Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy: Volume 1 (of 3) — Georg Hegel — John Shaqi
Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy: Volume 1 (of 3)
Georg Hegel · en
HEGEL’S LECTURES ON THE
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
VOLUME ONE
Hegel’s Lectures on
THE HISTORY OF
PHILOSOPHY
_Translated from the German by_
E. S. HALDANE
_In three volumes_
VOLUME ONE
[Illustration]
ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD
Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane
London, E.C.4
_First published in England 1892
by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Ltd
Reprinted 1955
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane
London, E.C.4_
_Reprinted by lithography in Great Britain by
Jarrold and Sons Limited, Norwich_
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE
IT is perhaps unnecessary to say anything respecting the difficulty
of making any adequate translation of Hegel’s writings. In the case
of the History of Philosophy, that difficulty is possibly enhanced
by the fact that the greater part of the book is put together from
the notes of different courses of lectures delivered on the subject
at various times. Hegel, as we learn from Michelet, in his preface
to the first edition of this work, lectured in all nine times on the
History of Philosophy: first in Jena in 1805-1806, then in Heidelberg
in 1816-1817 and 1817-1818, and the other six times in Berlin between
the years 1819 and 1830. He had begun the tenth course on the subject
in 1831 when death cut his labours short. It was only for the first
course of lectures—that delivered in Jena—that Hegel fully wrote out
his lectures; this was evidently done with the intention of future
publication in book form. At Heidelberg he composed a short abstract
of his subject, giving in a few terse words the main points dealt with
in each system of Philosophy. In the later courses of lectures Hegel
trusted to extempore speaking, but at the same time made considerable
use of the above writings, the margins of which he annotated with
subsequent additions. Besides these annotations he left behind him a
large number of miscellaneous notes, which have proved of the greatest
value. The present translation is taken from the second and amended
edition of the “Geschichte der Philosophie,” published in 1840. This
edition is derived from no one set of lectures in particular, but
carefully prepared by Michelet—himself one of Hegel’s pupils—from all
available sources, including the notes of students. The Jena volume
is, however, made the basis, as representing the main elements of the
subject afterwards to be more fully amplified; or, in Michelet’s words,
as the skeleton which was afterwards to be clothed with flesh.