"Among philosophical systems, Hegel's is unique in its dialectical-speculative approach, its non-foundational circularity, and its coordination with the history of philosophy. In this study, Howard P. Kainz emphasizes this uniqueness by focusing on Hegel's methodology, terminology, metaphorical and paradoxical language, interpretation of the history of philosophy, and special contributions to metaphysics, the philosophy of nature, philosophical anthropology, political philosophy, and other areas.". "Kainz forgoes customary paragraph-by-paragraph or section-by-section analysis in order to focus on Hegel's system as a whole and its seminal ideas, making generous use of representative texts. Kainz gives special attention to the interrelationship between dialectical methodology and paradoxical propositions; the prevalence of metaphor in the philosophy of nature; and the close interrelationship between Christian doctrine and Hegelian speculation. A rich assortment of diagrams and tables further elucidates Kainz's systematic and historical analyses."--BOOK JACKET.