Hegel Philosophy Of History Analysis

In his Introduction to the Philosophy of History Hegel confronts the reader with a new way of understanding history. According to this infamous philosopher, there are three methods of dealing with history: original, reflective, and philosophic. The approach taken by Hegel is the philosophical approach to history, which is the foundation of his work. In order to understand this approach, Hegel introduces the reader to his understanding of what history is.

There are two fundamental principles which shape Hegel’s philosophy. First of all, Hegel maintains that “the state [with the consciousness of laws] is the subject matter of history.” From this it then follows that there existed periods of time, places in which there was no history. In so far

So while Hegel believes that history is the rational account of the inevitable progression of the world towards perfection Kierkegaard thinks that history is told by the poet, whose God given vocation is to tell the story of the hero. He says: “just as God created man and woman, so he created the hero and the poet and the orator.” He continues, saying, “The poet or orator can do nothing the hero does; he can only admire, love, and delight in him.” So, the poet is no hero, but his position is vital in that through the poet, the hero is remembered. For, when the poet hears of the hero, he “roams about to every man’s door with his song and speech so that all may admire the hero as he does, may be proud of the hero as he is.” In the hegelian method, history is recalled through state laws but for Kierkegaard, history proclaims the tale of the hero through the

Now, Kierkegaard understands the tragic hero to operate within the ethical, he states: “the tragic hero is great because of his moral virtue.” Again one sees the dicotemy between great men in these two works, Kierkegaard’s tragic hero operates within the ethical while Hegel’s operates above the ethical, and, indeed changes the nature of ethics itself through his