Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: Manuscripts of the introduction and the lectures of 1822-3

575 Pages·2011·22.96 MB·English

by  Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

LECTURES
on the
PHILOSOPHY
of
WORLD HISTORY
Volume 1: Manuscripts of the Introduction
and The Lectures of 1822-3

GEORG WILHELM FRIEDRICH HEGEL
LECTURES ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF
WORLD HISTORY
VOLUME 1
MANUSCRIPTS OF THE INTRODUCTION
AND
THE LECTURES OF 1822-3
Edited and Translated by
Robert F. Brown and Peter C. Hodgson
with the assistance of
William G. Geuss
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~ 1995 by Felix Meiller Verlag GmbH, Hamblzrsl,
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&rlirl. JB22-l82J, ediud by Karl HeiQz Ikiog, Karl Brehotu, and Hoo Nam Seelmum
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PREFACE
With this book an entirely new verston of Hegel's Lectures on the Philoso
phy of World History is made available to the English-reading public. Earlier
editio~ in both Gennan and English, amalgamated various manuscript and
lecture sources into an editorially constructed text that obscured Heget•s
distinctive presentation in each of the five series of lectures he delivered on
this topic. The present edition, based on Gennan critical editions, publishes
Hegel's surviving manuscripts of his Introduction to the lectures, and then
presents the full transcription of the first series of lectures, that of 1822-3. A
second, later volume will publish the transcription of the last series, that of
1830-1, together with selections from intervening years. The Editorial
Introduction surveys the history of the texts and provides an analytic sum
mary of them, enabling the structure of Hegel's presentation to stand out
clearly; and editorial footnotes introduce readers to Hegel's many sources
and allusions. The volume concludes with a glossary and a bibliography. For
the first rime an edition is made available that pennits critical scholarly
study. Presented in this way, the Weltgeschichte becomes more accessible
than in the past.
German pagination is provided in the margins. Foe the manuscripts of
the Introduction, our source is Vorlesungsmanuskripte II (1816-1), edited
by Walter jaeschke, Gesammelte Werke, xviii (Hamburg: Felix Meiner
Verlag, 1995), 121-207. For the transcription of the Lectures of 1822-3,
the source is Vorlesungen uber die Philosopbie der Weltgeschicbte, Berlin,
1822-3, transcribed by K. G. J. von Griesheim, H. G. Hotho, and F. C. H. V.
von Kehler; edited by Karl Heinz Dring, Karl Brehmer, and Hoo Nam
See~ Vorlesungen: Ausgewiihlte Nachschrifun und Manuskripte,
xii (Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag, 1996), 3-521.
PREFACE
The editors, Robert F. Brown and Peter C. Hodgson, are deeply indebted
to the assistance provided by William G. Geuss in reviewing and correcting
the sections we translated and in initiating the translation of one of the
sections. Our collaborative work has greatly improved the quality of the
translations. Readers for the Press also reviewed the translation and made
several helpful suggestions, for which we are grateful. Our thanks go to
Walter Jaeschke for answering several questions and for providing a prelim
inary typescript of the transcription by Karl Hegel of the Lectures of 1830--1.
vi
CONTENTS
Editorial Introduction l
The Lectures on the Philosophy of World History 1
Manuscripts of the Introduction 2
The Transcriptions of the Lectures 5
Previous Editions and This Edition 6
Analytic Summary of the Texts 11
Manuscript: Introductory Fragment, 1822, 1828 11
Manuscript: Introduction, 1830-1 12
Transcription of the Lectures of 1822-3 20
Introduction: The Concept of World History 20
The Course of World History 31
The Oriental World 31
The Greek World 43
The Roman World 50
The Germanic World 55
MANUSCRIPTS OF THE INTRODUCTION
Introductory Fragment, 1R22, 1828 67
Introduction, 11UO-l 78
A. The General Concept of World History 79
B. The Actuali7.ation of Spirit in History 86
a. The General Definition of Spirit as Intrinsically Free 87
b. The Means of Spirit's Actualization: Passions,
Interests, Ideals 89
c. The Material of Spirit's Actualization: the State l 00
d. The Constitution 104
C. The Course of World History 1 07
CONTENTS
a. The Principle of Development 107
b. The Stages of Development 110
c. The Beginning of World History 11 1
d. The Course of Development of World History 118
Loose Sheets
Also Spectacles of Endless Complexities 127
C. Course [of World History) 128
THE LECTURES OF 1822-3
INfRODUCTION: THE CONCEPT OF WORLD HISTORY 133
The Types of Treatment of History LH
Original History 133
Reflective History 136
Philosophical World History 140
The Idea of Human Freedom 146
The Fabric of World History 146
The Concept of Spirit 147
The Beginning of History 152
The Progress of History 155
The End of History 166
H urn an Passions and the Divine Idea 169
The Nature of the State 177
The State and the Actualization of Freedom 177
The Constitution of the State
18 1
The State and Religion, An, Science, and Culture 184
The State and Geography
191
The Division of World History
205
THE COURSE OF WORLD HISTORY
211
The Oriental World
211
China
211
The Historical Records of China
211
The Shu-Jing
11.'1
The Main Elements in Chinese Historv
119
Characteristics of the Chinese State ,
123
The Moral Sphere, Subjective Freedom, and their Violation 232
Ethical Customs
1r
The Sciences
BH
VIII
CONTENTS
Art 243
Religion 243
India 251
The Principle of India 251
The Region of India 255
The Castes 257
Civil Legislation 265
The Religious Sphere 273
The State and its History 281
Astronomy and Art 290
India in the Framework of World History 291
Buddhism and Lamaism 295
Persia 304
The Principle of the Persian Empire 304
The Geography of Ancient Persia 305
The Zend People, Language, and Books 307
lhe Religion of Light 310
Assyria and Babylonia 316
Sources for Persia and the Persian Empire 321
The Medes and the Chaldeans 322
The Founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus 324
326
Features of the Persian Empire
330
Phoenicia
331
"Ibe Religion of Astarte and Adonis
332
The jewish Religion
Egypt 334
The Land of Enigmatic Marvels 334
336
Egyptian History
339
Features of the Land and Life of Egypt
343
Religion and the Cyde of Nature
349
Animal Worship
]55
How tht• F.gyptiam Envisaged Spirit
357
Art and Arrhitt·rturt·
359
The Dead and lmmortalit)·
363
Privatt· or Particular Purpost·
366
Transition to Grct·ce
ix