Hegel and Greek Tragedy [Hardcover]

This study is concerned with the different interpretations of Greek tragedy proposed by G.W.F. Hegel. While Hegels philosophical interest in tragedy as an art form is well known, the motivation for his preoccupation with this art form needs to be further explored. Indeed, why would Hegel, a pivotal figure of German idealism, be inclined to concern himself with a form of poetry that reached its peak in the 5th century B.C.? Precisely this question forms the core of this book. It articulates what the primary stakes are and thereby develop and defend the thesis that Hegels examination of Greece and tragedy is one that has a direct bearing on the fate of politics in the modern world.Martin Thibodeau teaches in the department of philosophy at St. Paul University (Ottawa, Canada). He specializes in 19th and 20th century German Philosophy form Kant to Adorno. His publications include La Th?orie Esth?tique dAdorno: Une Introduction (Presses Universitaires de Rennes, France, 2008).A concern with Greek tragedy saturates Hegel's thought from its youthful inception to its grand culminations. Quietly, yet relentlessly the themes, structures, and movements of this art form informs and shapes the heart of the Hegelian system. Martin Thibodeau's book ably traces the significance of tragedy for any understanding of Hegel. Dennis J. Schmidt, Pennsylvania State University

Chapter 1: The Spirit of Christianity and Its Fate: Law, Love, and Tragic Fate
1.1: The Spirit of Judaism and the great tragedy of the Jewish People
1.2: Christianity and the Failure of the Theology of Love
1.3: Tragedy and the Reconciliation of Fate
Chapter 2: The Essay on Natural Law: Tragedy in Ethical Life (Die Tragodie Im Sittlichen)
2.1: The Naturrechtsaufsatz and the Critique of Practical Understanding: The Empiricist and Formalist Theories of Natural Law
2.2: The Speculative Conception of Politics and the Tragic Process of Absolute Ethical Life
Chapter 3: The Phenomenology of lÓ'