Hegel Beyond Liberalism

Hegel’s political philosophy has long been associated with some form of social or welfare liberalism. Questioning this interpretation, Bernardo Ferro shows that Hegel’s work harbours a more ambitious philosophical project, which points to a different vision of modern society. Ferro claims that Hegel’s account of the state should be read not as a complement to his characterization of civil society, but as a direct challenge to its underlying logic. He then draws the political and economic conclusions implicit in this line of approach, arguing that the conscious pursuit of the common good Hegel regards as essential to a rational state is not compatible with either a capitalist production system or a constitutional monarchy: a true dialectical synthesis of the particular interests of individuals and the general interests of society entails nothing less than a comprehensive democratization of the economic and the political spheres, and the need for this transformation holds the key to Hegel’s enduring political relevance.