Hegel s Concept Of Freedom - 2587 Words

What is Hegel’s concept of freedom? One wishes such a question could be easily answered. Hegel’s Elements of the Philosophy of Right has been read as Hegel tracing out his concept of freedom, at all of its different moments, in its many different forms, personal, interpersonal and communal.1 So we do not follow the path that Hegel traces and arrive at a concise definition of freedom; rather Hegel’s definition of freedom is contained in and expounded through the entire path.2 In this paper I will attempt to follow this path and make the various aspects of Hegel’s concept of freedom as clear as possible. Before I set out on this Hegelian path, I want to clearly differentiate between philosophical conceptions of freedom and political conceptions of freedom. Philosophical freedom is broadly concerned with the nature of the will. It is primarily concerned with the freedom of the individual, with free will. Political freedom, conversely, is concerned with the relationship between the subject and the external world, with rights, with what one is permitted to do. There is an obvious sense in which an ape living in the wild is freer than an ape confined to a small cage. If one were to argue that apes lack the necessary rationality, self-awareness, mind, soul, etc. that is necessary for freedom, or if one were to argue that the world is determinist and so both apes are equally unfree, one would be missing the point. The ape lacks what might broadly beShow MoreRelatedThe Main Element Of The Philosophy Of Right897 Words   |  4 Pagesas political philosophy, the text’s primary concept is freedom. Hegel’s dominant claim is that free will is the only way in which right is pertinent to philosophical science. He describes will as the ability to convey concepts into existence. The will exists solely when an action is brought forward and only in those who are self-conscious. The origin of right is crafted by the free will that expresses freedom, which Hegel states is the goal of right. Hegel affirms that the will is free. â€Å"When the willRead MoreHegel Legitimised the French Revolution but not the Revolutionaries Themselves1272 Words   |  6 PagesHegel Legitimised the French Revolution but not the Revolutionaries Themselves Hegel views on the role of the individual can be seen and used to justify the Revolution. Individual freedom can also be woven into these ideas and living in a community or society is how Hegel saw the individual fulfilling their life. Hegel agreed with the ideas of the classical Greeks in as much that he thought the individual should lead an ethical life. In this ideal each individual has obligationsRead MoreThe Theories Of Freedom Articulated By Rousseau, Burke, And Hegel1208 Words   |  5 Pages2. Rousseau boldly asserts that we are â€Å"born free† but are â€Å"everywhere in chains.† what political theorists have thought about the concept of freedom, its basic meanings, and its presence or absence in the world. Discuss the theories of freedom articulated by Rousseau, Burke, and Hegel. In your view, which theorist expressed the most adequate understanding of freedom? Why? (300* 3)words for each theorist + 100 words for my opinion = 900 + 100= 1000W Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas were extremelyRead MoreKant s Philosophy Of The State And Analysis Of Historical Summit1312 Words   |  6 PagesCompromised largely in Kant s ideas, Hegel s systemic philosophy of the State and analysis of historical summit of the body politic provides the foundation of Marxism and alike. Hegel declares the concept of state as superior to the individual. In his book Philosophy of History, he establishes Reason as the rational manifestation of world history which subsists in both natural and spiritual realms; But the Spirit, and the course of its development, is the substance of history (20). Reason asRead More Hegel and the Russian Constitutional Tradition3343 Words   |  14 PagesHegel and the Russian Constitutional Tradition ABSTRACT: This paper advances the idea that Russian constitutionalism developed through a reinterpretation of Russian history in terms of Hegels concept of the World Spirit. Russians implicitly viewed their nation as the embodiment of Hegels World Spirit, which would have a unique messianic mission for humanity. However, the specifics of Russias historical development diverged from Hegels critical stage of ethical development, in which individualsRead MoreAntigone - Compositions On The Works Of Sophocles Antigone1026 Words   |  5 Pagesbefitting funeral and the other wanting to challenge the machine, led to Thebes Argos army and remained apart after the death burial on orders inherited the throne of Creon, brother-Oedipus, A. decides on defying mania lord, to honor the dead brother s funeral and divided intent with his sister Ismenio. That is not in a position to violate the ban, fearing the promised punishment. (In addition, there is this contrast between the two sisters to some extent prompted eksodom Aeschylus Seven vpererezRead MoreWhat Purpose And Composition Of An Ideal State Should Be And The Consequences Of The Individual1894 Words   |  8 PagesAmong the more controversial intellectual ventures of continental philosophers is answering the question of what the purpose and composition of an ideal state should be and the consequences of that state on its citizens. Philosophers Hegel and Rousseau found common ground in the need for a form of authority separate from the collective people, but they prescribed different types of government based on their conflicting views on a state’s exact role in relation to the citizens. At the heart of bothRead MoreEssay about Hegel and The Libertarians2958 Words   |  12 PagesHegel and The Libertarians ABSTRACT: This paper aims to show how the Hegelian philosophy can contribute to the conceptual discussions between the two strains of contemporary ethical-political philosophy. I argue that the Hegelian political theory is of central import to the discussion between communitarians and libertarians, both in the communitarian criticism of the libertarian — mainly in Michael Sandels criticism of Rawls — and in the Rawlsian project of a society founded in justice as equalityRead MoreHobsbawm s The Age Of Extremes1079 Words   |  5 PagesNeither the periodization nor the titles are important, however Hobsbawm has limited himself to the `short Twentieth Century marked by the start of the First World War and concluding with the collapse of the Soviet Union at the start of the 1990 s. In practice, Hobsbawm analysis is shown to move on beyond 1991 and makes it apparent of his awareness of the political forces that need to be understood if 1914 were to be explained. As the eco nomic growth between these two points might just be termedRead MoreThe Hybrid Application Of Hegelian And Kantian Philosophical Policy2957 Words   |  12 Pagesfrom 2011 through 2014; and 10 percent by 2015 and thereafter. Of the electricity generated each year from renewable sources, at least 4 percent must come from solar technologies. Initially, nine Colorado utilities serving over 80 percent of the state s electric customers will be required to comply with this proposal (40 CRS  §2124). In 2007, the Colorado General Assembly increased the RES by passing bill HB07- 1281, raising the state’s goal to twenty percent by 2020. It also increased the retail impact