Hegel's Hermeneutics  |  The Logic of Affect  |  Analytic Philosophy and the Return of Hegelian Thought  |  Continental Idealism: Leibniz to Nietzsche


Hegel's Hermeneutics (Cornell University Press, 1996)

"A welcome addition to such recent books on Hegel as Allen Wood's Hegel's Ethical Thought (CH, Sep'91), Robert Pippin's Hegel's Idealism (1989), and Terry Pinkard's Hegel's Phenomenology, (1994). Highly recommended." Günter Zöller, Choice, November 1996: 473.

"… a thoughtful and well-written work that repays a close reading even by those who are not persuaded by its main thesis. After reading a flood of wooden poststructuralist diatribes against Hegel, it serves as an excellent chaser." David Sherman, Canadian Philosophical Review, (1996): 433-35.

" … this is an important book and a valuable contribution to current discussions on hermeneutics." Peter C. Hodgson, Religious Studies Review, 23 (1997): 151.

"Redding has made a real contribution to Hegel scholarship, one that goes a long way to bringing the allegedly opposed directions of modern thought ("continental" and "analytic") back together." Terry Pinkard, Journal of the History of Philosophy, 36 (1998): 29.

"Redding's logical analysis of the different spheres of ethical life provides the most persuasive evidence of which I am aware for a wholly recognitive interpretation of Hegel's logic." J. M. Bernstein, The Philosophical Review, 107 (1998): 160.

"This book … succeeds … to be both an informative and eminently readable introduction to Hegel's thought for the philosophically literate 'common reader' and simultaneously a highly challenging and innovative analysis for the professional philosopher with a specific interest in German Classical Idealism." Gyorgy Markus, Literature and Aesthetics, 9 (1999): 196.

" Hegel’s Hermeneutics is one of the most ambitious and suggestive book-length interpretations of Hegel’s system since Charles Taylor’s Hegel (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1975)." Paul Franks, Mind, 110 (2001): 817-821.

"This is one of the best books about Hegel that I have read." H. S. Harris, International Studies in Philosophy, 34, 4 (2002): 185–7.


The Logic of Affect (Cornell University Press, 1999)


 "Paul Redding's book on the logic of affect that draws on the tradition of German idealism is a valuable enterprise that can only be applauded for its fairness and open-mindedness" "… succeeds in placing the idealist tradition in  a context in which exciting and fresh aspects of these thinkers appear", "… a well argued invitation to discover the relevance of this tradition anew, this time from a challenging and very contemporary perspective." Kai Hammermeister, Philosophy in Review, 20 (2000), 146–7.

"On its own terms, Redding's book is a fascinating and original exploration of the relationships between embodiment, affect, representation, and cognition. It will appeal not only to the specialist, but to a broader audience, who will profit from Redding's fascinating account – written in a language that is available to the nonspecialist – and from and original and challenging reinterpretation of familiar texts." Otniel E. Dror, Journal of The History of The Behavioral Sciences, 36, 3 (2000):82.

"a brave attempt to link contemporary debates in analytic philosophy to an obscured history of German Idealism." Christine Battersby, Radical Philosophy, 103 (Sept-Oct 2000):45.

"Redding performs an important service in presenting these familiar theories in the larger context of the standard assumptions of late nineteenth century scientific psychology and of James's and Freud's overall positions. He also offers much needed defence of James's theory against striking experimental evidence that subjects identify their own emotions through cognitive appraisals of their situation. … The Logic of Affect contains many useful and illuminating discussions of earlier views, and frequent comparisons between past and present views … the breadth of Redding's coverage is a real asset." Patricia Kitcher, Mind, 110 (2001), pp. 539-42.

"What sets Paul Redding's The logic of affect apart from these popular works is the seriousness with which it tackles the history of philosophical thinking on the subject. Where Damasio and LeDoux rekindle interest in the theme of feeling, Redding gets its history straight. … The logic of affect accomplishes an astounding feat admirably: it begins to show how a group of thinkers commonly considered anathema to scientific treatments of mind are actually responsible for portions of it." Ryan Hickerson Philosophical Psychology, 16, 3 (2003): 471–2.


Analytic Philosophy and the Return of Hegelian Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2007)

“This is a genuine attempt to fuse the horizons of two deeply related but historically separated traditions.  Will Hegelian thought make significant inroads in the enclaves of analysis outside the boundaries of the Allegheny and the Monongahela, or will Hegel continue to be the gaping hole in the canon of Anglo-American philosophy?  Only time will tell, but there is new hope with books like this.” Willem A. deVries, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 2008-04-18, <http://ndpr.nd.edu/review.cfm?id=12925>   

“Redding's book is not only one of the best discussions of this exciting development in analytic philosophy, it also provides so many strong arguments that anyone working in this area will not be able to avoid taking Redding's position into account.” Titus Stahl, Critical Horizons, Vol. 9, No 1, 2008, pp. 109-112.

“This challenging volume is to be recommended as a rewarding read for analytic philosophers and Hegelians alike.” Robert F. Brown, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 16:4 (2008), pp. 826–9.

"Hegel’s recent resurgence within certain analytic circles is the result of a parallel movement … In his book Analytic Philosophy and the Return of Hegelian Thought , Paul Redding offers the most substantial account of this parallel movement to date. Aligning himself with Pippin, Pinkard, and other key figures of this “nonmetaphysical” Hegelian school, Redding contextualizes the works of Brandom and McDowell within the analytic tradition and points out precisely those Hegelian elements of their thought that are most amenable to a nonmetaphysical interpretation, all while maintaining remarkable range and clarity."   
Joshua Wretzel, The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Vol. 22.2, 2008, pp. 138-140.