Principles of the International Hegel Society, adopted by the General Assembly in Athens on April 9, 1982.


1. Openness

Anyone actively interested in Hegel’s philosophy and its impact is eligible to participate, without further regard to academic degrees and positions, political affiliations and affinities, or philosophical leanings.


2. Scope

The Society’s work is not limited to groups or discussions of a purely academic nature. That young people be given the opportunity to take part in the conferences is particularly important. The Society also welcomes contributions by suitably qualified non-academics.


3. Publicity

Hegel’s philosophy is the occasion for philosophical debate on contemporary issues of political relevance. The media attention that therefore accompanies the conferences is to be desired — not for its own sake, but as a means to enhancing their effectiveness.


4. Interdisciplinarity

Within the academy, narrowly conceived, those who take part in the discussions are not to be limited solely to professional philosophers and Hegel specialists. Encounters between educators, sociologists, historians, natural scientists, and those with other specializations take place in the force-field of Hegelian philosophy and lend the discussions an interdisciplinary character.


5. Critical relationship to practice

Openness and broadness of scope are not to be confused with arbitrariness or neutrality. The diversity of standpoints and their mutual confrontation form the basis for deciding the topic of each conference, with the aim of gaining insight into the present time and thereby mobilizing its critical potential.

Principles