Μεταξύ Καντ και Χέγκελ: Διαλέξεις για τον γερμανικό ιδεαλισμό

by Dieter Henrich, Θοδωρής Δρίτσας (translator), Γιώργος Ξηροπαΐδης (editor)

Το 1973 ο καθηγητής Φιλοσοφίας και φιλόσοφος Ντήτερ Χένριχ, αναγνωρισμένος ήδη για την έρευνά του στον Καντ, τον Φίχτε, τον Χαίλντερλιν και τον Χέγκελ, ιδίως με τις δημοσιεύσεις του γύρω από τα προβλήματα της αυτοσυνείδησης, κλήθηκε να παραδώσει στο Πανεπιστήμιο Χάρβαρντ μια σειρά διαλέξεων για την περίοδο της κλασικής γερμανικής φιλοσοφίας (1781-1844). Οι 21 αυτές διαλέξεις, οι οποίες εκδόθηκαν δύο δεκαετίες αργότερα με τη φροντίδα του Ντέιβιντ Πατσίνι, αποτέλεσαν και αποτελούν σταθμό στην εξοικείωση της «αγγλοσαξονικής» με την «ηπειρωτική» παράδοση της φιλοσοφίας, στην ανάπτυξη ενός διαλόγου μεταξύ τους, καθώς και μια διεισδυτική εισαγωγή στις μεταπτώσεις του γερμανικού ιδεαλισμού.

Στην πορεία από τον Καντ στον Χέγκελ ο Χένριχ διακρίνει τρεις διακριτές θέσεις: τη θέση του Καντ, τη θέση του ύστερου Φίχτε και τη θέση του Χέγκελ. Υπογραμμίζει ότι δεν υφίσταται μεταξύ τους μια γραμμική πορεία βελτίωσης, αλλά ότι πρόκειται για θέσεις ισοδύναμες και ανταγωνιστικές, ότι και οι τρεις παραμένουν ανοιχτές στον γόνιμο φιλοσοφικό διάλογο, ότι η καθεμία έχει τα δικά της φιλοσοφικά ερείσματα και δεν μπορούν να αναχθούν η μία στην άλλη. Αυτός είναι και ο λόγος για τον οποίο επέλεξε να τιτλοφορήσει το βιβλίο Μεταξύ Καντ και Χέγκελ, και όχι «Από τον Καντ στον Χέγκελ», τίτλος που θα υπονοούσε μια αναγκαία κίνηση από τον πρώτο στον δεύτερο στοχαστή.

Περιγράφοντας την πορεία αυτή, ο Χένριχ αναλύει τη σχέση ανάμεσα στο φιλοσοφικό σύστημα του Καντ και στον ιδεαλισμό που το διαδέχτηκε, επιχειρεί να προσδιορίσει με ακρίβεια τις σχέσεις ανάμεσα στους ιδεαλιστές φωτίζοντας τις μείζονες διενέξεις που ξέσπασαν μεταξύ μαθητών και δασκάλων (όπως οι διαμάχες μεταξύ του Φίχτε και των καντιανών, μεταξύ του Φίχτε και του Σέλλινγκ και μεταξύ του Χέγκελ και του Σέλλινγκ), αλλά και να δώσει απάντηση στο ερώτημα τι ακριβώς συνέβη τη στιγμή που η ιδεαλιστική φιλοσοφία κατέρρευσε και τη θέση της κατέλαβαν ο υπαρξισμός και ο μαρξισμός.

Genres: Philosophy, Germany, Research, Nonfiction

424 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Geboren am 5. Januar 1927 in Marburg, studierte Dieter Henrich von 1946 bis 1950 in Marburg, Frankfurt und Heidelberg (u.a. bei Hans-Georg Gadamer) Philosophie. 1950 Dissertation: Die Grundlagen der Wissenschaftslehre Max Webers.
Nach der Habilitation 1955/56 Lehrtätigkeiten als ordentlicher Professor in Berlin (ab 1960) und Heidelberg (ab 1965), Gastprofessuren in den USA ( Harvard, Columbia, University of Michigan, Yale); 1981 Berufung an die Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in München, Ordinarius für Philosophie bis zur Emeritierung 1994. Seit 1997 Honorarprofessor an der Berliner Humboldt-Universität.
Auszeichnungen:
1995 Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis
2003 Hegel-Preis der Stadt Stuttgart
2004 Internationaler Kant-Preis der ZEIT-Stiftung
2006 Deutscher Sprachpreis
2008 Leopold-Lucas-Preis der Universität Tübingen

(Source: Suhrkamp Verlag)

Reviews

[Ian "Marvin" Graye]

Review to Follow Upon Completion

Meanwhile...

Elucidation of the Inversion

In a passage about the German philosopher F.H. Jacobi on page 110, Henrich throws some light on Marx' comment about turning Hegel upside down or, more accurately, right side up:

"Jacobi underscored the absurdity of Spinoza’s position when he said, 'but, unfortunately, he who has once fallen in love with certain explanations will accept, like the blind, any conclusion whatsoever that follows from a proof he cannot refute, even if it means that he will be walking on his head.' (FN 12)

"In response, Hegel quipped that this was the great event of the French Revolution: that man started to turn himself upside down, actually to walk on his head, that is, to construct human society and thus human life rationally.

"Without quoting Jacobi, Hegel echoes him: 'Since the sun has risen and the stars are shining in the skies, no one noticed,' says Hegel, 'that man started to walk on his head.' (FN 13)

"In a later rejoinder, Karl Marx added, 'What I had to do was turn Hegel from his head back to his feet, so that we can start walking again.' (FN 14)

“'Walking' here means advancing to philosophy’s real goal, not just interpreting the world, and although Marx did not know it, he echoes Jacobi’s criticism. For Marxism also implies that there is something that cannot be constructed and explicated in the sense in which the idealists tried to construct and explain everything."

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for an introduction to german idealism, you can't go wrong. Of course, that's not the largest audience of all time. Anyway.

This book is focused on the structure of the arguments between the philosophers of the period, particularly with regard to their systems. There's not much on ethics or politics and so on. This actually clears things up though: you can find out *why* Kant says what he says in the second and third critiques, why Fichte tries what he tries in his ethical works.
Henrich's best when dealing with the early critics of Kant (Jacobi and Reinhold in particular) and Fichte. He states clearly and precisely the problems they found in Kant, the problems they failed to solve, and their important contributions to later philosophy. The early chapters on Kant were a little more confusing, I thought, although that's maybe because I knew a little more about Kant than Fichte. The last chapters on Hegel were very puzzling. Henrich focuses on 'negation' in Hegel, and seems to read him as much more of a metaphysician than a lot of recent commentary. He blames Hegel for not picking up on Fichte's 'original insight', the idea that mind is what it is insofar as it is essentially reflexive. But I thought that was Hegel's whole point. Henrich knows more than I do, I know that, but I have to disagree here. Still, if you're interested in this period of philosophy, it doesn't get any better.

[Mekhala Bhatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there ever was a page turner on german idealism, this is it.He captures your attention from the systematic structure of Kant's philosophy to his commentary on Hegel's negation.

Apart from shedding light on Kantian and Post-Kantian thought (The book is a very good introduction to Fichte's philosophy), it is a very lucid and interesting read of the history of philosophy when it comes to positing the mind at the centre of everything.
To quote Kant,
"For human reason, without being moved by the mere vanity of knowing it all, inexorably pushes on, driven by its own need to such questions that cannot be answered by any experiential use of reason and of principles borrowed from such a use; and thus a certain sort of metaphysicshas actually been present in all human beings as soon as reason has extended itself to speculation in them, and it will also always remain there."
Dieter Henrich hits the sweet spot of clarity of structure and igniting a bit of that ol' Metaphysics.

[Jared Colley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Henrich (prompted by Stanley Cavell and John Rawls) lectured for some time at Harvard, introducing American students to the rich nuances of German Idealist philosophies. This book is based on those famous New England classes.

What attracted me to this book of commentary was the idea of a contemporary German philosopher arguing the case for a system of philosophy largely dismissed by American academia. Thus, not only is the commentator taking the subject seriously; he is doing so with a largely unsympathetic audience in mind.

Just picked this up from the library, and I am excited to read it....

[Willem van der Scheun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the development of German Idealism from Kant to Hegel. Essential reading for understanding - and appreciating - Fichte.
Based upon lecture notes from a series of lectures given by Dieter Henrich back in 1973 at Harvard, edited and published in 2003 only.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely invaluable. Remarkably fascinating examination of Fichte. And great commentary on Hegel's concept of the self-referential structure of negation.

[Jomar Canales Conde · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall a good primer on german idealism, specifically on kant and his critics, although i do believe a minimum, prior awareness of kant and spinoza is necessary. the fichte part was too abstruse for me, sorry. the take on hegel was kinda dissapointing.

[Evangelos Barakos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich and dense, but a bit difficult

[Leonardo]

Discutido en Viviendo en el Final de los Tiempos Pág.241

[Karim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good historical and philosophical account of German idealist development. Lacks a bit of Schelling.