Hegel Quote by Julián Marías
““For Hegel, reality is the absolute, which exists in a dialectical evolution that is logical and rational in character. According to his famous statement, everything that is real is rational and everything that is rational is real. Everything that exists is an element of this absolute, a stage in the dialectical evolution which culminates in philosophy, where the absolute spirit possesses itself in knowledge.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Philosophy of Hegel, Julián Marías, 1965
Hegel posits that reality and rationality are identical, and the absolute unfolds through dialectical stages, ending in philosophical self‑knowledge.
In simple terms: Reality equals rationality; the absolute evolves dialectically.
Key Takeaway
Seek understanding of how ideas develop.
Themes
philosophy
metaphysics
dialectics
knowledge
absolute
Mood
contemplative
intellectual
Type
philosophical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- academic study
- philosophical debate
- teaching philosophy
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Hegelian dialectic
idealism
logic
Questions to Reflect On
- How does dialectical evolution explain scientific progress?
- Can rationality fully capture reality?
A Different Perspective
Hegel’s view may overlook empirical contradictions.
![“The real, if it is anything, is a coherent whole, it is a unity so unified as to preclude the possibility of disunity. And this is what we have called the truth. The real thing is the thing as it truly exists. The true thing, the thing as it exists in its wholeness, is the real thing.[26] And how…” quote by Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b83/michael-oakeshott-23288_truth_the-real-if-it-is-anything-is-a-coherent_1693898.jpg)
![“This [Hegel's philosophy] illustrates an important truth, namely, that the worse your logic, the more interesting the consequences to which it gives rise.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/507/bertrand-russell-69_philosophy_this-hegel-s-philosophy-illustrates-an-i_2511241.jpg)
![“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 worship the state as a terrestrial divinity.”[211]” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/371/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_quote_yet-mere-membership-as-a-matter-of-duty_229759.jpg)
