History of Philosophy in Hegel’s System

Abstract

The paper explores Hegel’s history of philosophy concept and discusses the main problems closely related to its formation and evolution such as dating of Hegel's "Lectures on the History of Philosophy" and the problems with K.L. Michelet’s record of Hegel’s lectures. Special attention is paid to Hegel's Introduction to the lectures on the history of philosophy in 1816. The author examines such issues as the concept of the history of philosophy, the beginning of philosophy and its history, periodization and sources of the history of philosophy, the problem of the difference between philosophy and other types of spiritual activity by Hegel. The Hegelian analysis of German philosophical idealism as a contemporary "newest" philosophy is considered. Moreover, the paper discusses the place of the history of philosophy in Hegel’s system of philosophical disciplines, while the author analyzes the unprecedented ramification of the development and implementation of systemic principles in Hegel's philosophy. The author shows that the history of philosophy is disciplinary included in one of the great parts of Hegel's system - in the section “philosophy” belonged to the “absolute spirit”. The huge theoretical and cultural role of the history of philosophy is evidenced by the fact that the section “absolute spirit” not only completes, but crowns the entire structure of Hegel’s system, respectively, and history of philosophy occupies the highest position in Hegel’s philosophical system. Hegel places philosophy – and in its educational function within cultural Bildung, its history – above art and even above religion