In addition to his more specialized work, he has also written popular books about philosophical issues.

After completing his doctorate and habilitation at Heidelberg University, he held a faculty position at New School for Social Research.

In the Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Sebastian Gardner wrote that the work is "Gabriel's most comprehensive presentation to date, in English, of his reading of German Idealism"[5] and notes that "due to its compression of a wealth of ideas into such a short space, the book demands quite a lot from its readers.

"[5] In a 2018 interview, Gabriel complained that "most contemporary metaphysicians are [sloppy] when it comes to characterizing their subject matter," using words like "the world" and "reality" "often...interchangeably and without further clarifications.

"[6] He goes on to explain: In an April 2020 interview he called European measures against COVID-19 unjustified and a step towards cyber dictatorship, saying the use of health apps was a Chinese or North Korean strategy.