In 1828, G. W. F. Hegel published a critical review of Johann Georg Hamann, a retrospective of the life and works of one of Germany’s most enigmatic and challenging thinkers and writers. While Hegel’s review has enjoyed a central place in Hamann studies since its appearance,
Hegel on Hamann
is the first English translation of the important work. Philosophers, theologians, and literary critics will welcome Anderson’s stunning translation, since Hamann is gaining renewed attention, not only as a key figure of German intellectual history, but also as a forerunner of postmodern thought.Relationships between the Enlightenment, Counter Enlightenment, and idealism come to the fore as Hegel reflects on Hamann’s critiques of his contemporaries Immanuel Kant, Moses Mendelssohn, J. G. Herder, and F. H. Jacobi.
Hegel on Hamann
also includes an introduction to Hegel’s review by Anderson, as well as an essay on the role of friendship in Hamann’s life, in Hegel’s thought, and in German intellectual culture more broadly. Rounding out the volume are its extensive annotations and bibliography, which facilitate further study of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century philosophy in English and German. This book is essential for readers of Hegel or Hamann and for those interested in the history of German thought, the philosophy of religion, language and hermeneutics, or friendship as a philosophical category.