Hegel is one of the greatest, but also one of the most difficult, philosophers. In this dictionary, Michael Inwood provides a complete survey of Hegel's thought through a series of alphabetically organized entries that explore his terminology. Hegel's innovative use of language, involving the influence of German etymology and his wide knowledge of the history of philosophy from its Greek origins, is a major aspect of his difficulty and obscurity. To enable the reader to understand Hegel's vocabulary, Inwood focuses on approximately 100 key terms from the "absolute" to the "will". The etymology and development of Hegel's terms are examined, together with their ordinary uses during his lifetime and previous applications of the terms in philosophy. German words, their English, Greek and Latin counterparts, are all discussed as a key to Hegel's use of the works and the doctrines he uses them to express.

The book also contains a brief life and intellectual portrait of Hegel, a general account of the use of German as a philosophical language (and Hegel's particular application of it) and a full bibliography.