Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #800567 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-01
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 457 pages

Synopsis
The German philosopher analyzes the intellectual history of mankind since the ancient Chinese dynasties, demonstrating Christianity's role in fostering human spiritual freedom.

Customer Reviews

Survey all of Western History through the idea of Freedom.
Hegel's Philosophy of History is his easiest book to read. He angered some people by saying that History is Freedom, and so those countries which did not have Free States (in 1821, the year he wrote his book) were not truly part of History but part of the Pre-historic period. He begins with a narrative of Africa in 1821 which was steeped in Slavery, both internal and external. He stated that all nations were once at this level of Pre-history, where no king could last more than a year. But China was the first nation to make One but only One Person free, namely, the Emperor. This was the beginning of History. From this point Hegel traces those nations which increased Freedom slowly - from Egypt to Assyria to Babylon to Persia to Greece to Rome to Spain and then Europe as we know it today. The Idea of a Free Republic was born in Greece, but was first made material in Rome. Caesar opposed the Republic because he knew that the fullness of time had not yet come for it; so he opened up barbarian Europe instead. The Free Republic eventually grew to a point where a great, courageous World Historical Individual, Napoleon Bonaparte, overthrew the Medieval structures and paved the way for the eventual abolition of Slavery. Hegel was an Abolitionist and lived to see England and Spain renounce Slavery, but died long before Lincoln, so his view of the USA was pretty pessimistic.

"Rhymes with Bagel;" or, in a mouthful, running in circles!
Having just read the introduction (which is the theoretical core of the work), and having read a different translation, I can safely say that Sibree's translation progresses about as smoothly as one sloshing around in a Turtle(tm) pool full of runny egg-whites with three Sumatran carpet- sharks tied to one's back. This is an essential philosophical text; but try and get just the introduction (*Reason and History,* translated by Robert Hartman on Macmillan/Lib. Liberal Arts).
For a philosopher that one must LEARN to read, like Nietzsche (which should hopefully give the Nazism alarmists something to think about), the translation (non-indexed) reminds me of driving without a steering wheel, or like showering in Los Angeles - not something you want to repeat. A good text in that it's the only complete translation of PH that I know of. However, caveat emptor re: the stuff classical translation.