1 Introduction

The Best of All Possible Histories

Hegel’s philosophical system embraces history, both as subject matter, and as method. In his Lectures on the Philosophy of World History, Hegel narrated the progression of world history through the framework of absolute idealism, showing the ways in which reason presented itself through the seemingly random actions of human beings throughout history. Furthermore, his full philosophical system embraces historicism in methodology as well, as he views the world as dynamic and ever progressing. Therefore, Hegel’s conception if history is important to understanding his broader philosophical project. History presents both Hegel’s method and his vision of a progressive dynamic universe in a digestible fashion.

However, Hegel’s writings on history also present a unique challenge to students of his philosophy. His Lectures on the Philosophy of World History deals in empirical claims and substantive beliefs, often false ones, and so it makes explicit some pernicious subtexts of his main philosophical system. Among the most unacceptable aspects of Hegel’s historical system to contemporary readers is his treatment of race, where he demonstrates an inarguably racist attitude towards Non-white people. In addressing Hegel’s racism, it is tempting to merely disregard the objectionable passages and move on, but this is a flawed approach. The idealist project is inherently systematic, each part is interdependent. Hegel’s Eurocentrism is not merely a surface detail, but a structural problem. Also of note is the commitment to Hegel by many black American philosophers, from W.E.B. DuBois to Martin Luther King Jr.,1 who were particularly drawn to his progressive philosophical vision. This apparent tension in Hegel’s reception between condemnation for his racism and praise for his value in illuminating racial justice indicates a need for further study.

Rather than attempting to repair Hegel’s philosophy, this paper shall seek to understand the systematic basis for his racist claims. I will attempt to move beyond the simple description of objectionable passages or texts and will instead place these claims in the context of the broader system and will uncover subtler problems in Hegel’s less overtly racist texts. This mission will lead to the analysis of the Philosophy of Right as this is Hegel’s most extensive statement on the philosophy of objective spirit.2 For ease of analysis, Hegel’s racism will be explained in terms of

1. Frank Kirkland, "Hegel on Race and Devlopment," in The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Race, ed. Paul C. Taylor, Linda Alcoff, and Luvell Anderson (New York: Routledge, 2018), 43-44. & Andrea Long Chu, "Black Infinity: Slavery and Freedom in Hegel’s Africa," Journal of Speculative Philosophy 32, no. 3 (2018): 415. 2. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, trans. S.W. Dyde, Dover

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