Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Date of Birth: August 27, 1770

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: November 14, 1831

Biography

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a German philosopher born on August 27, 1770, in Stuttgart, in the Duchy of Württemberg. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Western philosophy, particularly in the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and political theory. Hegel’s work is characterized by his development of the dialectical method, which proposes that the evolution of ideas and history occurs through a process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. Hegel studied theology at the Tübinger Stift where he formed a close friendship with the poet Friedrich Hölderlin and the philosopher Friedrich Schelling. After completing his studies, Hegel worked as a tutor and later as a newspaper editor before securing academic positions. His notable works include “The Phenomenology of Spirit” (1807), “Science of Logic” (1812-1813), and “Elements of the Philosophy of Right” (1820). Hegel’s philosophy deeply influenced subsequent philosophical movements, including existentialism, Marxism, and existential phenomenology. He spent his later years as a professor at the University of Berlin, where he continued to develop and expound his philosophical system until his death on November 14, 1831, from cholera.

5 Interesting Facts about Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

1. Hegel’s dialectical method influenced many future philosophers, including Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who adapted it into dialectical materialism.

2. He was a contemporary of other prominent German philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant and Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and initially, he was heavily influenced by Kant’s work.

3. Hegel’s “Phenomenology of Spirit” explores the development of human consciousness and is considered one of his most challenging and profound works.

4. He was appointed as the chair of philosophy at the University of Berlin in 1818, a position he held until his death.

5. Hegel’s ideas about the evolution of history and society posited that history is a rational process, moving towards the realization of human freedom.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

1. “The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.”

2. “What is rational is actual and what is actual is rational.”

3. “Freedom is the insight into necessity.”

4. “True courage consists in being able to endure the suffering of a painful truth.”

5. “To be independent of public opinion is the first formal condition of achieving anything great.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

As a philosopher in the 18th and early 19th centuries, Hegel did not achieve significant personal wealth. His influence and intellectual legacy, however, have been invaluable and far-reaching.

Children

Hegel had three children. His first child, Ludwig Fischer, was born out of wedlock in 1807. With his wife, Marie Helena Susanna von Tucher, he had two legitimate children: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel (born 1813) and Immanuel Thomas Christian Hegel (born 1814).