply Hegel, author Robert L. Wicks presents Hegel’s often challenging ideas in an easy-to-understand way, providing an enlightening look at the life, works, and impact of this prominent and still controversial philosopher.
Description
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.
About the author
Robert L. Wicks is an associate 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 numerous essays on late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century philosophy, most of which focus on the philosophy of art and metaphysics.
About the series
Simply Charly's Great Lives Series offers brief, but authoritative introductions to the world's most influential people—scientists, artists, writers, economists, and other historical figures whose contributions have had a meaningful and enduring impact on our society. Each book, presented in an engaging, accessible and entertaining fashion, offers an illuminating look at their works, ideas and personal lives, and the legacies they left behind.
Series trailer
Genre:
NonfictionSubgenre:
Biography, PhilosophyLanguage:
EnglishPublisher:
Simply CharlyPublish-Date:
Fall 2017Available for sale on
