Hegel (1770-1831) is one of the towering philosophers of the nineteenth century. Many of the major philosophical movements of the twentieth century-from existentialism to analytic philosophy - also grew out of reactions against Hegel. He is also one of the hardest philosophers to understand and his complex ideas, though rewarding, are often misunderstood. In this magisterial and lucid introduction, Frederick Beiser covers every major aspect of Hegel's thought. He places Hegel in the historical