Hegel’s “Groundlines of the Philosophy of Right“ from October 1820 is one of the most profound and influential philosophical works in human history—addressing freedom, the will, right, ethics, economics, politics, world history, and much more. Its—admittedly difficult—reading remains rewarding even 205 years later.
live.grundlinien.de is the project of an “infinite” reading group, with the goal of reading through Hegel’s “Philosophy of Right” together every Sunday—”Philosophy is the Sunday of life” (Hegel). We want to better understand and clarify this dense, heavy, and thought-rich text—and Hegel’s philosophy in general—together.
Every Sunday, from 4 to 5 PM CET/CEST (Central European (Summer) Time) we meet for one hour online via Zoom. Preparation or follow-up is not expected, though it is certainly possible (depending on one’s own goals).
The address for the Zoom meeting is http://live.grundlinien.de. Anyone with an interest in the matter is welcome—from complete beginners to experts. The idea is that everyone can learn from everyone—“Peer-to-Peer Learning”. Joining with benefit is, in principle, possible at any time. Leaving is, of course, as well.
Simply sign up for the mailing list (see below). Your e-mail address will only be used for information regarding the reading group. I am available for questions at wilko @ grundlinien . de.
We want to read the text together in a close, in-depth, and unbiased manner—meaning slowly and by clarifying as many of Hegel’s presuppositions as possible. Unfortunately, there is no spirit without the letter, no truth without the labor of the notion (Anstrengung des Begriffs). The goal is an understanding that transcends the purely academic—perhaps facilitating a genuine encounter with the Hegelian spirit that (following Spivak) “haunts” our thinking. Questions, comments, and critiques are, of course, always welcome.
The working language is English, but occasionally German where appropriate. Knowledge of (some) German would be helpful. But we muddle through.
The Chatham House Rule applies unless otherwise agreed in individual cases.
There is a profound value in being part of a reading circle about the groundlines1 of our coexistence—with Hegel’s text serving as the inertial mass of our conceptual flywheel.
More Info:
- Table of Contents of the “Groundlines of the Philosophy of Right”
- Format of the live online meetings
- FAQs
- Literature/Bibliography
- Hegel’s Biography (Wikipedia)
Mailing List of the Reading Group
(after signing up, please click the confirmation link in the registration e-mail)
