Hegel On History, Politics And Philosophy

This collection reviews Hegel in relation to the key themes of history, politics and philosophy. It shows how Hegel is a historical thinker, whose theories are developed via a philosophical consideration of historical development at a number of levels. Hegel’s expertise in the history of philosophy leads him to recognize the distinctiveness of the present, while building upon philosophical predecessors. This perspective sheds light on Hegel’s distinctive reading of the political, which is both insightful and timely. Hegel’s reading of political economy emerges out of his conception of modernity and remains relevant to contemporary conceptions of civil society. Likewise Hegel’s focus upon the international remains of great moment in that he shows the interplay between internal and external forms of sovereignty. Hegel’s global perspective on international politics remains of relevance today and it bears upon his understanding of internal state sovereignty and history. This volume ends with a synoptic reading of Hegel today, which reviews him critically in the light of his problematic reading of race, sex and Eurocentrism. The essays in this volume reflect Gary Browning’s engagement with Hegel over a number of years, and, collectively, they show how Hegel’s political theory is linked to his reading of history and philosophy, and they make a case for the continued relevance of Hegel’s political and international theory.