Hegelian

[hey-gey-lee-uhn, hi-jee-]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Hegel or his philosophical system.

noun

1. a person who accepts the philosophical principles of Hegel.

2. an authority or expert on the writings of Hegel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hegelian¹

First recorded in 1830–40; Hegel + -ian

Example Sentences

A professor at Columbian College, which became George Washington University, he wrote several books on Hegelian idealistic philosophy during his residence.

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But what happens when the other kind of History — academic, not Hegelian — starts to collapse?

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Barack Obama sounded distinctly Hegelian when he preached: “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America.”

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Carlisle reminds us that in “Either/Or,” Kierkegaard’s first published work, he presents Hegel’s thought as “nihilistic” and used the book, in part, to “depose Hegelian philosophy.”

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Whether or not you buy the Hegelian theory of tragedy, it’s indisputable that the ancient tragedians were drawn to dramatic situations that didn’t have obvious solutions.

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