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This title was first published in 2001: Hegel's Metaphysics of God presents Hegel's response to Kant's claim that metaphysics in general and, in particular, knowledge of God, is beyond the grasp of human knowledge. Calton argues that Hegel uses his version of the ontological proof not only to establish the existence of God, but also to develop a Trinitarian divine ontology. This book details the development of Hegel's argument for a Trinitarian metaphysics of God and establishes that the structure of Hegel's ontological proof encompasses Hegel's entire philosophical system, from the concept of God, to God's self-expression in finitude, and, finally, to the recognition on the part of human consciousness that humans are an integral part of God's being.
List of contents
Contents: Introduction: The tension between religion and philosophy; The Enlightenment and Romanticism on knowing God; Hegel’s solution to the problem of cognition of God; Hegel’s critique of the ontological proof: Introduction; Anselm’s formulation of the ontological proof; Kant’s critique of the ontological proof; Hegel’s rejection of Kant’s critique; Hegel’s criticism of Anselm’s ontological proof; Hegel’s ontological proof: Lessing’s ditch and Hegel’s ontological proof; The form that a proof for God’s existence must take; Hegel’s ontological proof: being is systematic mind; Bridging Lessing’s ditch: the truth of the finite is the infinite; Hegel’s proof takes the proper form; Hegel’s metaphysics of God: Hegel’s proof entails a trinitarian divine ontology; The Enlightenment’s empty concept of God; Hegel’s response to Enlightenment philosophy of God; Hegel’s deduction of God’s trinitarian structure; The deduction of the intrinsic trinity; the deduction of the extrinsic trinity; Knowledge of God: the kingdom of the spirit; A summary of Hegel’s ontological proof; Conclusion; Philosophy’s completion of the extrinsic trinity: Introduction; Humanity as alienated from God; The reconciliation of God and humanity; The kingdom of the spirit: the spiritual community; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
