On Hegel's 'Spirit' with Terry Pinkard

In this conversation with Terry Pinkard, I discuss Hegel’s famous Phenomenology of Spirit. Terry recently published a brilliant introductory guide to this famously difficult book [Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit: A Guide (2023)] which we use as our jumping off point. We discuss the origin of Hegel's book against the backdrop of its turbulent historical moment - the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s decisive victory at the Battle of Jena. At Jena Hegel too was writing alongside figures like Hölderlin, Schelling, Goethe, and Schiller. Terry clarifies common misreadings of Hegel, particularly the idea of Geist [spirit] as some kind of cosmic spirit or divine substance, emphasizing instead how Hegel understands his notion of Geist as something very concrete and social. Geist is the collective activity of reason unfolding in history. We also discuss Hegel’s engagement with the scientific thought of his time, including the influence of Newton and Leibniz, and how their debates about force shaped his philosophy. The conversation traces key stages in the Phenomenology, from sense-certainty to understanding, and examines Hegel’s distinctive view of freedom - not as mere individual choice, but as embedded in institutional and social practices. Finally, we consider what Terry might ask Hegel himself if given the chance. Prof. Terry Pinkard is a leading American philosopher and Hegel scholar, known for his influential work on German Idealism, phenomenology, and social philosophy. A professor at Georgetown University, he has written the definitive biography of Hegel (Hegel: A Biography 2000) and key interpretive works like Hegel’s Phenomenology: The Sociality of Reason (1994) and Hegel’s Naturalism (2011).  If you would like to study with me you can find more information about our online education MAs in Philosophy here at Staffordshire University. You can find out more information on our MA in Continental Philosophy via this link. Or, join our MA in Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology via this link. Find out more about me here.  September intakes F/T or January intakes P/T. You can listen to more free back content from the Thales' Well podcast on TuneIn Radio, Player Fm, Stitcher and Pod Bean. You can also download their apps to your smart phone and listen via there. You can also subscribe for free on iTunes. Please leave a nice review.