Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

1770 - 1831 | German Philosopher & Key Figure in German Idealism

Early Life & Education

Born in Stuttgart to a middle-class family, Hegel initially studied theology at the University of Tübingen, where he befriended fellow students Friedrich Schelling and the poet Friedrich Hölderlin. This formative period would shape his intellectual development and lifelong philosophical pursuits.

Philosophical Development

After university, Hegel worked as a private tutor and later taught at various institutions. His philosophical system began taking shape during his time in Jena (1801-1807), where he wrote his first major work, "The Phenomenology of Spirit" (1807). This period also saw him witness Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Jena, whom he famously called "the World-Soul on horseback."

Major Works

• "The Phenomenology of Spirit" (1807)
• "Science of Logic" (1812-1816)
• "Elements of the Philosophy of Right" (1820)
• "Philosophy of History" (published posthumously)

Berlin Period

From 1818 until his death, Hegel held the prestigious chair of philosophy at the University of Berlin, where he attracted students from across Europe. His lectures on aesthetics, religion, and history became highly influential, cementing his reputation as one of the foremost philosophers of his era.

"The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk."

Lasting Legacy

Hegel's dialectical method profoundly influenced later thinkers including Marx, Kierkegaard, and numerous 20th-century philosophers. His ideas about historical progress, the development of consciousness, and the relationship between individual and society continue to shape political theory, sociology, and philosophy today. He died of cholera in Berlin in 1831 at age 61, leaving behind a philosophical system that remains both celebrated and debated.