Hegel and the End of History

In what follows Hegel's philosophy of history as the zenith in historical thinking will be considered from three perspectives. I I will begin by discussing the two major reactions among Hegel's nineteenth century successors to the problem of historical finality. II Then I will go back to Hegel himself in order the analyze the speculative claims of his system with regard to historical time. III And finally, I will clarify the role played by those formal structures in historical reflexion which continue to fuel the controversy over what Hegel meant by the end of history.