Philosophy Lectures Volume 4

Author: Hegel
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-02-01
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 from 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 German edition of the "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 ESHaldane, published in 1892. Haldane's English translation was based on the second German edition of 1840, revised by Michaelis. However, we did not obtain the original German text of the second edition of Michaelis. Glockner reprinted the Michaelis edition, not the second edition, and we translated based on the Glockner edition, using the English translation only as a reference, because the edition has some advantages over the second edition. The edition is slightly larger in volume, more substantial in content, and closer to Hegel's original lecture statements, as it records and preserves all the off-topic remarks Hegel inserted spontaneously during his lectures. The second edition was heavily edited by the compiler Michaelis, with better arrangement 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, not the second edition. Although the two editions differ significantly in arrangement, their content is basically the same. While 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 edition, Vol. 13) 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 Hohmeyers, which was completely rearranged based on original materials. The Hohmeyers edition separately printed Hegel's manuscripts from his Heidelberg and Berlin periods (primarily the introduction), collected and organized 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 draft outline copied from the Harvard University Library in the United States), and marked the chronological order. Because Hegel delivered the "History of Philosophy" nine times in his life, up to 1830 (he began the tenth lecture in November 1831 but died after only two hours). However, the Hohmeyers edition only covers the material up to the Eastern philosophy. Any additions based on the Hohmeyers 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 Hohmeyers edition into the Chinese translation. Since we referred to and selectively adopted material from the English translation and the Hohmeyers 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 English edition. 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 Hohmeyers edition. The introduction, the Seven Sages, Ionian philosophy, and Pythagorean philosophy in Greek philosophy were translated or compiled by Wang Taiqing. The Eleatic school, Leucippus, and Democritus were translated by He Lin, Heraclitus and Empedocles by Yang Zutao, and Anaxagoras philosophy by Fang Shuchun. The entire translation 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 editing. Marking the original page numbers from the German edition on 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, and in cases where some terms have multiple meanings and are translated differently in various places, this was decided 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 section, 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 offer more suggestions. This book includes volumes of modern philosophy, an introduction, chapters on and, and a chapter on the period of rational metaphysics, including: 1. Bacon, 2. Jacobo, the second part on the period of thinking and reason, including: 1. stage, 2. second stage, 3. third stage, the third part on the transitional period, including: 1. idealism and skepticism, 2. Scottish philosophy, 3. French philosophy, the third part on modern German philosophy, including: 1. Jacobi, and so on.