Hegel on Pseudo-Philosophy: Reading the Preface to the "Phenomenology of Spirit"

The preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) is one of the most widely-read texts in Hegel's corpus, and yet we still lack a clear understanding of its aims. Providing a fresh perspective on Hegel's preface, Andrew Davis contends that it should be read as an overview of what philosophy is not.

Contesting previous investigations that have assumed Hegel's purpose in the preface is to introduce the reader to his own philosophical method, Davis moves Hegel's positive comments about the na...