Hegels Philosophy of Right

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel′s Philosophy of Right is widely acknowledged as one of the most important texts in the history of moral and political philosophy. While exerting a profound influence on several major philosophical movements, the groundbreaking 1820 work continues to shape philosophical thought. Hegel′s Philosophy of Right presents a collection of new essays by leading international philosophers and Hegel scholars who analyze and explore Hegel′s key contributions in the areas of ethics, politics, and law.

Contributions address issues that include ethics, the relationship of Hegelian ethics with contemporary debates in value theory, the so–called "empty formalism" objection that Hegel directs at Immanuel Kant′s moral philosophy, Hegel′s understanding of law, justice, and political issues that shed new light on Hegel′s ideas of punishment, ethical life, and family. Scholarly and thought–provoking, Hegel′s Philosophy of Right offers important new insights into our understanding of Hegel′s seminal Philosophy of Right and the broader world of Hegelian philosophy.

Notes on Contributors vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1
Thom Brooks

Part I Ethics 7

1 Consequentialism and Deontology in the Philosophy of Right 9
Dean Moyar

2 The Empty Formalism Objection Revisited: x135R and Recent Kantian Responses 43
Fabian Freyenhagen

3 On Hegel′s Critique of Kant′s Ethics: Beyond the Empty Formalism Objection 73
Robert Stern

Part II Politics 101

4 Hegel and the Unified Theory of Punishment 103
Thom Brooks

5 Hard Work: Hegel and the Meaning of the State in his Philosophy of Right 124
Kimberly Hutchings

6 Gender, the Family, and the Organic State in Hegel′s Political Thought 143
Alison Stone

Part III Law 165

7 Natural Law Internalism 167
Thom Brooks

8 Hegel on the Relation between Law and Justice 180
Alan Brudner

Index 209

Thom Brooks is Reader in Political and Legal Philosophy at Newcastle University. He is editor and founder of the Journal of Moral Philosophy. His books include Hegel′s Political Philosophy: A Systematic Reading of the Philosophy of Right (2007).

“The essays are refreshingly free of complex jargon and, taken together, offer a good sampling of recent work in Hegelian moral and political philosophy.  Summing Up: Recommended.  Upper–division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers.”  (Choice, 1 October 2012)