Criticism of Judaism in Hegel’s Early “Theological” Writings
Keywords:
Hegel, Judaism, history, criticism, anti-Semitism, trust, nature, alienation, tyranny, philosophy, Hegel, Judaism, history, criticism, anti-Semitism, trust, nature, alienation, tyranny, philosophyAbstract
The aim of the article is to reveal the nature of criticism of Judaism by the “young” Hegel and
underlying intuitions. The investigation is based on the phenomenological approach. It seeks
to explicate the horizon of early Hegel’s thinking. The revolutionary role of early Hegel’s ideas
reactivation in the history of philosophy is revealed. The article demonstrates the fundamental
importance of criticism of Judaism for the development of Hegel’s thought. The sources of Hegelian
thematization and problematization of Judaism – his Protestant theological background within the
framework of supranaturalism and the then discussion about human rights and political emancipation
of Jews – are discovered. Hegel’s interpretation of the history of the Jewish people and the origin
of Judaism from the destruction of trust in nature, the fundamental mood of distrust and fear of the
world, leading to the development of alienation, is revealed. The falsity of the widespread thesis
about early Hegel’s anti-Semitism is demonstrated. The reasons for the transition of early Hegel
from “theology” to philosophy are revealed.
