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Race and Colonialism in Hegel's Philosophy of Religion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2024

W. Ezekiel Goggin Open the ORCID record for W. Ezekiel Goggin [Opens in a new window]
W. Ezekiel Goggin*
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Independent Scholar zeke.goggin@gmail.com
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Abstract

Scholars have paid limited attention to the crucial relationship between Hegel's racism, his support for colonialism and his views on religion. This essay offers a critical reconstruction of how race and coloniality shape the question of religion (and vice versa) throughout Hegel's attempts to critique and ultimately vindicate European modernity. Paying special attention to the seminal role of ‘fetishism’ in his works, I argue that Hegel's intellectual concerns are racialized from the inception of his project. I conclude by suggesting an alternative philosophical approach to the concept of the ‘fetish’ and ‘fetishism’ to resist Hegel's racist and pro-colonial tendencies.

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Research Article
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Hegel Bulletin , First View , pp. 1 - 25
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Hegel Society of Great Britain

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