An English translation of Hegel's introduction to his lectures on the philosophy of history based directly on the standard German edition by Johannes Hoffmeister first published in 1955. The previous English translation by J. Sibree first appeared in 1857 & was based on the defective German edition of Karl Hegel to which Hoffmeister's edition added a large amount of new material previously unknown to English readers derived from earlier editors. In the introduction to his lectures Hegel lays down the principles & aims which underlie his philosophy of history & provides an outline of the philosophy of history itself. The comprehensive & voluminous survey of world history which followed the introduction in the original lectures is of less interest to students of Hegel's thought than the introduction & is therefore not included in this volume.