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Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition
Glenn Alexander Magee's pathbreaking book argues that Hegel was decisively influenced by the Hermetic tradition, a body of thought with roots in Greco-Roman Egypt. Magee traces the influence on Hegel of such Hermetic thinkers as Baader, Böhme, Bruno, and Paracelsus, and fascination with occult and paranormal phenomena. Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition covers Hegel's philosophical corpus and shows that his engagement with Hermeticism lasted throughout his career and intensified during his final years in Berlin. Viewing Hegel as a Hermetic thinker has implications for a more complete understanding of the modern philosophical tradition, and German idealism in particular.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2001
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August 18, 2015
Was Hegel a Hermetic occultist? Maybe. Glen Magee takes us on a tour of Hegel's writings, but unlike other Hegel scholars, Magee places Hegel against the occultic backdrop of his homeland and upbringing. This allows Magee to take seriously the Hermetic references Hegel makes.
But before we can answer that question, we must define Hermeticism. It is a broad tradition of thought that grew out of the writings of Hermes and was expanded and further developed through the infusion of other traditions: alchemy, Kabbalism, mysticism, etc (Magee 1). Magee argues that there are striking similarities and correspondences between Hegel’s thought and theosophic hermeticism: Masonic subtext of initiatory mysticism in Phenomenology, A Boehmian subtext to the Preface of Phenomenology, Kabbalism in his doctrine of Objective Spirit, and Alchemical images in Phil. of Right.
Hegel’s journals included diagrams which could only be found in hermetic grimoires. Later in life he began to publicly identify with occultic figures (4). Hegel knew that men like Boehme and others were tagged as hermetics and if he publicly identified with their teachings, he knew he would be seen as a hermeticist.
Magee, following Dame Frances Yates, gives a brilliant overview of Hermetic history in the Renaissance.
THE CASE BEGINS
While we have no evidence that Hegel was a Masonic initiate, he collaborated with Masons, wrote Masonic poetry to Masons, and otherwise breathed the hermetic and theosophic air of Swabia.
Whatever else one may think about Freemasonry, and regardless of which conspiracies are true (and no doubt they all are), Freemasonry became a repository for hermetic ideas (53). Unlike their Scottish counterparts, German lodges “were teeming with magical, theosophical, mystical ideas” (56).
We know that Hegel was influenced by Lessing’s play Nathan the Wise (55) and Lessing was a Mason.
Mythology of Reason
Hegel thought a completed philosophy should be accessible to all, albeit in different degrees.
Memory as Occultic Practice
“Philosophy establishes nothing new; what we have brought forth by our reflection is what everyone already took for granted without reflection” (Hegel, EL, 22, quoted in Magee 85).
Hegel acknowledges he is within the mystical tradition (EL, 82).
Memory mediates a society’s passing down of Absolute Spirit (Magee 87).
Magee posits the Mythology of Reason as the key to unlocking Hegel (88).
Speculative Philosophy holds up a mirror (speculum) to the Idea itself: it allows the Idea to comprehend itself (88). In fact, following the Kabbalist tradition, the “mirror” allows one to behold the deeper essence of Spirit (120).
Hegel’s thought seeks to unify conceptual thinking with mythopoetic thinking (91).
Hegel’s Magic Words are the categories of his philosophy. Our access to recollection/Memory is through Imagination (93). Hegel does not seek to tell us what “Substance” or “Absolute” is; it seeks to bring it into being.
This brings us back to the Hermetic Art of Memory. “Imagination” is to evoke from memory the Perennial Philosophy. In other words, to echo Jung, it draws out from within the unconscious.
Kant and the Triads
Hegel said Kant rediscovered (wiedergefundne) the teaching about triads, the triadic form (100, PG 29, 37), thus implying it is a perennial idea. Most importantly, Hegel says Kant rediscovered it, not that it derives from Kant.
Hegel saw Hermetism and Alchemy as manifestations of a collective subconscious and that is how he could take them seriouly (Magee 103).
The Divine Triangle
A triangle of Triangles, where each center was also a perimeter. The triangle also has planetary and alchemical symbols. Then there is a letter Hegel wrote to the magician Windischmann on the latter’s mental torments (116). Magee argues that the triangle represents a turning point, a “nocturnal contraction of his essence.”
Aristotle had made a connection between aether and pneuma (Generation of Animals 736b29-737a1). The element in the stars is aether. Insofar as we are capable of receiving that form, we have astral substance.
Hegel drew upon the implicit Hermetic and Boehmian influences of his upbringing in writing PG. We can see a Hermetic Structure:
A = A; All is one (hen kai pan). This is the mystical doctrine of “coincidence of opposites).
Alchemical Elements
Hegel floods his works with alchemical references like “the foaming chalice.” This allows Hegel to identify Spirit with the Infinite, thus avoiding a bad infinity (147). At the end of this Grail Quest Hegel has claimed to attain “Absolute Knowing.”
The Kabbalistic Tree
Hegel holds that the Infinite and the Eternal must be knowable (152).
Moments of the Absolute:
Categories of the real and categories of Human Thought
The Totality of Conditions is itself the Unconditioned.
This is the ding-an-sich.
If we can know the totality of conditions, then we can know the thing in itself.
The finite things that appear to us are manifestations of the Infinite.
“Mutating the categories”
Magee suggests that these categories--based on certain passages--correspond to Minds (EL, sec. 24 passim). Hegel refers to Logic as “the realm of shades” (Science of Logic, III:47). Could we then read these “minds” as “hypostases”? In any case, is Hegel seeing them as Archetypes, or perhaps shadow-archetypes?
As they stand, these categories/ideas are empty and abstract.
Hegel’s concept of the Ungrund corresponds to the ancient idea of aether. It is an ultimate, dynamic ground of all being. It is God as unrealized.
This is Pure Indeterminacy.
Hegel sees “Essence” as the abstract caput mortuum (165).
It is the negated definition of the Absolute Idea.
It “dies” and “falls away,” yet it is the material used for further stages in the dialectic.
Thus, there is a parallel between dialectic and alchemical transmutation.
The Kabaalah
We can take our earlier identification of Ungrund = aether and add a new term:
Undgrund = aether = En Sof.
It is from En Sof that the flame begins.
En Sof can parallel Ayin (or Nothing). So Absolute Infinite = Absolute Nothing. This is the primal unity that transcends subject-object distinctions. It’s telos is to develop into a true Subject.
Ayin is to become Ani (Hebr. “I”)
The Sepiroth in Kabbalah delineates the stages of God’s self-realization (169).
The Alchemist’s Laboratory
The Four Elements
When Hegel speaks of the square he generally has in mind the four elements (192). The triangle is the symbolic form of spirit, the square of nature. Hegel is saying that man’s consciousness exists within these four elements. And by Hegel’s time, Magee notes, the “four elements/square” had become so connected with alchemy that one couldn’t dissociate the images (193). Further, magicians and alchemists routinely made tables where the elements of one sphere corresponded to the elements of another. Hegel makes such an association in Phil. Nature, sec. 280).
Conclusion:
Is Hegel a Hermetic? While we don't have any journal that says, "Today I embraced Hermeticism," we can see that he came from an occultic background, utilized occultic symbols, identified with occultic figures in public at the end of his career, and otherwise followed the same Occultic path.
But before we can answer that question, we must define Hermeticism. It is a broad tradition of thought that grew out of the writings of Hermes and was expanded and further developed through the infusion of other traditions: alchemy, Kabbalism, mysticism, etc (Magee 1). Magee argues that there are striking similarities and correspondences between Hegel’s thought and theosophic hermeticism: Masonic subtext of initiatory mysticism in Phenomenology, A Boehmian subtext to the Preface of Phenomenology, Kabbalism in his doctrine of Objective Spirit, and Alchemical images in Phil. of Right.
Hegel’s journals included diagrams which could only be found in hermetic grimoires. Later in life he began to publicly identify with occultic figures (4). Hegel knew that men like Boehme and others were tagged as hermetics and if he publicly identified with their teachings, he knew he would be seen as a hermeticist.
Magee, following Dame Frances Yates, gives a brilliant overview of Hermetic history in the Renaissance.
THE CASE BEGINS
While we have no evidence that Hegel was a Masonic initiate, he collaborated with Masons, wrote Masonic poetry to Masons, and otherwise breathed the hermetic and theosophic air of Swabia.
Whatever else one may think about Freemasonry, and regardless of which conspiracies are true (and no doubt they all are), Freemasonry became a repository for hermetic ideas (53). Unlike their Scottish counterparts, German lodges “were teeming with magical, theosophical, mystical ideas” (56).
We know that Hegel was influenced by Lessing’s play Nathan the Wise (55) and Lessing was a Mason.
Mythology of Reason
Hegel thought a completed philosophy should be accessible to all, albeit in different degrees.
Memory as Occultic Practice
“Philosophy establishes nothing new; what we have brought forth by our reflection is what everyone already took for granted without reflection” (Hegel, EL, 22, quoted in Magee 85).
Hegel acknowledges he is within the mystical tradition (EL, 82).
Memory mediates a society’s passing down of Absolute Spirit (Magee 87).
Magee posits the Mythology of Reason as the key to unlocking Hegel (88).
Speculative Philosophy holds up a mirror (speculum) to the Idea itself: it allows the Idea to comprehend itself (88). In fact, following the Kabbalist tradition, the “mirror” allows one to behold the deeper essence of Spirit (120).
Hegel’s thought seeks to unify conceptual thinking with mythopoetic thinking (91).
Hegel’s Magic Words are the categories of his philosophy. Our access to recollection/Memory is through Imagination (93). Hegel does not seek to tell us what “Substance” or “Absolute” is; it seeks to bring it into being.
This brings us back to the Hermetic Art of Memory. “Imagination” is to evoke from memory the Perennial Philosophy. In other words, to echo Jung, it draws out from within the unconscious.
Kant and the Triads
Hegel said Kant rediscovered (wiedergefundne) the teaching about triads, the triadic form (100, PG 29, 37), thus implying it is a perennial idea. Most importantly, Hegel says Kant rediscovered it, not that it derives from Kant.
Hegel saw Hermetism and Alchemy as manifestations of a collective subconscious and that is how he could take them seriouly (Magee 103).
The Divine Triangle
A triangle of Triangles, where each center was also a perimeter. The triangle also has planetary and alchemical symbols. Then there is a letter Hegel wrote to the magician Windischmann on the latter’s mental torments (116). Magee argues that the triangle represents a turning point, a “nocturnal contraction of his essence.”
Aristotle had made a connection between aether and pneuma (Generation of Animals 736b29-737a1). The element in the stars is aether. Insofar as we are capable of receiving that form, we have astral substance.
Hegel drew upon the implicit Hermetic and Boehmian influences of his upbringing in writing PG. We can see a Hermetic Structure:
A = A; All is one (hen kai pan). This is the mystical doctrine of “coincidence of opposites).
Alchemical Elements
Hegel floods his works with alchemical references like “the foaming chalice.” This allows Hegel to identify Spirit with the Infinite, thus avoiding a bad infinity (147). At the end of this Grail Quest Hegel has claimed to attain “Absolute Knowing.”
The Kabbalistic Tree
Hegel holds that the Infinite and the Eternal must be knowable (152).
Moments of the Absolute:
Categories of the real and categories of Human Thought
The Totality of Conditions is itself the Unconditioned.
This is the ding-an-sich.
If we can know the totality of conditions, then we can know the thing in itself.
The finite things that appear to us are manifestations of the Infinite.
“Mutating the categories”
Magee suggests that these categories--based on certain passages--correspond to Minds (EL, sec. 24 passim). Hegel refers to Logic as “the realm of shades” (Science of Logic, III:47). Could we then read these “minds” as “hypostases”? In any case, is Hegel seeing them as Archetypes, or perhaps shadow-archetypes?
As they stand, these categories/ideas are empty and abstract.
Hegel’s concept of the Ungrund corresponds to the ancient idea of aether. It is an ultimate, dynamic ground of all being. It is God as unrealized.
This is Pure Indeterminacy.
Hegel sees “Essence” as the abstract caput mortuum (165).
It is the negated definition of the Absolute Idea.
It “dies” and “falls away,” yet it is the material used for further stages in the dialectic.
Thus, there is a parallel between dialectic and alchemical transmutation.
The Kabaalah
We can take our earlier identification of Ungrund = aether and add a new term:
Undgrund = aether = En Sof.
It is from En Sof that the flame begins.
En Sof can parallel Ayin (or Nothing). So Absolute Infinite = Absolute Nothing. This is the primal unity that transcends subject-object distinctions. It’s telos is to develop into a true Subject.
Ayin is to become Ani (Hebr. “I”)
The Sepiroth in Kabbalah delineates the stages of God’s self-realization (169).
The Alchemist’s Laboratory
The Four Elements
When Hegel speaks of the square he generally has in mind the four elements (192). The triangle is the symbolic form of spirit, the square of nature. Hegel is saying that man’s consciousness exists within these four elements. And by Hegel’s time, Magee notes, the “four elements/square” had become so connected with alchemy that one couldn’t dissociate the images (193). Further, magicians and alchemists routinely made tables where the elements of one sphere corresponded to the elements of another. Hegel makes such an association in Phil. Nature, sec. 280).
Conclusion:
Is Hegel a Hermetic? While we don't have any journal that says, "Today I embraced Hermeticism," we can see that he came from an occultic background, utilized occultic symbols, identified with occultic figures in public at the end of his career, and otherwise followed the same Occultic path.
January 4, 2018
In this intellectual genealogy of G. W. F. Hegel, Glenn Magee presents that German Idealist's philosophical system in reference to the variegated tradition of speculative theurgy most archetypically embodied in the second-century corpus of literature known as the Hermetica, but which by the eighteenth century had accreted to itself consonant strains of alchemy, kabbalah, and a variety of theosophical and operative magical theories. Magee demonstrates the structural similarities between Hegel's philosophy, wherein Absolute Spirit realizes itself in embodied human speculative thought, and the Hermetic doctrine that God's self-knowledge comes about through Man's attainment of universal wisdom, as well as the promise of such a pansophia implicit in his system of logic. Magee also adduces Hegel's frequent allusions to alchemical, theosophical, and Rosicrucian metaphors in his published and unpublished works, and while the vectors by which Hegel became familiar with these ideas may occasionally have been relatively direct and explicit (he demonstrably owned Agrippa's Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy), they appear more often to simply have been a tacit element of the Pietist Christian milieu of Württemberg in which his intellectual development primarily took place, where the eschatological and mystical speculations of men like Jakob Böhme and Meister Eckhart suffused both elite and popular theological discourse.
March 10, 2022
Seems to me that the claim Magee makes here about Hegel being influenced by esotericism (in large part due to the 'Swabian pietism' of his youth) is hard to deny. What seems trickier a claim, and one I don't feel adequate to judge, is the structure of Hegel's system is itself hermetic. It certainly seems plausible to me. I would be interested in seeing a review or response to this book, as it feels pretty important if the claims are true.
This text also made concrete something I knew at an inchoate level or nascent sense, namely that mysticism and reason can co-exist rather nicely (Neoplatonism perhaps being a prime example of this). In fact, Hegel's identification of the mystical with the speculative seems important to me. But given that I am pretty new in my Hegel studies, I'm not sure of the implications of all of these things yet.
The reader also doesn't need any real prior knowledge of esotericism before engaging with this text. I pretty much don't, and I found all of the diversions into alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, etc. welcome and well-written. Jakob Bohme in particular seems like a very interesting thinker, and is perhaps the largest influence on Hegel from this tradition.
This text also made concrete something I knew at an inchoate level or nascent sense, namely that mysticism and reason can co-exist rather nicely (Neoplatonism perhaps being a prime example of this). In fact, Hegel's identification of the mystical with the speculative seems important to me. But given that I am pretty new in my Hegel studies, I'm not sure of the implications of all of these things yet.
The reader also doesn't need any real prior knowledge of esotericism before engaging with this text. I pretty much don't, and I found all of the diversions into alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, etc. welcome and well-written. Jakob Bohme in particular seems like a very interesting thinker, and is perhaps the largest influence on Hegel from this tradition.
June 26, 2017
One of the books that is the source of the mystically wonderful "Hegel was a sorcerer" meme. That alone makes this 2 stars. The historical background on esoteric Hermeticism and its intermingling with various other forms of occult practices and knowledge in general adds another two stars (Giordano Bruno was super-heretical and nuts).
Who knew philosophy could literally make you godly?
Aside from the interesting aspects, however, Magee does have very interesting things for learning about Hegel's thinking. The small section of speculation and recollection is superb, and so is the theory of 'mythological reasoning' as describing Hegel's systematic contouring of the Absolute.
Who knew philosophy could literally make you godly?
Aside from the interesting aspects, however, Magee does have very interesting things for learning about Hegel's thinking. The small section of speculation and recollection is superb, and so is the theory of 'mythological reasoning' as describing Hegel's systematic contouring of the Absolute.
June 18, 2024
Good book and worth reading, stuff at the end on the Prussian Rosicrucians was quite interesting, and the stuff on von Baader and Oetinger, convinces me that this hadith is true though.
1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَكَلَّمُوا فِي خَلْقِ الله وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي الله فَإِنَّ الْكَلامَ فِي الله لا يَزْدَادُ صَاحِبَهُ إِلا تَحَيُّراً. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي ذَاتِ الله.
Muhammad ibn al-Hassan has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn Ri’ab from abu Basir From Imam abu Ja‘ far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Speak about the creation of Allah and do not speak about Allah His-self. Speaking about the Allah’s self does not increase anything to one’s knowledge except more confusion.” In another Hadith from Hariz it reads, “Speak about every thing but do not speak about Allah’s self.”
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Chapter On Prohibition on Saying How is Allah (al-Kayfiyyah), Hadith #1
1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَكَلَّمُوا فِي خَلْقِ الله وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي الله فَإِنَّ الْكَلامَ فِي الله لا يَزْدَادُ صَاحِبَهُ إِلا تَحَيُّراً. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي ذَاتِ الله.
Muhammad ibn al-Hassan has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn Ri’ab from abu Basir From Imam abu Ja‘ far (a.s.) who has said the following. “Speak about the creation of Allah and do not speak about Allah His-self. Speaking about the Allah’s self does not increase anything to one’s knowledge except more confusion.” In another Hadith from Hariz it reads, “Speak about every thing but do not speak about Allah’s self.”
Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, Chapter On Prohibition on Saying How is Allah (al-Kayfiyyah), Hadith #1
September 16, 2010
As fascinating and well researched as Ernst Benz's study about the influence of the German mystic vocabulary on idealist philosophy. A must read for all hegelians and anti-hegelians.
November 17, 2025
Teolojik ve metafizik okumalardan arındırılmış modern Hegel anlatılarına karşı kendinden fazlasıyla emin ve provoke edici cesur bir çalışma. Her ne kadar Hegel okumalarım ikincil kaynaklara dayansa da yazarın argümanlarını savunma tarzını heyecan verici ve fazlasıyla kafa açıcı buldum.
Yazar, Hegel'in Hermetik bir karakter sergilediğini simyacılarla ortak düşünce dünyasına sahip oluğunu söylüyor.Öyle ki Hegel'in bilgelik sevgisine talip olmadığını tam aksine o bilgiye ulaştığını savunuyor. Bu da Hegel'i filozof olmadığının başka kanıtı olarak sunuluyor. Hegel'in bir büyücü, Tinin Fenomenolojisi'nin ise bir kara büyü kitabı olarak kabul edilebileceğini iddia edecek kadar manşet söylemlere sahip.
Dediğim gibi benim Hegel okumalarım ikincil kaynaklara dayandığı için her ne kadar müthiş bir heyecan ve merakla okusam da iddialara belli bir mesafeyle yaklaşıyorum. Yazarın iddialarına karşı akademi ve felsefeciler neler diyor Magee ne kadar ciddiye alınıyor bilmiyorum biraz daha araştırmam gerek ama kitabın bende bir dönüşüm yaşattığı muhakkak.
Bir kitaptan başka daha ne beklenir zaten ?
Kışkırtıcı ve karşıt-tarih okumalarını sevenlere şiddetle öneririm.
Yazar, Hegel'in Hermetik bir karakter sergilediğini simyacılarla ortak düşünce dünyasına sahip oluğunu söylüyor.Öyle ki Hegel'in bilgelik sevgisine talip olmadığını tam aksine o bilgiye ulaştığını savunuyor. Bu da Hegel'i filozof olmadığının başka kanıtı olarak sunuluyor. Hegel'in bir büyücü, Tinin Fenomenolojisi'nin ise bir kara büyü kitabı olarak kabul edilebileceğini iddia edecek kadar manşet söylemlere sahip.
Dediğim gibi benim Hegel okumalarım ikincil kaynaklara dayandığı için her ne kadar müthiş bir heyecan ve merakla okusam da iddialara belli bir mesafeyle yaklaşıyorum. Yazarın iddialarına karşı akademi ve felsefeciler neler diyor Magee ne kadar ciddiye alınıyor bilmiyorum biraz daha araştırmam gerek ama kitabın bende bir dönüşüm yaşattığı muhakkak.
Bir kitaptan başka daha ne beklenir zaten ?
Kışkırtıcı ve karşıt-tarih okumalarını sevenlere şiddetle öneririm.
December 10, 2019
Magee makes a fun a thorough case for the influence of Hermeticism on Hegel. He does good work digging up the historical characters and the obscure texts and references. I’m less inclined to call it a convincing case, mainly because he seems committed enough evangelically to his case that he’s willing to cherry pick the evidence to his will and willing to define the very subjects he’s working with, namely Hermeticism and Hegelianism, so conveniently similar to one other, leaving out a wealth of what these two terms might actually carry besides for his well-crafted choice of summarised doctrine, that to compare the two almost becomes a tautology, all that’s left to show is the historical points of contact and bridges which is done all to easily. Otherwise, great fun work, good lit review and good work shining light on some important, neglected characters, Boheme and Oetinger for example.
If you like books like this you'll love my project:
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If you like books like this you'll love my project:
http://youtube.com/c/seekersofunity?s...
January 7, 2021
Filled in a lot of blanks
August 21, 2023
Despite a tendency for overcompensation, the general thesis that Hegel was a Hermetic thinker and his mystical sympathies only grew as he further developed his system holds pretty solid. There is also a great elucidation of the intellectual backdrop prior to and during the development of German idealism. Great counterweight for some scholars that overcompensate in the opposite direction and downplay the Hegelian system's mystical affinities. I do think that the claim in support of Hegel believing History had ended is overplayed, and despite rightfully characterizing Hegel's Logic as being presuppositionless and arriving after Absolute Knowing, it downplays opposing evidence where Hegel deliberately leaves History open-ended. But then that would just be a matter of what the "End of History" means.
September 8, 2021
It's not Magee's fault that the intricacies of the various traditions and their connections to Hegel's work makes for rather tedious reading. I do not know the Hermetic material or Hegel's work, but Magee's work looks very thorough and I found it completely convincing: Hegel was a Hermetic mystic and his work was thus mysticism and should be read with the dollop of salt appropriate to such.
December 3, 2018
Excellent introduction to Hegel without modern pretensions.
Read
April 15, 2024“Mysticism is a broad concept that assumes many radically different ideas. All forms of mysticism aim at some kind of knowledge of, experience of our unity with the divine. If we ask, what kind of Mr. Cagle is, the answer is that he is a hermit. Her medicine ism is often confused with another form of mysticism, narcissism. Narcissism and her medicine ism, both believe that a divine spark is implanted in man, and that man can come to no God. However, narcissism involves an absolutely negative account of creation. It does not regard creation as a part of God being as completing God”
August 21, 2024
This is a great book about influences on Hegel and an often overlooked aspect to his philosophy. It is a good counterbalance to more mainstream interpretations of Hegel. It does go a little too much in the opposite direction and it is not always easiest to read, but I would recommend it to people interested in Hegel and/or hermeticism.
November 23, 2021
Selective interpretation.
June 20, 2023
Glenn Magee's "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" presents a captivating exploration of the possible influences of hermeticism on the philosophical thought of G.W.F. Hegel. Magee delves into the intricate connections between Hegelian philosophy and the esoteric tradition, shedding light on the philosophical undercurrents that may have shaped Hegel's thinking. This review aims to provide an academic evaluation of Magee's arguments, discussing the book's strengths, weaknesses, and its significance within the fields of philosophy, intellectual history, and hermetic studies.
"Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" by Glenn Magee delves into the potential influence of hermeticism on the philosophical system of G.W.F. Hegel. Magee explores the historical, philosophical, and cultural context surrounding Hegel's work, drawing parallels between key aspects of hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy. He illuminates the possible connections between hermetic thought and Hegel's dialectical method, speculative philosophy, and the concept of the Absolute.
Magee's work stands out for its rigorous scholarship and meticulous analysis. He engages with primary sources, secondary literature, and historical context, weaving together a compelling narrative that elucidates the potential resonance between hermeticism and Hegel's philosophical thought. Magee's examination fosters critical reflections on the intricacies of intellectual influences, challenging conventional interpretations and expanding our understanding of Hegelian philosophy.
One of the notable strengths of "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" lies in Magee's extensive research and comprehensive analysis. He carefully examines the hermetic tradition, drawing upon original texts, historical accounts, and philosophical insights to construct a compelling case for the potential impact of hermeticism on Hegel. Magee's depth of scholarship enhances the book's intellectual rigor, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the possible connections between these two seemingly disparate philosophical systems.
Moreover, Magee's exploration of the conceptual resonances between hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy offers new avenues for interpreting Hegel's work. By highlighting parallels in dialectical reasoning, spiritual transformation, and the quest for unity, Magee prompts readers to engage with Hegelian philosophy from a fresh perspective. His analysis fosters a broader understanding of Hegel's intellectual milieu and the complex interplay between philosophical traditions.
While "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" offers a thought-provoking analysis, it is not without its limitations. Some critics argue that Magee's exploration of the hermetic influence on Hegel may be speculative and open to interpretation, potentially neglecting alternative explanations or influences on Hegel's thought. A more balanced assessment of the broader intellectual context of Hegel's era would strengthen the book's analytical framework.
Additionally, Magee's writing style can be dense and intricate, making it challenging for some readers to navigate his arguments. A more accessible presentation of ideas, clearer connections between concepts, and concise explanations of key philosophical terms would enhance the book's readability and facilitate a broader readership's engagement with the content.
"Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" holds significant importance within the fields of philosophy, intellectual history, and hermetic studies as a pioneering work that sheds light on potential connections between hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy. Magee's analysis prompts critical reflections on the complex interplay between philosophical traditions, intellectual influences, and the formation of philosophical systems. The book's contribution lies in its ability to foster discussions on the possibilities of esoteric undercurrents in Hegelian philosophy, expanding our understanding of Hegel's thought and broadening the horizons of hermetic studies.
GPT
"Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" by Glenn Magee delves into the potential influence of hermeticism on the philosophical system of G.W.F. Hegel. Magee explores the historical, philosophical, and cultural context surrounding Hegel's work, drawing parallels between key aspects of hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy. He illuminates the possible connections between hermetic thought and Hegel's dialectical method, speculative philosophy, and the concept of the Absolute.
Magee's work stands out for its rigorous scholarship and meticulous analysis. He engages with primary sources, secondary literature, and historical context, weaving together a compelling narrative that elucidates the potential resonance between hermeticism and Hegel's philosophical thought. Magee's examination fosters critical reflections on the intricacies of intellectual influences, challenging conventional interpretations and expanding our understanding of Hegelian philosophy.
One of the notable strengths of "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" lies in Magee's extensive research and comprehensive analysis. He carefully examines the hermetic tradition, drawing upon original texts, historical accounts, and philosophical insights to construct a compelling case for the potential impact of hermeticism on Hegel. Magee's depth of scholarship enhances the book's intellectual rigor, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of the possible connections between these two seemingly disparate philosophical systems.
Moreover, Magee's exploration of the conceptual resonances between hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy offers new avenues for interpreting Hegel's work. By highlighting parallels in dialectical reasoning, spiritual transformation, and the quest for unity, Magee prompts readers to engage with Hegelian philosophy from a fresh perspective. His analysis fosters a broader understanding of Hegel's intellectual milieu and the complex interplay between philosophical traditions.
While "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" offers a thought-provoking analysis, it is not without its limitations. Some critics argue that Magee's exploration of the hermetic influence on Hegel may be speculative and open to interpretation, potentially neglecting alternative explanations or influences on Hegel's thought. A more balanced assessment of the broader intellectual context of Hegel's era would strengthen the book's analytical framework.
Additionally, Magee's writing style can be dense and intricate, making it challenging for some readers to navigate his arguments. A more accessible presentation of ideas, clearer connections between concepts, and concise explanations of key philosophical terms would enhance the book's readability and facilitate a broader readership's engagement with the content.
"Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" holds significant importance within the fields of philosophy, intellectual history, and hermetic studies as a pioneering work that sheds light on potential connections between hermeticism and Hegelian philosophy. Magee's analysis prompts critical reflections on the complex interplay between philosophical traditions, intellectual influences, and the formation of philosophical systems. The book's contribution lies in its ability to foster discussions on the possibilities of esoteric undercurrents in Hegelian philosophy, expanding our understanding of Hegel's thought and broadening the horizons of hermetic studies.
GPT
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