Who Thinks Abstractly?

A new translation directly from the original manuscript of Hegel's 1807 manuscript "Who Thinks Abstractly?". This edition contains an extensive afterword on Hegelian philosophy and a timeline of his life and works. Written in 1807 and first published posthumously in the 17th volume of his collected works in 1835 "Who thinks Abstractly?" (original German "Wer denkt abstrakt?") is a broad commentary on the practicality of Philosophy. He explores the chasm between real human society and abstract thinking, emphasizing that while society may not openly engage with abstract concepts, it still carries a certain reverence for them. Hegel begins this short essay by acknowledging that many people tend to shy away from discussions of metaphysics, abstraction, and thinking in abstract terms. He suggests that attempting to explain these concepts may be unnecessary and even off-putting, because the world already has a general understanding of what abstraction is, even if it avoids engaging with it directly. Hegel makes it clear that his intention is not to force the beautiful world (presumably referring to society or individuals) to confront abstract thought or metaphysics. Instead, he wants to reconcile the beautiful world with the idea that, while it may not pay direct attention to abstract thought, it still has a certain inner respect for it, seeing it as something high and noble. He suggests that the world doesn't look away from abstract thought because it's beneath it, but because it's too lofty or too refined. Abstract thought is seen as something special, not for personal display like fashionable clothing, but rather as something that might separate one from the general society, or even make one look ridiculous.