Abstract

Questions concerning the legacy of Hegel have haunted philosophy for some time. These questions concern not just Hegel but the idea of a legacy in general. In this essay, I will ask why Hegel in particular should have occasioned philosophical reflection on the concept of a legacy. Section One begins from Lawrence Stepelevich’s assessment of how the Young Hegelians, especially Max Stirner, saw themselves in relation to the Hegelian legacy. This assessment is used as a backdrop for contrasting Jacques Derrida’s and Benedetto Croce’s questions concerning the Hegelian legacy. Section Two draws a connection between the way Hegel treats the legacy of the Greek ideal in art and Sigmund Freud’s distinction between mourning and melancholia. This connection is used to draw certain conclusions about what exactly makes a legacy in general problematic. Section Three suggests a way in which these conclusions might be used to negotiate an impasse in contemporary continental philosophy.