The scope of this study is both ambitious and modest. One of its ambitions is to reintegrate Hegel's theory of knowledge into main stream epist~ology. Hegel's views were formed in consideration of Classical Skepticism and Modern epistemology, and he frequently presupposes great familiarity with other views and the difficulties they face. Setting Hegel's discussion in the context of both traditional and contemporary epistemology is therefore necessary for correctly interpreting his issues, arguments, and views. Accordingly, this is an issues-oriented study. I analyze Hegel's problematic and method by placing them in the context of Sextus Empiricus, Descartes, Kant, Carnap, and William Alston. I discuss Carnap, rather than a Modern empiricist such as Locke or Hume, for several reasons. One is that Hegel himself refutes a fundamental presupposition of Modern empiricism, the doctrine of "knowledge by acquaintance," in the first chapter of the Phenomenology, a chapter that cannot be reconstructed within the bounds of this study.

Inhalt

One Problems of Knowledge and Problems with Epistemology.- Two Descartes's Defense of the Metaphysical Certainty of Empirical Knowledge.- Three Kant on the Objectivity of Empirical Knowledge.- Four Some Aspects of Empiricism and Empirical Knowledge.- Five William Alston on Justification and Epistemic Circularity.- Six Some Basic Methodological Considerations of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit.- Seven Self-Criticism and Criteria of Truth.- Eight The Self-Critical Activity of Consciousness.- Nine Some Further Methodological Considerations.- Ten Hegel's Idealism and Epistemological Realism.- Eleven The Structure of Hegel's Argument in the Phenomenology of Spirit.- Appendix IV Abbreviations of Frequently Cited Texts.- Appendix V Analytical Table of Contents.- Notes.- Index of Names.- Index of Subjects.