Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (August 27, 1770 – November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, Württemberg, which is now southwest Germany. He started Hegelianism and is a part of German Idealism. He influenced many writers and philosophers, including those who agreed with him (Bradley, Sartre, Küng, Bauer, Stirner, Marx), and those who did not agree with him (Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Schelling). Hegel's books are difficult to read and deal with many different ideas at the same time. He has written about history, politics, religion, art, logic and metaphysics.

Major works

Phenomenology of Spirit (Phänomenologie des Geistes Sometimes translated as Phenomenology of Mind) 1807 (This gives an example of the problem: The English translators of the Phänomenologie des Geistes are not sure if they should translate "Geist" by "Spirit" or by "Mind", although the terms "Spirit" and "Mind" are sharply distinct in the English language.)
Science of Logic (Wissenschaft der Logik) 1812–1816 (last edition of the first part 1831)
Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences (Enzyklopaedie der philosophischen Wissenschaften) 1817–1830
Elements of the Philosophy of Right (Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts) 1821
Lectures on Aesthetics
Lectures on the Philosophy of History (also translated as Lectures on the Philosophy of World History) 1830
Lectures on Philosophy of Religion
Lectures on the History of Philosophy

Theodor W. Adorno, 1994. Hegel: Three Studies. MIT Press. Translated by Shierry M. Nicholsen, with an introduction by Nicholsen and Jeremy J. Shapiro, ISBN 0-262-51080-4. Essays on Hegel's concept of spirit/mind, Hegel's concept of experience, and why Hegel is difficult to read.
Avineri, Shlomo, 1974. Hegel's Theory of the Modern State. Cambridge University Press. Best introduction to Hegel's political philosophy.
Frederick C. Beiser, ed., 1993. The Cambridge Companion to Hegel. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-38711-6. The Cambridge Companions are a good way to start learning about a particular philosopher; this one is no exception.

The birthplace of Hegel in Stuttgart, which now houses the Hegel Museum
Hegel, Schelling, and Hölderlin are believed to have shared the room on the second floor above the entrance doorway while studying at this institute – (a Protestant seminary called "the Tübinger Stift").
The poet Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) was one of Hegel's closest friends and roommates at Tübinger Stift.
While at Jena, Hegel helped found a philosophical journal with his friend from Seminary, the young philosophical prodigy Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775–1854).
"Hegel and Napoleon in Jena" (illustration from Harper's Magazine, 1895), an imaginary meeting that became proverbial due to Hegel's notable use of Weltseele ("world-soul") in reference to Napoleon ("the world-soul on horseback", die Weltseele zu Pferde)
Hegel's friend Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer (1766–1848) financially supported Hegel and used his political influence to help him obtain multiple positions.
Hegel's tombstone in Berlin
The Critical Philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was a major influence on Hegel.
Aristotle (384–322 BCE) and the ancient Greeks were also a major influence.
Title page of the original 1807 edition