Sixteen Lectures on the Proofs of the Existence of God : Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion

Sixteen Lectures on the Proofs of the Existence of God:According to Hegel, the history of the world narrates the progress of humanity into a consciousness of freedom. A series of lectures on the proof of the being of God were delivered by him in 1830. While engaged on a new edition of his complete Logic, having finished the revision of the first volume, he died of cholera, Nov. 14, 1831.This text is taken from the third volume of the "Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion," and and are the special lectures on "The Proofs of the Existence of God," the Ontological Argument of St. Anselm is treated fully and extensively. It is interesting to note that Hegel's last pages on the subject were written in 1831, shortly before he past. And it is here that his preference for this proof is expressed in the most decided manner. For he observes that it is generally used by later philosophers, "yet always along with the other proofs, although it alone is the true one."Admirers of modern philosophy who affect to treat the schoolmen with contempt would do well to follow the example of Hegel in this matter. And in the same way we may say that some of our censorious critics of the German thinkers might well be reminded of the lesson left by the great medieval masters. It is true that, in this case, we cannot have the same direct evidence. We have seen how Hegel treated St. Thomas and the others. But where can we see how the Angelic Doctor would have treated Hegel? It would seem that this must be largely a matter of mere conjecture, on which each one of us may be left to form his own opinion. Yet, after all, there is some evidence that will at least carry us a certain way. For we can see how St. Thomas dealt with the heterodox works of philosophy current in his own day, and we may happily find that Hegel showed a broader and more tolerant spirit than some of his modern disciples.