Sean McStravick is a PhD candidate in philosophy at Sorbonne University, under the supervision of Antoine Grandjean and Céline Spector. He is currently serving as a teaching and research assistant (ATER) at Sorbonne University. His doctoral research focuses on the concept of habit and second nature in Hegel’s philosophy, exploring the transition from nature to spirit. He is editing a forthcoming collective volume on Hegelian anthropology.
Seán McStravick
Period at the center: May 26 – June 26
Research Project: The Anthropological Difference in Hegel’s philosophy : Animal Habits and Human Habits
Email: spmcstravick@gmail.com
WebsiteResearch Project
The Anthropological Difference in Hegel’s philosophy : Animal Habits and Human Habits
This research project explores the philosophical implications of Hegel’s concept of habit, particularly how it helps distinguish human beings from animals. The central hypothesis is that the difference between nature and spirit, as articulated by Hegel, is grounded in habit. I aim to show that Hegelian philosophy avoids two major pitfalls in anthropological thought: the immaterialist view, which locates humanity’s distinctiveness in reason alone, and the zoocentric approach, which sees humans as mere animals distinguished by biology. Both perspectives are valid but incomplete; Hegel’s originality lies in his articulation of their relationship. The core of my hypothesis is that Hegel does not define human distinctiveness through biology nor the mere use of reason, but through the collective cultivation of habits. Human habits, as products of reason, embody reason itself and concretely differentiate humans from animals.
Selected publications
Articles
“Taking Possession of Oneself. Remarks of the Sense of Self-Entitlement to Freedom in Hegel’s Philosophy” (Critical Horizon, forthcoming).
“Introduction. Le ‘moment’ anthropologique“, ed. R. Authier, S. McStravick (ed.) Enjeux et concepts de l’anthropologie hégélienne (Paris : SUP, forthcoming).