Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy of death. It offers a radical new reading of Walter Pater's aestheticism, one which will not take Pater's 'reconsidered' aestheticism at face value. The book also examines Pater's imaginary portraits alongside his identification of Hegel's 'radical dualism'. It focuses on Pater's final two imaginary portraits, 'Emerald Uthwart' and 'Apollo in Picardy'. Pater's rereading of Hegel, which brought with it a 'reconsideration' of his aestheticism, is galvanized by the desire to turn aestheticism into a necessary moment within the Hegelian whole. The 'radical dualism' is the brissure which opens up Hegel's restricted economy into a general one. Pater criticism has been dominated by issues which in themselves amount to merely so many variations upon Hegelian themes.