Reviews for Hegel's philosophy of freedom

The average rating for Hegel's philosophy of freedom based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-03-14 00:00:00 Spencer Zoller Eric Weill offers us an apology for Hegel, as neither reactionary monster nor incoherent mystic of popular misconception. But this framing, of taming the man for modern liberal sensibilities, leads him into superficial digressions (eg Hegel's critique of the general will becomes a criticism of ethno-nationalism, rather than a more fundamental treatment of the relationship between a people and their politics). I see two significant aspects of Weil on Hegel on the State: 1. That abstract ideals like freedom, morality, etc, only have Fully meaningful content insofar as they are socially instatiated (hence its meaningless to talk of freedom against the state... what is "freedom", anyway - the will and the means for reason to achieve an end?), and 2. To become "objective" ( for which I read, Habermasianly, intersubjective) reason must be instatiated in a state, or more accurately the previsible oncoming state in its self (rather than actually existing states), as only through a universal institution that accounts for all desired and realizable individual ends can each rational will know its (Pareto?) optimum golden rule universalizable instantiation. I think I see what he's getting at, but to me this talk of Objectivity and Rationality is a little suspect, and the state is just one relatively effective tool for managing the perennial coalitional Darwinian struggle for status. But maybe if I understood Hegel a little better that would make me a Hegelian

Review # 2 was written on 2009-06-21 00:00:00 Todd Ooooooo In this work Plant investigates into Hegel's political philosophy through which Hegel tries to reinvigorate the ancient city state's unity of public and private domains. Since in the city-states individuals could take part in public space all the free citizens were political and free. In modern state Hegel tried to reconcile personal space with public space. He leaves no room for individuals except for in state. Therefore, for Hegel when personal act concides with state's act, then individual actualize his self and becomes free. So, he acts rationally. For Hegel, "what is rational is actual, what is actual is rational", the actual was modern state so he who obeys the rules put by the state acts rationally. Modern free individual is rational and manifestation of the self which is in search of self-recognition.