Hegel in 90 Minutes

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Robert Whitfield

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)

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.

Overall Pretty Good

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

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.