Guides to Hegel's Phenomenology

“When reading Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit for the first time, it’s important to have some kind of commentary or guide. Here are some of the best secondary sources available.

Jean Hyppolite taught Hegel to the entire generation of French Theorists and his commentary is still a masterpiece. You read the text expecting to find “French Hegel” and actually just find one of the best commentaries on the Phenomenology of Spirit. ~600 pgs

Peter Kalkavage’s Logic of Desire used to be my main recommendation for people until I learned that the author has a history of shady behavior. The book is about the same size and level of detail as Hyppolite, but highly readable and up to date in terms of scholarship. ~600 pgs

H.S Harris’ Hegel’s Ladder is the massive, two-volume, line-by-line commentary. The book is very large and bogged down with details, so I recommend it more as a useful reference than a commentary. ~1,600 pgs.

Charles Taylor’s Hegel covers all of Hegel’s philosophy. Taylor represents the paradigm of “boomer Hegel,” the main interpretation from the 1970’s. Pleasant book to read, although it gives a somewhat Heideggerian/metaphysical picture of Hegel. ~600 pgs.

Stephen Houlgate is a great commentator on Hegel generally. If you are looking for a shorter commentary, this is an excellent option. ~200 pgs.

Robert Stern also has an excellent commentary in the 200-page range. Another great choice if you are looking for a shorter commentary to give short summaries of what you are reading and help you find you way along Hegel’s Via Delarosa

Very short set of notes by H.S. Harris, helpful for quickly providing the gist of each section. ~100 pgs.

Quick flowchart:

• Looking for a commentary to clarify the entire argument in detail –> Hyppolite or Kalkavage
• Looking for a commentary to explain all references/sources –> Hegel’s Ladder
• Looking for the big picture/main ideas of each chapter –> Houglate or Stern.”