Hegel: The Logic of Self-consciousness and the Legacy of Subjective Freedom

Hegel’s philosophy has often been misunderstood. This volume offers a new interpretation of Hegel’s thought, challenging traditional readings and reconsidering Hegel in terms of his understanding of his own philosophy. Robert Bruce Ware shows why Hegel believed that in grasping the essence of its age, a philosophy also indicates the direction of subsequent intellectual development. Contrary to received interpretations, Ware argues that the significance of Hegel’s philosophy could not have been fully appreciated prior to the dramatic intellectual developments that have characterised the twentieth century. This interpretation involves a hermeneutic reciprocity, whereby Hegel on the one hand provides a philosophical foundaton for contemporary developments, while at the same time the latter assist in the clarification of Hegel’s philosophy. The result is not only a clearer understanding of Hegel, but a deeper insight into the intellectual revolutions of our day. This book is unique in connecting Hegel to the tradition of analytic philosophy though the foundations of mathematical logic. Though these would seem to be unlikely companions, the author show that they serve to illuminate one another. Ware’s application of set theory does much to clarify some of Hegel’s more difficult claims, while remaining fully accessible to the non-specialised reader and engaging to a broad philosophical audience.