Scholars from across the humanities and social sciences convened for the Gauss Seminar “Hegel and the Humanities,” on September 29, 2017. With nine short talks representing different approaches to Hegel and his legacy, the symposium generated lively multidisciplinary interchange, with extended discussion periods in each of three panels.
Presenters offered perspectives on aspects of Hegel’s thought from philosophy, political science, literary studies, religious studies, queer studies, feminism, Marxism, post-colonial studies, and math. A few emphases emerged: the place of Hegelian thought in questions of discipline, Hegel’s role in modern literary criticism, and Hegel’s complex legacy for political theory. As a whole, the day demonstrated the continuing importance and challenge of Hegel’s thought.
Named in honor of Dean Christian Gauss, The Gauss Seminars in Criticism were instituted in 1949 to provide a focus for discussion, study, and the exchange of ideas in the humanities.