Reviews for Hegel and the Problem of Multiplicity

The average rating for Hegel and the Problem of Multiplicity based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-08-10 00:00:00 Dean Donaldson Remedial. Basic background and context for reading Schelling, but you can get nearly anywhere, and Laughland doesn't offer anything controversial or earth-shattering in this regard. I appreciate the project of reading the differences between Schelling and Hegel through a theological lens, since this is a dimension of German Idealism, generally, that, perhaps owing to certain anti-theological prejudices, doesn't get enough attention in the literature. However, even in this regard Laughland doesn't have much to offer. To be more specific, I was immediately turned off by his brief and cursory account of Schelling's Nature Philosophy. Rather than engaging with this chapter of Schelling's career sincerely and, as others have done, establishing its relevance and influence on his more explicitly theological work, Laughland dismisses it as something to be overcome in Schelling's "real" philosophy (read: his Christian metaphysics). Thus, he just reinforces and repeats the same tired schema which divides Schelling's career into neat, discrete periods that have little to do with each other. If you're new to Schelling, it's not a pointless read; Laughland makes good use of scholarship, and in many instances is working closely with the original German. But for anyone with a background in Schelling or German Idealism, it'd be best to leave this book on the shelf.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-09-22 00:00:00 Joao Marcos A mixed bag. Genuinely informative and enjoyable to read at certain parts, but also constantly tainted by the author's intensely polemical style and dogmatic conservatism.