Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Volume 2

Author: Hegel
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-06-01
Features: Postscript This translation is based on the seventeenth volume of the "Collected Works of Hegel" (reprinted in 1928 by Hermann Glockner to commemorate the centenary of Hegel's death), hereafter referred to as the Glockner edition. The Glockner edition was reprinted based on the Michaelis edition. The Michaelis edition (Karl Ludwig Michaelis) was compiled from three manuscripts and outlines of Hegel's lectures on the history of philosophy, as well as three student notes, and was published in 1833. Its volume is also the thirteenth volume of the German "Collected Works of Hegel," hereafter referred to as the Michaelis edition. Additionally, we referred to the English translation of Hegel's "History of Philosophy" by translator E.S. Haldane, published in 1892. Haldane's English translation was based on the revised German second edition of 1840. However, we did not obtain the original German second edition of the Michaelis edition. Glockner reprinted based on the Michaelis edition, not the second edition, and we translated based on the Glockner edition, using the English translation as a reference, because the edition has some advantages over the second edition. The edition is slightly longer in length, contains more substantial material, and is closer to the original wording of Hegel's lectures, as it notes and preserves even the off-the-cuff remarks he made spontaneously in class. The second edition was heavily edited by the compiler Michaelis, with better organization and smoother text, but it deviates slightly from the original state of Hegel's lectures. Moreover, it is particularly important that the "History of Philosophy" read by Engels and Lenin, which includes summaries and notes, is based on the Michaelis edition rather than the second edition. Although the two editions differ significantly in organization, their content is basically the same. When translating based on the Glockner edition, we found some omissions or unclear points, and the English translation provided some assistance. It must be noted that the English translation contains many errors, especially in the sections on Eastern philosophy and in places with deeper philosophical significance. The page numbers of the German original (Michaelis volume) printed in the margins of the Chinese translation correspond to the page numbers cited in Lenin's "Philosophical Notes." Additionally, we referred to the 1940 edition of Hegel's "History of Philosophy" volume by Johannes Hofmeister, which was completely reorganized based on original materials. The Hofmeister edition separately published Hegel's manuscripts from his Heidelberg and Berlin periods (primarily the introduction), extensively collected twelve types of student notes on Hegel's "History of Philosophy" from libraries around the world (one from the Leningrad Library, one from the Polish Library, and a manuscript outline copied from the Harvard University Library in the United States), arranged them, and marked the chronological order. Because Hegel delivered the "History of Philosophy" nine times in his life, up to 1830 (he began delivering the tenth lecture in November 1831 but died after only two hours). However, the Hofmeister edition only covers the material up to the end of Eastern philosophy. Any additions based on the Hofmeister edition in this translation are marked with [ ] and explained by the translator. We incorporated a significant amount of material on Eastern philosophy, especially on Chinese philosophy, from the Hofmeister edition into the Chinese translation. Since we referred to and selectively adopted material from the English translation and the Hofmeister edition to enrich and correct the Glockner edition, it can be said that the content of this Chinese translation is richer than both the German edition and the second edition of the English translation. The translation of Hegel's "History of Philosophy" was organized by the Department of the History of Foreign Philosophy at the Peking University Philosophy Department. The introduction (parts A and B) was translated by He Lin, while part C was translated by Wang Taiqing. Eastern philosophy was translated from the English edition by Wang Weicheng, later revised by Wang Taiqing based on the German text, and supplemented by He Lin based on the Hofmeister edition. The introduction, the Seven Sages, Ionian philosophy, and the Pythagorean philosophy in Greek philosophy were translated or compiled by Wang Taiqing. The Eleatic school, Leucippus, and Democritus were translated by He Lin, while Heraclitus and Empedocles were translated by Yang Zutao, and the philosophy of Anaxagoras was translated by Fang Shuchun. The entire book was proofread by Zong Baihua and Fang Shuchun based on the German text. He Lin and Wang Taiqing, in addition to proofreading other colleagues' translations, were also responsible for the final arrangement and organization. Marking the original page numbers from the German edition in the margins and compiling an index of important names and places were tasks undertaken by Wang Taiqing. In this book, we strive for consistency in terminology. In a few cases where certain terms have multiple meanings, different Chinese translations have been used in different places, and these were decided upon through collective discussion. Additionally, Comrade Tang Yongtong read the translation of the Eastern philosophy section, Comrade Feng Youlan read the translation of the Chinese philosophy section, Comrade Chen Xiuchqi read the introduction to the history of philosophy, and Comrade Miao Litian read most of the translation, all of whom provided valuable suggestions. Translating classic works of philosophy with collective effort is still a preliminary attempt. If there are any inappropriate places in the translation, we hope readers will provide more suggestions. This book includes volumes of Greek philosophy, (continued), Chapter , Stage Two of the period: From the Sophists to the Cyrenaics, Part A, The Sophists, Protagoras, Gorgias, Part B, Socrates, The Socratic Method, The Principle of Good, The Fate of Socrates, Part C, The Socratic Schools, The Megarian School, Euclid, Euclid, Stilpo, The Cyrenaic School, Aristippus, Demodorus.