Liz Disley - Hegel, Love and Forgiveness: Positive Recognition in German Idealism

This monograph is a substantially revised and expanded version of my PhD thesis, submitted to the University of Cambridge, awarded in 2009. I would particularly like to thank Douglas Hedley, who supervised the writing of this, for his enormously valuable guidance at all stages of the process. I would also like to thank the examiners, George Pattison and Russell Re Manning, for their extremely useful reports on the original thesis.

Part of the revisions and transformation of this work from thesis to monograph took place whilst I was employed as Project Manager and Research Assistant on the Impact of Idealism International network, funded by the Leverhulme and Newton trusts. I, and this work in general, benefitted greatly from observing and participating in scholarly exchange about the legacy and contemporary relevance of German Idealism. This work crosses boundaries between philosophy, particularly philosophical anthropology, and theology, and this interdisciplinarity has been greatly enhanced by my participation in the network. I am therefore grateful to all of the participants, and particularly the Principal Investigator, Nicholas Boyle, for their support at all stages.

During this period, I held a Fellow-Commonership at Magdalene College, Cambridge, which also, through the Leslie Wilson studentship, funded the PhD research that formed the original basis for this monograph. I am immensely grateful for the financial support, and for the membership of this scholarly community.

I would also like to thank the University of St Andrews, where I am an Honorary Fellow in the Departments of Philosophy. My research in general has benefitted greatly from seminars, reading groups and the intellectual community in general.

I am also grateful to three anonymous reviewers for their extremely helpful comments at the review stage, and Sophie Rudland at Pickering & Chatto for her valuable practical assistance.

Without my husband Andrew, no part of the writing of this work, as thesis or as monograph, would have been possible. He has supported, encouraged and assisted in more ways than can be counted. It is to him that this work is dedicated.

Liz Disley

St Andrews, September 2014