Between Enlightenment and Myth: Hegel’s Rehabilitation of Mythology in Stuttgart

Abstract

This article analyzes the rehabilitation of mythology in the young Hegel's Stuttgart fragments (1785–1788), situating them within the context of the Aufklärung debates. The central thesis argues that these fragments suggest mythology plays a fundamental role in moral formation and community integration, challenging the Aufklärung narrative that reduced myth to mere superstition or error. The study reconstructs the intellectual horizon of the era, addressing the self-criticism of the late Enlightenment and the dialogue with authors such as Herder and Mendelssohn. Through the analysis of diary entries and contemporary excerpts, the text demonstrates that Hegel identifies a "particularism" in enlightened reason, which hindered its social impact and reach. As an alternative, mythology is presented as a truth that respects the common man's horizon of reach (Gesichtskreis) and guides him in the task of self-enlightenment. The article concludes that these early writings already established the foundations for interpreting mythology considering the Aufklärung critique, morality, and community unity.