Philosophy Bites: Richard Bourke on Hegel's Philosophy of History

Date: December 2, 2024
Hosts: David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton
Guest: Richard Bourke (Professor of the History of Political Thought, Cambridge)

Overview

In this episode, David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton interview Richard Bourke about Hegel's philosophy of history. Bourke aims to clarify common misconceptions about Hegel, challenge the deterministic interpretation of Hegelian history, and discuss the continuing relevance and limitations of Hegel's ideas. The conversation explores Hegel's historical context, his relationship with Kant and the French Revolution, his conception of human autonomy and historical progress, and key debates regarding necessity, morality, and the so-called “end of history.”

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing Hegel: Personal and Intellectual Contexts

• Hegel's Background: Born in Württemberg, 1770; died in Prussia, 1831. Two dominant influences: the French Revolution and the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. (00:36-01:44)
  • “He was 19 at the outbreak of the French Revolution, and its complicated course dominated much of his life.” (01:03, Richard Bourke)
  • “Kant’s own philosophical project was itself regarded by Hegel and his contemporaries as [a] massive revolutionary event.” (01:23, Richard Bourke)
• Both the political upheaval of his era and Kant’s moral philosophy shaped Hegel’s thinking.

2. Hegel and the French Revolution

• Clarifies that Hegel was neither a simple supporter nor a revolutionary cheerleader.
  • “Hegel thought that the French Revolution was an index of a positive historical development, but ... the events of the Revolution itself were ... catastrophic eruptions, really. So there wasn’t much to applaud.” (01:54, Richard Bourke)
• Hegel valued the symbolic end of the feudal era but was critical of the Revolution’s violent methods.
• The social changes were already under way in Europe; the Revolution was more a signal than a sole cause.

3. Kant and Moral Autonomy vs. Hegel’s Historical Development

• Kant emphasized moral autonomy as a latent human capacity; Hegel saw autonomy as an historical development achieved progressively.
  • “Kant thought that was simply a latent possibility within human beings, whereas Hegel thought that was a gradual historical accomplishment ... we gradually grew into our autonomy over the course of world history.” (03:08, Richard Bourke)
• Hegel’s focus was on historical change and collective self-realization, as opposed to merely abstract morality.

4. History as Active Human Participation

• Hegel’s theory is not about passive reception but active construction.
  • “He very much wanted to get away from empiricism... He saw human beings as active in their own history.” (04:51, Richard Bourke)
• History unfolds in phases—steps advancing human rationality and freedom.

5. Hegel’s Progressive Narrative and Modern Skepticism

• Hegel famously saw history as progressive—a controversial view today.
  • “He saw history as a progressive narrative... There’s been scientific progress. Post-Newtonian Europe is doing it rather better than earlier superstitious versions of groping around.” (05:39, Richard Bourke)
• Bourke notes this is less radical than critics suggest—philosophers like Hume and Voltaire also preferred modern institutions. Still, Hegel’s preference for Western constitutionalism over ancient or tribal forms provokes modern debate about cultural judgment.

6. Is Hegel a Determinist? Misconceptions About Historical Necessity*

• “It is not as though there’s a demiurge who wrote a script and we’re just playing it out. That can’t be the case simply because Hegel definitely believes that there are historical deviations.” (07:49, Richard Bourke)
• Hegel denies strict historical determinism; necessity for Hegel is “normatively justified outcome,” not fate.
  • “Modern constitutionalism is for us necessary because it’s normatively necessary ... We have rationally embraced what has somewhat contingently happened and therefore that’s this model of necessity.” (08:25, Richard Bourke)

7. Normative Justification and Language Games

• Hegel's “necessity” is about justification: societies are “defeated” or surpassed by historically superior forms.
  • “He thinks that there are reasons to think that our game of life, our form of spirit, is normatively justified ... because these have become non-viable by a process of being defeated world historically or dialectically.” (09:27, Richard Bourke)
• Reference to Kuhn (paradigms) and Wittgenstein (“language games”)—societies advance through rational comparison and critique, not mere accident.

8. Difference Between Humans in Different Epochs

• Hegel rejects the “naive view” that people in different eras are simply the same with different technology.
  • “He thinks in a given culture, the bits and pieces sort of hold together… The Roman world is indeed different from ours… we are different types of human being. But … our humanity is defined in terms of our distinction from animality.” (12:00–13:38, Richard Bourke)
• What makes us human, for Hegel, is the capacity for conscious choice and self-remaking.

9. The End of History?

• Does history reach a final culmination?
  • “Human history is a process of human self-liberation over time... to a final moment of insight which you might call the end of history, whereby we recognize, ah, all human beings are human.” (14:25, Richard Bourke)
• The so-called “end” is a plateau of inclusivity, not cessation of struggle.
  • “That, however, in my view, does not mean that there’s no ongoing struggle... something has ended, but not really history as such.” (15:43, Richard Bourke)

10. Other Common Misconceptions

• Hegel is not a pure constructivist; ideas and reality coincide, but our concepts must grasp the world as it is.
  • “The world is as it is, and our ideas come to grasp it as it is ... there’s therefore a benign coincidence between idea and world.” (16:09, Richard Bourke)
• The goal is an ultimate overlap of perception (“phenomena”) and truth (“noumena”).

11. Hegel After the Holocaust: Can His Optimism Survive?

• “There is just an enormous question about whether Hegel is possible after the Holocaust ... Weimar collapsed ... How is that possible? That’s the sharpest question you can put to Hegelianism.” (17:33–18:58, Richard Bourke)
• Whether Hegel’s vision can withstand the tragedies of the 20th century is left open.

12. The Best of Hegel’s Insights

• “Human beings are free agents in the process of the making of their own history. And that when we survey the past, we’re surveying what we have made of that past.” (19:05, Richard Bourke)
• Emphasis on human freedom and our active historical role.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Kant thought that was simply a latent possibility within human beings, whereas Hegel thought that was a gradual historical accomplishment...” (03:08, Bourke)
• “He is not a determinist or predeterminist... There are steps backward in time and there are less preferable states in which one could be.” (07:49, Bourke)
• “Modern constitutionalism is for us necessary because it’s normatively necessary.” (08:25, Bourke)
• “You start totting up what populates his form of spirit, his language game, it includes a system of rights ... If we add all these up, they do look rather compelling and we don’t want to cash that in for rudimentary tribalism and daddy’s the ruler and patriarchy is true.” (10:48, Bourke)
• “A human being is such a creature as can remake itself. That’s the crucial thing for him.” (13:23, Bourke)
• “Human history is a process of human self-liberation over time ... to a final moment of insight which you might call the end of history.” (14:25, Bourke)
• “There is just an enormous question about whether, as Hegel is possible after the Holocaust...” (17:33, Bourke)
• “Human beings are free agents in the process of the making of their own history.” (19:05, Bourke)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:36–01:44 — Hegel’s life and historical context.
• 01:54–03:29 — Hegel on the French Revolution and Kant.
• 04:51–06:35 — Hegel’s view of history as participatory human development.
• 07:20–09:47 — Determinism, necessity, and historical justification.
• 11:24–13:38 — Are humans in different ages different? Hegel’s view of consciousness and historical types.
• 14:17–15:57 — The end of history and ongoing struggle.
• 16:09–17:18 — Additional misconceptions: ideas, reality, and Phenomenology of Spirit.
• 17:33–18:58 — Hegel’s optimism and the challenge of modern atrocities.
• 19:05–19:26 — The best of Hegel: human freedom and agency.

Summary of Tone and Language

The conversation is intellectually rigorous, critical, and respectful. Bourke is precise and careful in correcting misunderstandings and contextualizing Hegel, while the hosts keep the discussion clear and accessible. Philosophy’s complexity is embraced, but the focus remains on practical ramifications and relevance for current thinking.

For those new to Hegel or philosophy of history, this episode provides both a corrective to popular myths and a nuanced exploration of his philosophy’s strengths and limitations.