Nicolai Hartmann's Interpretation of Hegel's Dialectics

This paper examines Nicolai Hartmann’s interpretation of Hegel’s dialectics, with particular attention to what he terms “real dialectics.” It is divided into three sections. The first provides a concise account of Hartmann’s reading of Hegel in its historical and historiographical context, emphasizing its independence from contemporaneous interpretations, such as those of Wilhelm Dilthey and Neo‑Hegelianism. The second analyzes Hartmann’s treatment of the relationship between Aristotle and Hegel—a key step toward understanding his conception of "real dialectics.” Central here are the notions of the “concept” and the intellectual proximity between Aristotelian aporetics and Hegel’s dialectical method. The final section develops Hartmann’s account of Hegel’s “real dialectics,” examining its connection to the notion of Erfahrung and concluding with an evaluation of the elements Hartmann considers still philosophically relevant in Hegel’s dialectical thought.