Apr 26th, 2016 - Klaus Vieweg, “Hegel’s Concept of Action in the Practical Philosophy and in the Aesthetics” (Si-mian Lectures on Humanities No. 292)

Title: Hegel’s Concept of Action in the Practical Philosophy and in the Aesthetics

Lecturer: Klaus Vieweg (Professor, Department of Philosophy, Jena University)

Chairperson: PAN Derong (Professor, Department of Philosophy, East China Normal University)

Date: 2 pm, April 26th, 2016 (Tuesday)

Venue: Room 5103, Building of School of Humanities, Minhang Campus, ECNU

Sponsor: Si-mian Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities, ECNU

Abstract of the Lecture:

Today it seems hardly disputable that Hegel’s practical philosophy must be understood as a kind of action-philosophy, as a philosophical theory of action. Robert Pippin speaks of “rational agency theory of freedom”. Michael Quante speaks of “critical theory of action”. But there are only few studies about Hegel’s practical philosophy. In Hegel’s Elements of the PhilosophyofRight the concept of action is developed in three levels, related to the corresponding characteristics of the acting subject. The three steps are a) the action of the actor “person” in sense of formal right, b) the action of the moral subject and c) the action of the ethical subject. On the one hand, the concept of action in Elements of the PhilosophyofRight is developed also through the interpretation of works of art. This concept is sharpened in the framework of practical philosophy and contributes to a more precise determination of the components, the types and the forms of action and the conflicting action. On the other hand, in Hegel’s aestheticlectures there is a special paragraph “the action”, which explicitly leads to a connection between action, language and poetic expression. The whole philosophy of art, especially the description of literature according to different poetic works, will prove the validity of this principle and contribute to a more accurate understanding of the concept of action and literature. The interactive enrichment of practical philosophy and aesthetics should also be unfolded in certain facets of the concept of action and in selected works of art.

Brief Introduction of the Lecturer:

Klaus Vieweg, professor in the Department of Philosophy in Jena University, a famous Hegel-expert. He is active on the German and international academic stage; in his research field his studies are at a leading position. His research fields are including German Classical Philosophy, practical philosophy, romanticism, skepticism and aesthetics. He has abundant writings and they are very influential. His representative works as follows,

Das Ende der Kunst als Anfang freier Kunst (The End of Art as the Beginning of Free Art) (Hg. K. Vieweg/F. Iannelli, F. Vercellone), München 2015.

Das Denken der Freiheit -- Hegels Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts (The Idea of Freedom -- Hegels Outlines of the Philosophy of Right), München 2012. (Translation to Chinese, Japanese, Portugues, Italian, Spain and Korean)

Zur Architektonik praktischer Vernunft -- Hegel in Transformation (On Architecture of Practical Reason) (Hg. H. Rosa, K. Vieweg), Berlin 2014.

Hegel -- 200 Jahre Wissenschaft der Logik (Hegel -- 200 Years of the Science of Logic) (Hg. T. Koch, F. Schick, K. Vieweg, C. Wirsing), 2014.

Genius loci, Darmstadt 2014

Reconocimiento, libertad y justicia -- Actualidad de la Filosofia Practica de Hegel (Hg. M. Rojas Hernandez, K. Vieweg), Mexico D. F. 2014

Shandean Humour in English and German Literature and Philosophy (Hg. K. Vieweg/J. Vigus/K. M. Wheeler), Oxford 2013.

Inventions of the Imagination (Hg. R. T. Gray/K. Vieweg et al.), Seattle 2011.

Die Aktualität der Romantik (The Actuality of Romanticism) (Hg. M. Forster/K. Vieweg), Berlin 2012.