The Idea of Hegel's "Science of Logic"

Although Hegel considered Science of Logic essential to his philosophy, it has received scant commentary compared with the other three books he published in his lifetime. Here philosopher Stanley Rosen rescues the Science of Logic from obscurity, arguing that its neglect is responsible for contemporary philosophys fracture into many different and opposed schools of thought. Through deep and careful analysis, Rosen sheds new light on the precise problems that animate Hegels overlooked book and their tremendous significance to philosophical conceptions of logic and reason. Rosens overarching question is how, if at all, rationalism can overcome the split between monism and dualism. Monismwhich claims a singular essence for all thingsultimately leads to nihilism, while dualism, which claims multiple, irreducible essences, leads to what Rosen calls the endless chatter of the history of philosophy. The Science of Logic, he argues, is the fundamental text to offer a new conception of rationalism that might overcome this philosophical split. Leading readers through Hegels book from beginning to end, Rosens argument culminates in a masterful chapter on the Idea in Hegel. By fully appreciating the Science of Logic and situating it properly within Hegels oeuvre, Rosen in turn provides new tools for wrangling with the conceptual puzzles that have brought so many other philosophers to disaster.