Simon Gros

Hegel’s Development: Toward the Sunlight stands as an unparalleled scholarly achievement in the study of Hegel, chronicling the philosopher’s gradual immersion into the realm of philosophy and the inevitable recognition of the personal commitment required in his vocation. Harris’s exhaustive yet elegant work spans the formative years of Hegel’s intellectual evolution, from his early schoolboy essays to his time in Tübingen, Berne, and Frankfurt, culminating in the pivotal Verfassungsschrift.

While biographical elements are interwoven, the focus remains on critical analyses of Hegel’s early writings, offering meticulous translations and interpretations, including the notable Systemfragment of 1800. The narrative vividly portrays Hegel’s internal struggles to harmonize Vernunft (reason) and Phantasie (imagination), and his quest to integrate religion and the state. This exploration reveals Hegel not merely as a philosopher but as a revolutionary pragmatist deeply invested in subjectivity, thus challenging the traditional view of Hegelianism and its existentialist critiques.

Harris’s work, though extensive, is marked by a clarity and conciseness that keeps it accessible and engaging, making it an enlightening Erziehungsroman. It provides profound insights into the personalities and intellectual currents of late 18th-century Germany, offering invaluable perspectives for anyone interested in philosophical or literary history from Lessing to Nietzsche. Far from being an exhaustive, exhausting read, it sparks the imagination, inviting readers to discover unexpected connections and themes across the vast landscape of intellectual history.

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