Praxis Seminar Series 2025-26: Session 12

Sally Sedgwick

Boston University

Weltgeschichte als Weltgericht: Justifying Hegel’s World History and Philosophy of Right

2 March 2026, 17:15 (Lisbon Time — GMT+0)

Sala Mattos Romão (Room C201.J – Department of Philosophy)

School of Arts and Humanities – University of Lisbon

Abstract

What can Hegel mean when he asserts in his Philosophy of Right that world history is “a court of judgment [Gericht]”? As he characterizes it, world history refers not to a domain of bare or unfiltered facts but to the “narrative [Erzählung]” that the historian or philosopher of history constructs in her reflective consideration of events and institutions of the past. Hegel claims, in addition, that his world historical narrative is a rationally justified “science” rather than an expression of mere opinion. His ambition of replacing opinion with rational justification seems dubious, however, if only because his grand narrative looks suspiciously self-serving. My intention in this talk is not to argue that Hegel’s treatments of the history of right and of world history leave nothing important out, nor do I suggest that his narratives are free of bias. Instead, I defend the thesis that his conception of the scientific nature of his enterprise requires him to be receptive to charges of this kind.

This event is funded by Portuguese national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., within the project UID/00310/2025, Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa