This paper examines the « empirization » of Hegel’s philosophy through the lens of William James and Jean Wahl, two key figures in 20th-century philosophical empiricism. While both thinkers were overtly critical of Hegel’s systematic approach, their interpretations integrate elements of his thought into alternative structures. James’s radical empiricism and Wahl’s second-order empiricism prioritize lived experience over conceptual abstractions, offering a critique of Hegel’s dialectics while reimagining his insights on the unity of thought and reality. However, their reinterpretations do not merely dissolve Hegel into experience; rather, they reconstruct his philosophy within a strong, albeit non-systematic, metaphysical framework. By opening Hegel’s system to the flux of lived reality, they propose a model where individuality and universality coexist without hierarchical subordination, paving the way for ethical and philosophical pluralism. The paper situates these reinterpretations within broader debates on metaphysics, pragmatism, and the limits of systematic thought.
