Abstract

This dissertation aims to provide a political reading of Hegel's Philosophy of Right that can contribute to the contemporary discussion concerning the ethical foundation of liberalism. I conclude, first, that Hegel successfully develops a concept of ethical liberalism that incorporates the principle of ethico-political integration into the discourse of liberalism. Second, the formation of ethical characters of citizens and the evolution of the liberal spheres of practices are two mutually supporting processes in ethical liberalism. Third, Hegel's analysis of the institutions can contribute to a concept of liberal community. I suggest that the state based on ethical liberalism actualizes more internal goods and attains a higher form of self-sufficiency than those human associations which can substantiate only ethical bonds. ;After the Introduction, Chapter Two discusses the historical origins of Hegel's practical philosophy, the meaning of ethical liberalism, and the architectonic structure of the Philosophy of Right. Chapter Three revisits Hegel's theory of civil society from the framework of the formation of modern personhood and the constitution of trust in the social sphere. Chapter Four treats Hegel's theory of the liberal state as a reflective constitutive community with ethical cohesion of patriotism and a community of rational citizens with civic engagements in the public sphere. Chapter Five deals with Hegel's concept of the executive power as a public organization of the modern state and his theory of bureaucratic behavior as a type of the Aristotelian phronesis. Chapter Six discusses the possibility of interpreting Hegel's treatment of monarchy as an esoteric criticism. In Chapter Seven I apply ethical liberalism to four issues: perfectionism, plurality of human associations, liberal principle of neutrality, and the philosophy of history. Chapter Eight concludes this dissertation by examining the coherence and relevance of the ethical-liberal interpretation of Hegel's political theory and its implications for political action