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Rating: 
Summary: My first pick for the new student of Hegel's philosophy
Review: For years people have asked me what a new student of Hegel should read
- what authors provide the best place to start? The sad truth is that
I find old and new authors to be lacking in important nuances of
Hegel's actual philosophy. Some authors distort Hegel's philosophy
unbearably. I find this to be true even in Encyclopedias that try to
reach the novice. For the brand new student, I can recommend very few
of them. Perhaps J. Glenn Gray agreed with me, because he has
produced an introduction to Hegel in Hegel's own words. I always
recommend reading Hegel directly as soon as possible. The trouble
with that is, as most academics know, Hegel's writings are among the
most difficult to read. His SCIENCE OF LOGIC is for experts and
professionals only. His PHENOMENOLOGY, long touted as the best
introduction to Hegel (it was his first published book), is almost as
hard to read as his SCIENCE OF LOGIC, and for many reasons I advocate
reading this book very late in our studies. Hegel's ENCYCLOPEDIA
covers every topic in the world, and so that is a fine resource, but
it is hardly the best place to start and its style is very formal.
Seek no more. This small volume by J. Glenn Gray is perfect for the
student who is ready to start reading some Hegel. It includes three
of Hegel's easiest and most relaxed productions, namely, three
Introductions to his LECTURE series. Hegel's LECTURES on Art,
Religion and Philosophy (composed of his own notes and the notes of
some of his well-known students) are more accessible than his
technical writings because his spoken style is more relaxed than his
written style.
But his LECTURES are also very long -- several
volumes long. So, thanks to J. Glenn Gray, only the Introductions to
Hegel's key LECTURES have been compiled in one short volume. Here at
last the new student has some of the cream of Hegel's thinking, with
many important nuances, clearly and concisely stated and accessible to
beginners. Hegel's genius shines forth even in his Introductions to
his LECTURES, and J. Glenn Gray deserves much credit for compiling
this selection for today's English-reading student. Though some of
the translations are a bit older, they are still accessible. J. Glenn
Gray's gift to the common reader was a success, and I heartily
recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: My first pick for the new student of Hegel's philosophy
Review: For years people have asked me what a new student of Hegel should read
- what authors provide the best place to start? The sad truth is that
I find old and new authors to be lacking in important nuances of
Hegel's actual philosophy. Some authors distort Hegel's philosophy
unbearably. I find this to be true even in Encyclopedias that try to
reach the novice. For the brand new student, I can recommend very few
of them. Perhaps J. Glenn Gray agreed with me, because he has
produced an introduction to Hegel in Hegel's own words. I always
recommend reading Hegel directly as soon as possible. The trouble
with that is, as most academics know, Hegel's writings are among the
most difficult to read. His SCIENCE OF LOGIC is for experts and
professionals only. His PHENOMENOLOGY, long touted as the best
introduction to Hegel (it was his first published book), is almost as
hard to read as his SCIENCE OF LOGIC, and for many reasons I advocate
reading this book very late in our studies. Hegel's ENCYCLOPEDIA
covers every topic in the world, and so that is a fine resource, but
it is hardly the best place to start and its style is very formal.
Seek no more. This small volume by J. Glenn Gray is perfect for the
student who is ready to start reading some Hegel. It includes three
of Hegel's easiest and most relaxed productions, namely, three
Introductions to his LECTURE series. Hegel's LECTURES on Art,
Religion and Philosophy (composed of his own notes and the notes of
some of his well-known students) are more accessible than his
technical writings because his spoken style is more relaxed than his
written style.
But his LECTURES are also very long -- several
volumes long. So, thanks to J. Glenn Gray, only the Introductions to
Hegel's key LECTURES have been compiled in one short volume. Here at
last the new student has some of the cream of Hegel's thinking, with
many important nuances, clearly and concisely stated and accessible to
beginners. Hegel's genius shines forth even in his Introductions to
his LECTURES, and J. Glenn Gray deserves much credit for compiling
this selection for today's English-reading student. Though some of
the translations are a bit older, they are still accessible. J. Glenn
Gray's gift to the common reader was a success, and I heartily
recommend this book.
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