Hegel's
Phenomenology of Spirit is probably
his most famous work. First published in 1807, it has exercised considerable
influence on subsequent thinkers from Feuerbach and Marx to Heidegger, Kojève,
Adorno and Derrida. The book contains many memorable analyses of, for example,
the master / slave dialectic, the unhappy consciousness, Sophocles' Antigone and the French Revolution and
is one of the most important works in the Western philosophical tradition. It
is, however, a difficult and challenging book and needs to be studied together
with a clear and accessible secondary text. Stephen Houlgate's Reader's Guide
offers guidance on:

 

Philosophical
and historical context

Key
Themes

Reading
the text

Reception
and influence

Further
reading