Hegel on the Animal Organism

Abstract

My primary concern in this paper will be with Hegel's explanation and interpretation of the concept of organic life. I shall attempt an exposition of the basic structure of the section in the Encyclopedia (§ 337-376) on the animal organism. I say "attempt" here for a reason, for it turns out that Hegel's analysis of organic life is highly complex as well as idiosyncratic on occasion. These complexities will prompt a methodological reflection concerning the Hegelian dialectic and the particular use Hegel makes of it in the reconstruction of biological phenomena.