Hegel in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

With Hegel, philosophy became very difficult indeed. His dialectical method produced the most grandiose metaphysical system known to man. Even Hegel conceded that "only one man understands me, and even he does not." Hegel's system included absolutely everything, but its most vital element was the dialectic of the thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. This method sprang from Hegel's ambition to overcome the deficiencies of logic and ascended toward mind as the ultimate reality. His view of history as a process of humanity's self-realization ultimately inspired Marx to synthesize his philosophy of dialectical materialism.

In Hegel in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Hegel's life and ideas and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Hegel's work, a brief list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place Hegel within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

©1997 Paul Strathern (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them. I find them hard to stop reading." (The New York Times)

Overall Pretty Good

Narrator pretty good to listen at. Quick and easy to go through. Pretty much recommend.

it's OK.

personally, as an American, I think the accent is a little distracting. and the narrator's word don't pace as well as I'd like. it just seems rushed. for a philosopher in 90 mins, I would've hoped more of a storytelling of his life and philosophies. whereas this seems to sound more like a track record.

In 90 Minutes Series overview

If you could sum up Hegel in 90 Minutes in three words, what would they be?
aka Cliff Notes

Would you recommend Nietzsche in 90 Minutes to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes - I've listened to each book in the series about a major philosopher that is available on Audible. Strathern's books don't have the analytical depth found in Will Durant's "The Story of Philosophy" books, but he does a good job summarizing each philosopher's biography, major philosophical points, and criticisms. Additionally, Strathern's breadth is broader than Durant's in that he covers a greater number of philosophers. I believe that the time spent listening to these books has been well-spent.

My reviews for each book in the series about a philosopher are identical.

What about Robert Whitfield’s performance did you like?
Voice is clear, well-modulated, and easily understood, even at 1 1/2 speed.

Thin on substance

I agree with other comments here, that the author devoted more words to negative criticism of Hegel than to summarizing Hegel's work.

The book is useful for learning the chronology of Hegel's life and placing him within European history and philosophical history. I will need to turn elsewhere to learn what Hegel wrote.

Lacking substance, correct in retrospect

This lacked the substance of Hegel’s works however did point out the futility of his philosophy as proven over time.

Social order as determined by ignoring the will of the people harkens to a time of emperors/sultans while by its very substance highlighting the hypocrisy by fans of Hegel in regards to progress of which Marxism bore out.

While lacking substance this 90 min listen points out the cautionary tale of men who seek to prove a pathology without pragmatism.

Neo-Hegelian metaphysics, the nail in his coffin

His coffers indelibly scribed, Giovani Gentile a convivial Hegelian transcriber of neo-idealism. His Antanaclasis inspire dogged paralipsis and puzzling hypophora. The blueprint reads, Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis of which translates into eschatological pessimism and the fervism of rabid pythagorostic monadic phenomenology. Hegelian cultists may, for no fault of their own, consider themselves obstinately puffed with the perfervid delerium that mimics the dangerously obdurate ideas of the revanchism of the time. Twentieth century continental philosophy shudders when one opens the drafty, creaky window with the paint chips crisping to the palmed pantocrators and impassioned syntactical proselytes. The Vade Mecum of all metaphysics. When will philosophers sublate their works, absolve their sins, and rid us of this debauchery of gossamer. To this I say, Multum in Parvo.

Dude doesn’t dig the Hegel. But does ok.

The dude doesn’t dig the Hegel but give him a pretty good grade anyway. OK ****

The Philosophy of Port

Take a bottle of port, the feast of St. Stephen and the gaze of your giant gray cat and you have the fertile ground for 90 minutes of pure joy. Hegel in the words of Paul Strathern is hilarious. Add that to the voice of Robert Whitfield and you have intelligent entertainment. After a day of opening presents and wondering if any of your children will visit you, which one does, you can sit and listen to Hegel in 90 minutes. Listen to concepts of rationalism and State, forms of "ality," nationality, minimality, commonality, finality, and the like, as part of the mind. As long as you have a mind and a State, all things can make sense, hopefully.

Absolute Gold

Mr. Strathern’s 90 Minutes series is an absolute gem for anyone remotely interested in Philosophy. A novel’s worth of knowledge condensed into these 90-minute masterpieces. The narrator, Mr. Whitfield, is a joy to listen to while driving or in transit.

Funnier and more engaging than one would expect

worth 90 minutes. It's frightening how much of the catastrophic events of the 20th century were influenced by this crazy little man.