Now that I have outlined the basic elements of Hegel's philosophical project, it is probably worth making a few terminological clarifications, beginning with the most obvious. In what follows, I shall be defining “Hegelianism” very broadly to mean the history of the reception, productive appropriation and critical transformation of Hegel's philosophy. More specifically, I shall interpret “Hegelianism” to refer to the diverse philosophical movements shaped by a sustained engagement, whether affirmative or critical, with important aspects of Hegel's philosophical project. This would encompass both the explicit followers of Hegel's philosophy, who argue over its true meaning and significance (such as the “Left” and “Right” Hegelians), and those independent movements (such as existentialism and Marxism) that are explicitly critical of, while also drawing upon, Hegelian thought. As we shall see, there are also many individual philosophers whose projects remain at odds with Hegel, but for whom a critical confrontation with Hegelian thought remains essential for comprehending modern philosophy and modernity itself (Heidegger, Adorno, Habermas and many others).

In this chapter, I explore some of the adventures of Hegelianism, in all these senses, starting with the dissolution of the Hegelian school into “Right”, “Centre” and “Left” Hegelian camps. The disputes that led to this break-up concerned the relationship between Hegel's philosophy, religion and politics: was Hegelianism in essence an expression of Christian religious truth? Or was religion superseded by philosophy? Did the Hegelian realization of freedom mean that philosophy had to be transformed into practical action? Questions such as these led to the disputes between Right and Left Hegelian schools, and eventually to the transformation of Hegelianism in the opposing directions of existentialism and Marxism.