The End of Western Modern Philosophy

Author: Zhang Qingming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features: The development of Western modern philosophy reached its conclusion with Hegel, and Phenomenology of Spirit marks this culmination and provides clues and inspiration for subsequent philosophical development. This book discusses the content of the original work in ten thematic sections: Philosophy and System, The Subjectivity of the Substance, Self-Consciousness, Reason, Labor, Alienation, Religion, The Principle of Negation, Thought and Being, and Freedom. Why are there ten themes? The initial intention was to present a comprehensive discussion of the basic content of the original work while highlighting key points. "Philosophy and System" and "The Subjectivity of the Substance" (the original phrase is "The Substance in its essence is Subjectivity") are important contents from the author's preface. The title "Philosophy and System" was inspired by the fact that Hegel's philosophy marked the end of the "traditional" philosophical system in Western modernity, but philosophy did not cease to require systems thereafter. "The Subjectivity of the Substance" is not only an important part of the preface but also a central theme throughout the entire work and even Hegel's entire philosophical system. "The Subjectivity of the Substance" is also Hegel's expression of the unity of thought and being, a proposition of idealism, but the essence of his dialectics, the unity of subject and object, and the concept of subjectivity are precisely expressed through this proposition. Without it and its tone, one cannot grasp Hegel's dialectics. "Self-Consciousness," "Theory," and "Religion" are original titles from the work, and this book elaborates on them in key aspects. "Labor" and "Alienation" are important contents of the sections on "Self-Consciousness" and "Spirit" in the original work. Introducing "Labor" and "Alienation" into philosophy played a significant role in bridging the end of old philosophy and the emergence of new philosophy, making them highly creative insights in Hegel's philosophy. To highlight their contributions, they are specially listed as themes. As for "The Principle of Negation," it is a fundamental principle of dialectics, and the relationship between "Thought and Being" is a fundamental problem of philosophy—both are well-explained issues in the teaching and research of Hegel's philosophy and Marxist philosophy. However, well-explained issues are not outdated ones; to this day, they remain indispensable and important problems in philosophical research. This book elaborates on Hegel's views on these matters.
The final theme is "Freedom." Hegel did not write a dedicated work on freedom, but he discussed it extensively in many of his works. In Phenomenology of Spirit, he analyzes "the freedom of self-consciousness," "absolute freedom," and "free will." Freedom is a timeless topic in philosophy, the ultimate goal that philosophical thinkers strive to achieve. This book also concludes with this theme.
The ten themes are interconnected, and the underlying argument is to discuss Hegel from the perspective of the end of Western modern philosophy. Through the negation principle of dialectics, Hegel fully develops the subjectivity and subjective initiative of the human subject, achieving harmony between thought and being, unity between the subject and object, and ultimately attaining the highest ideal of human freedom and a rich philosophical thought.
This book was written based on the author's lectures on Phenomenology of Spirit for master's students in philosophy at Xiamen University in the 1980s and 1990s, supplemented and revised over time. Phenomenology of Spirit is a world-famous work, and over two hundred years since its publication, philosophers, thinkers, and philosophical workers and enthusiasts from around the world have written extensively on it. Although the author has lectured on it multiple times and read many relevant works, he feels his understanding is only superficial and has been preparing to put the lecture notes aside. His friends advised him: "You have spent years on this, and you must have some insights—discarding it would be a waste." Encouraged by their words, he reorganized the lecture notes, read some recently published works on contemporary and modern philosophy, made significant revisions and additions, and transformed the original sequential explanation into ten thematic sections. The purpose is to encourage the reading of classic works, grasp their essential spirit, and thereby enhance philosophical thinking skills. Any shortcomings in this book are kindly welcomed for correction and critique.
From the perspective of the end of Western modern philosophy, this book discusses Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit in ten thematic sections: Philosophy and System, The Subjectivity of the Substance, Self-Consciousness, Reason, Labor, Alienation, Religion, The Principle of Negation, Thought and Being, and Freedom. The intention is to highlight key points and demonstrate their significant historical and contemporary importance in the development of Western philosophical thought. The book includes the author's own reflections and perspectives, hoping to inspire interest in reading classic works and enhance philosophical thinking skills, making it a valuable reference for philosophy students, researchers, and enthusiasts.