--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: but on Hegel, his \"idealist\" predecessor…" description: "\"“but on Hegel, his \"idealist\" predecessor who was the first philosopher to answer Kant's challenge of writing a Universal History. For Hegel's understa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/francis-fukuyama-11763_economic-development_but-on-hegel-his-idealist-predecessor-wh_3013922.jpg" --- # but on Hegel, his "idealist" predecessor who was the first… ![“but on Hegel, his "idealist" predecessor who was the first philosopher to answer Kant's challenge of writing a Universal History. For Hegel's understanding of the Mechanism that underlies the historical process is incomparably deeper than that of Marx or of any contemporary social scientist. For…” quote by Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/francis-fukuyama-11763_economic-development_but-on-hegel-his-idealist-predecessor-wh_3013922.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/francis-fukuyama-11763_economic-development_but-on-hegel-his-idealist-predecessor-wh_3013922.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/francis-fukuyama-11763_economic-development_but-on-hegel-his-idealist-predecessor-wh_3013922.jpg) > ““but on Hegel, his "idealist" predecessor who was the first philosopher to answer Kant's challenge of writing a Universal History. For Hegel's understanding of the Mechanism that underlies the historical process is incomparably deeper than that of Marx or of any contemporary social scientist. For Hegel, the primary motor of human history is not modern natural science or the ever expanding horizon of desire that powers it, but rather a totally non-economic drive, the struggle for recognition. Hegel's Universal History complements the Mechanism we have just outlined, but gives us a broader understanding of man—"man as man"— that allows us to understand the discontinuities, the wars and sudden eruptions of irrationality out of the calm of economic development, that have characterized actual human history.”” [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hegel sees history driven by a non‑economic struggle for recognition, a deeper mechanism than Marx’s materialism, explaining irrational eruptions amid economic development. **In simple terms:** History is driven by recognition, not just economics. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of esteem in societal change. Themes philosophy history recognition irrationality Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical academic When to use this quote - political movements - cultural revolutions - social upheavals Key Concepts Hegelian dialectic social dynamics non‑economic drives Questions to Reflect On - How does recognition shape modern politics? - Can economic and recognition drives coexist? A Different Perspective Economic factors also matter; balance both views. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economic development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-development/) [Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hegel/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Natural science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-science/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [“Both Hegel and Marx believed that the evolution of human societies was not open-ended, but would end when mankind had achieved a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/both-hegel-and-marx-believed-that-the-evolution-of-human-societies/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“Hegel did not deceive himself about the revolutionary character of his dialectic, and was even afraid that his Philosophy of Right would be banned.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-mehring/hegel-did-not-deceive-himself-about-the-revolutionary-character-of/) Franz Mehring > [“For Hegel , by contrast, liberal society is a reciprocal and equal agreement among citizens to mutually recognize each other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-hegel-by-contrast-liberal-society-is-a-reciprocal-and-equal/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“For Hegel, freedom was not just a psychological phenomenon, but the essence of what was distinctively human. 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It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-esposito/the-fact-is-that-philosophy-has-been-a-decisive-source-of-inspiration/) [Roberto Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-esposito/) > [“Ever since Hegel, world history, in contrast to historia , seems to be precisely what one has not seen and experienced, inquired after and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-l-with/ever-since-hegel-world-history-in-contrast-to-historia-seems-to-be/) Karl Löwith > [“For Hegel, reality is the absolute, which exists in a dialectical evolution that is logical and rational in character. According to his famous statement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juli-n-mar-as/for-hegel-reality-is-the-absolute-which-exists-in-a-dialectical/) Julián Marías > [At the present moment, the security of coherent philosophy, which existed from Parmenides to Hegel, is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/at-the-present-moment-the-security-of-coherent-philosophy-which/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [“Yet mere membership as a matter of duty is not enough for Hegel, given the grandeur of the state’s divine historical purpose: “One must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-c-hicks/yet-mere-membership-as-a-matter-of-duty-is-not-enough-for-hegel-given/) [Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-c-hicks/) > [“Should you ever intend to dull the wits of a young man and to incapacitate his brains for any kind of thought whatever, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/should-you-ever-intend-to-dull-the-wits-of-a-young-man-and-to/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [Contemporary philosophy illustrates Hegel's dictum that philosophy is its own time apprehended in thought, for in our age philosophy yields to the objectifying technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-phillip-verene/contemporary-philosophy-illustrates-hegel-s-dictum-that-philosophy-is/) [Donald Phillip Verene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-phillip-verene/) ## More by Francis Fukuyama > [“For Hegel , by contrast, liberal society is a reciprocal and equal agreement among citizens to mutually recognize each other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-hegel-by-contrast-liberal-society-is-a-reciprocal-and-equal/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [For capitalism flourishes best in a mobile and egalitarian society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/for-capitalism-flourishes-best-in-a-mobile-and-egalitarian-society/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“The only part of the world where tribalism was fully superseded by more voluntary and individualistic forms of social relationship was Europe, where Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/the-only-part-of-the-world-where-tribalism-was-fully-superseded-by/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [I've figured out in the course of my life that the one thing I'm good at doing is writing books, and it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/i-ve-figured-out-in-the-course-of-my-life-that-the-one-thing-i-m-good/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [In the future the optimal form of industrial organization will be neither small companies nor large ones but network structures that share the advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/in-the-future-the-optimal-form-of-industrial-organization-will-be/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [“teori kapitalisme global”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/teori-kapitalisme-global/) [francis fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [Be afraid of the Chinese. 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But I'd get rid of tenure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-fukuyama/i-m-a-tenured-professor-but-i-d-get-rid-of-tenure/) [Francis Fukuyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-fukuyama/) > [I'm basically an optimist because I do think there's this historical modernisation process, and by and large it's been very beneficial to people. 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