Hegel's 'Phenomenology of Spirit' - (Reader's Guides) by Stephen Houlgate (Paperback)

About the Book

First published in 1801, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit has exercised considerable influence on subsequent thinkers, from Marx and Kierkegaard to Heidegger, Kojève, Adorno and Derrida.

Book Synopsis

Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit is probably his most famous work. First published in 1807, it has exercised considerable influence on subsequent thinkers from Feuerbach and Marx to Heidegger, Kojève, Adorno and Derrida. The book contains many memorable analyses of, for example, the master / slave dialectic, the unhappy consciousness, Sophocles' Antigone and the French Revolution and is one of the most important works in the Western philosophical tradition. It is, however, a difficult and challenging book and needs to be studied together with a clear and accessible secondary text. Stephen Houlgate's Reader's Guide offers guidance on:

Philosophical and historical context
Key themes
Reading the text
Reception and influence
Further reading

Review Quotes

'Concentrating on reconstructing the underlying logic of Hegel's arguments in the Phenomenology of Spirit, Stephen Houlgate provides an exceptionally clear introduction to this notoriously difficult work. Houlgate's introduction will be especially useful for both students and specialists because it is lucid and concise, yet always remains closely related to the text and rests on impressive scholarship.'
Archives de Philosophie (Bloomsbury translation)

'Stephen Houlgate is one of the best and most respected Hegel scholars, and this is one of his best books: it is clear, helpful, and shows a deep understanding of Hegel's notoriously difficult text. For anyone seeking to get to grips with the Phenomenology, this will be an indispensable resource.'
Irish Left Review

Stephen Houlgate's guide is undoubtedly based on years of patiently guiding students through the Phenomenology at Warwick University and this pedagogical intent is its great strength and virtue. It concentrates on the first four chapters of Hegel's book and succeeds admirably in setting out how the logical nature of the arguments unpack themselves. This allows the reader to concentrate on the task of following what Hegel is saying in particular paragraphs without having to grapple with larger questions of interpretation.

About the Author

Stephen Houlgate is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick. He is the author of An Introduction to Hegel's Philosophy. Freedom, Truth and History, 2nd Ed (2005) and The Opening of Hegel's Logic (2006), the editor of The Hegel Reader (1998) and Hegel and the Arts (2007), and co-editor (with Michael Baur) of A Companion to Hegel (2011).