Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich (1770–1831) |
German philosopher, who, inspired by Kant, developed an idealist version of his philosophy, which influenced a wide spectrum of Western social thought in later years. He was a prime inspiration for such writers as Herder, who played a major part in formulating the idea of romantic nationalism. But he was also, through his use of dialectics, an important inspiration for Marx, who claimed - in his materialistic philosophy, to have "turned Hegel on his head".