Reason and Revolution

Reason and Revolution: Hegel and the Rise of Social Theory, published by Herbert Marcuse in 1941, is a dialectical study of the social theories of Hegel and Marx. The author characterises it as a reinterpretation of Hegel's philosophy, with the immediate aim of demonstrating that "Hegel's basic concepts are hostile to the tendencies that have led into Fascist theory and practice". Part One is a survey of Hegel's philosophical system, building up ... more

Reason and Revolution: Hegel and the Rise of Social Theory, published by Herbert Marcuse in 1941, is a dialectical study of the social theories of Hegel and Marx. The author characterises it as a reinterpretation of Hegel's philosophy, with the immediate aim of demonstrating that "Hegel's basic concepts are hostile to the tendencies that have led into Fascist theory and practice". Part One is a survey of Hegel's philosophical system, building up to his political philosophy and philosophy of history. Part Two then traces the rise of social theory from this beginning. This involves two movements: the dialectical theory of society on the one hand, which passes through Kierkegaard and Feuerbach to Marx, and positivism and proto-sociology on the other, developed by Saint-Simon, Comte, Stahl, and von Stein. The conclusion examines the influence of Hegel's social philosophy on 1930s social theories. less