<b>The origins of Hegel’s philosophical interest in History

Abstract

History is an extremely important aspect in Hegel’s philosophical system. Although this is clear in his mature texts, one may ask whether the origins of such interest would be restricted to them only. Current paper deals with the question whether Hegel was already interested in history in his early years. His texts at the time of the Gymnasium in Stuttgart, such as his Diary and some of the reviews written by the young student, may be considered as his early works, which is not to say that at that moment Hegel would have already had a good idea of the systematic characteristics of history. History, however, belonged to the roll of interests of the young Hegel. The young Hegel reveals in his early writings, even if some interpreters consider those texts apocryphal, a special attention to contemporary events, considering them as the result of intended human activity. His initial education and thought formation were strongly marked by the history bias, when in his speech on graduation day in Stuttgart he stressed the benefits of education for the world. He sees himself and his contemporaries within the historical process and characterized by the being of his time.