G. W. F. Hegel Quotes

A collection of quotes by G. W. F. Hegel.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, born on August 27, 1770, in Stuttgart, German Duchy of Württemberg, was a renowned philosopher and a major figure in German idealism. Hegel studied theology and philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where he developed an interest in the works of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schelling.

In 1801, Hegel began his career as a university lecturer in Jena, where he gained recognition for his lectures on philosophy of history. He later held teaching positions in various German cities such as Heidelberg and Berlin. Throughout his life, Hegel produced significant works on a wide range of subjects including metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy.

Hegel's philosophy is famously known for his dialectical method, where concepts undergo a process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis to reach a higher understanding. His influential work, "The Phenomenology of Spirit" (1807), presents a comprehensive exploration of consciousness and self-awareness. Hegel's political philosophy and his concept of the state, particularly outlined in his work "Philosophy of Right" (1821), continue to inspire political theorists and philosophers.

Despite his influence and contributions to philosophy, Hegel's ideas faced significant criticism, and he was both revered and challenged by philosophers who followed him. G. W. F. Hegel passed away on November 14, 1831, in Berlin, leaving behind a complex body of work that continues to shape philosophical discourse.

If you want to love you must serve, if you want freedom you

If you want to love you must serve, if you want freedom you must die.

G. W. F. Hegel

Service

The essence of the modern state is that the universal be bou

The essence of the modern state is that the universal be bound up with the complete freedom of its particular members and with private well-being, that thus the interests of family and civil society must concentrate themselves on the state. It is only when both these moments subsist in their strength that the state can be regarded as articulated and genuinely organized.

G. W. F. Hegel

State

What is rational is actual, and what is actual is rational.

What is rational is actual, and what is actual is rational.

G. W. F. Hegel

Reason

Amid the pressure of great events, a general principle gives

Amid the pressure of great events, a general principle gives no help.

G. W. F. Hegel

Principles

Public opinion contains all kinds of falsity and truth, but

Public opinion contains all kinds of falsity and truth, but it takes a great man to find the truth in it. The great man of the age is the one who can put into words the will of his age, tell his age what its will is, and accomplish it. What he does is the heart and the essence of his age, he actualizes his age. The man who lacks sense enough to despise public opinion expressed in gossip will never do anything great.

G. W. F. Hegel

Opinion

To him who looks upon the world rationally, the world in its

To him who looks upon the world rationally, the world in its turn presents a rational aspect. The relation is mutual.

G. W. F. Hegel

Reason

As high as mind stands above nature, so high does the state

As high as mind stands above nature, so high does the state stand above physical life. Man must therefore venerate the state as a secular deity. The march of God in the world, that is what the State is.

G. W. F. Hegel

State

In history an additional result is commonly produced by huma

In history an additional result is commonly produced by human actions beyond that which they aim at and obtain -- that which they immediately recognize and desire. They gratify their own interest; but something further is thereby accomplished, latent in the actions in question, though not present to their consciousness, and not included in their design.

G. W. F. Hegel

Consequences