Hegel and the foundation of right

Terje Sparby

pp. 239-256

in: Guttorm Fløistad (ed), Philosophy of justice, Berlin, Springer, 2015

Abstract

For Hegel, the ultimate foundation of right is spirit. Spirit essentially consists of self-knowledge. In Isaiah Berlin's critique of Hegel, the view that there is a true self (spirit) that can be known rationally is connected to an anti-pluralist, potentially totalitarian standpoint. Charles Taylor has argued successfully against that there is such a connection. This opens up for reading of Hegel's Philosophy of Right that both includes a fully fledged concept of spirit and is sensitive to pluralist concerns. Such a reading not only gives a better representation of the historical Hegel, but is also points to his contemporary relevance.

Cited authors

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich

Taylor Charles

Berlin Isaiah