Phenomenology of Spirit

By: G. W. F. Hegel, A. V. Miller - translator, J. N. Findlay

Narrated by: David DeVries

Length: 29 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary works of philosophy ever presented, The Phenomenology of Spirit is Hegel's 1807 work that is in numerous ways extraordinary. It begins with a Preface, created after the rest of the manuscript was completed, that explains the core of his method and what sets it apart from any preceding philosophy. The Introduction, written before the rest of the work, summarizes and completes Kant's ideas on skepticism by rendering it moot and encouraging idealism and self-realization. The body of the work is divided into six sections of varying length, entitled "Consciousness", "Self-Consciousness", "Reason", "Spirit", "Religion", and "Absolute Knowledge". A myriad of topics are discussed, and explained in such a harmoniously complex way that the method has been termed Hegelian dialectic. Ultimately, the work as a whole is a remarkable study of the mind's growth from its direct awareness to scientific philosophy, proving to be a difficult yet highly influential and enduring work.

©1977 Oxford University Press (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Great!

Hegel's ideas and theories were far from simple. He loved to explain things in long, complex ways but this audiobook is well narrated by David DeVries and his clear voice allows one to listen as if Hegel himself is reading to you.

Dense

will have to give this a listen a few times before understanding. Some of the concepts have not ages well, but still ahead of it's time.

Impenetrable

What did you like best about Phenomenology of Spirit? What did you like least?

I waited and waited for this one, and pre-ordered it. My favorite thing was that it was coming. What I like least is that it finally came.

Would you recommend Phenomenology of Spirit to your friends? Why or why not?

I would not. The subject matter is too difficult for listening. The book itself must be read an re-read to be understood.

How could the performance have been better?

Less sing-songy. He is not a bad performer, but the subject matter doesn't lend itself to his style. Actually, I don't think it lends itself to anyone's style. It's not his fault. I can't imagine what he was thinking as he read it. To make the audiobook better, every sentence needs to be read 3 times in a row.

Was Phenomenology of Spirit worth the listening time?

No. You need the book.

Any additional comments?

Hegel is notoriously difficult to read. It turns out that he's even worse in audioboook form. With a book, you can read the same sentence over and over. But in audiobook form, you can't kick back and listen to this. You would have to actively hit that rewind button.

Basically: complete the system of German Idealism

Wow, let me tell you, I thought knowledge was simply an absolute, but now with this incredible self help book, the ego faces nature it’s foil, and thus part of itself. Now I’m a big fan of the Notion, let me tell you, because it’s like, duh! Of course, but then you have to see what essence it is representing! Selfishness transcends evil, 5 stars!

Huge thought that defies gap of ages.

The translater give a explanation to each paragraph. That does not mean full of understanding can be given by that explanation, but it's more worthy to pay it.

The voice is really hard to listen to

The narrator- bless his heart- is so annoying. They should do a voice clone on this one asap because his diction is very good but his tone is sooo grating. Clone it with the guy who does Being and Time, please!

A Philosophical Classic

I deduct one star for Hegel’s sprawling style, which is probably the greatest inhibition to reading this great work. But a great and foundational work it is. Findlay’s section by section analysis at the end helps out a lot. It helps to have read some commentary on Hegel beforehand but there’s also an element of just muscling through on the first reading. Appropriately for Hegel the parts become a lot more comprehensible in view of the whole on a second reading.

Hegel states in his preface that the subject of the Phenomenology is the “coming to be of science as such, or knowledge”. I think that’s a fair description. Amid all the detours into things like phrenology it’s easy to lose sight of the direction he’s going. But the work builds up in stages toward fuller understanding. The Phenomenology has even been called a Bildungsroman, which seems fitting. Each of the book's sections is building from more basic to fuller understanding, from consciousness to self-consciousness to reason to spirit to religion and finally to absolute knowing.

I found the section on religion especially interesting. One of Hegel’s key ideas is that later stages of development do not simply negate previous stages but incorporate them. Hegel sees “revealed religion” in Christianity as the most developed stage prior to absolute knowing. The religions of Persia, India, and Greece developed religious ideas that flowed into later stages. Ultimately thought replaces the “picture thinking” of revealed religion, moving into absolute knowing. It’s an interesting theological approach, whether you buy into it or not. And it had a decisive impact on liberal Christian theology in the nineteenth century and on higher Biblical criticism, including the famous Documentary Hypothesis.

If arrogance, wordiness, & long windedness was book this would be it

I read Hegel in college and love him, he blew my mind. It was selections from a philosophy classics collection. And Hegel does have very many interesting thoughts and ideas, but reading the Phenomenology of the Spirit made me realize was so many says of Hegel that he is the worst writer in Philosophy. If you have to read him in full than an audio book is your best choice, but you are going to read him in print, get a book of selection and be happy Hegelian thought is not your major.

Cool book

I am interested in the material that this book has to offer and I am very glad to find it holding the things that I hoped it would! I recommend this book!

Verbose

I understand that this is Hegel, and that it was bound to be difficult- but I had to listen to it in short bursts, because after a while it began to sound like the teacher/ chalkboard in the Charlie Brown cartoons. You'd be better off listening to a lecture about this book, or reading the sparknotes/ cliffnotes. I just hope that your perceptions of this review don't come to make me feel self-conscious at some point in the future.