評After Hegel: German Philosophy, 1840-1900

A Review of After Hegel: German Philosophy, 1840-1900

相比十九世紀後半葉的德國哲學，哲學學者與史家一般更注重前半葉的成就。Frederick Beiser 這本著作，正是針對這種情況而寫。他認為十九世紀後半葉被過度簡化和忽略，其實相對於前半葉，後半葉甚至「更重要和哲學上更有趣」，而通過新的敘事和理論重構，該能賦予其應得的重視。為此，作者鑄造了五條不同的歷史線索，包括新「康德主義的興起」、「物質主義的爭論」、「歷史主義的發展」、「現代邏輯的根源」、「悲觀主義的冒起」，讓讀者以不同角度，重新認識這段歷史。他以發掘失落的傳統為己任，對於志同道合的讀者而言，這書當然對味，然而，若要讓讀者公平、恰當地了解當時的思潮，從另一角度而言，書名引來的期望或未盡相符。作者的學術素養無容置疑，本書豐富的資料和清晰的整理，能讓無論是否熟悉該段哲學史的讀者皆耳目一新。若讀者能自行把當中的細節，放到更大的歷史脈絡看，相信會對此書有更正面的評價、獲益更多。 In contrast with the late 19th century German Philosophy, most historians of philosophy emphasize the achievements of the first half of the century. In After Hegel: German Philosophy, 1840-1900, Frederick Beiser stands against this academic current and coins five different narratives, including ＂the rise of neo-Kantianism＂, ＂the materialism controversy＂, ＂the growth of historicism＂, ＂the root of modern logic＂, ＂the rise of pessimism＂ to allow readers to reengage with the second half of the 19th century. He takes the responsibility of enlivening the so-called ＂lost traditions＂, and of course, for those readers who have similar taste and interest, this book is their cup of tea. However, if we, by the name of the book, anticipate this work to illustrate a general picture of the ＂mainstream＂ philosophical traditions from those times, we may be disappointed. From the academic point of view, this book is certainly well written, with rich references and a comprehensive understanding of the related topics. Through Beiser's reconstruction of the philosophical controversies, the stiff narratives of the history of philosophy can be softened and refreshed. If the readers themselves are able to incorporate the details provided by the book into the wider historical context and the specific problems in the history of philosophy, the reward can be even bigger.