Born in 1770, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a philosopher par excellence whose political ideas are most prominently found in his famous 1821 work, Philosophy of Right. Serving as the official ‘state philosopher’ of the erstwhile German Kingdom of Prussia, he is renowned for his political concepts regarding the dialectics of ideas, civil society, the state, and freedom. Hegel’s philosophically profound concepts are considered so timeless and non-binary that he is equally revered as an inspiration for both the political right and left.
At the core of his thought is the ethical position of the state, which seeks a balance between the state and the individual by questioning how much right belongs to men and how much power belongs to the state. Furthermore, his concept of idealism is fundamentally derived from the “idea” itself.
Dialectical Idealism
For Hegel, ideas represent consciousness or the absolute spirit; they are the reason which makes sense in reality. He famously propounded the concept that “real is rational, and rational is real”. Taking inspiration from the Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates’s claim that ‘an unexamined life is not worth living’, Hegel formulated his own method of examining life called ‘dialectical idealism’.
According to Hegel, all realities which we see through our naked eyes are the result of a continuous ‘struggle between ideas’. Dialectics is defined as a process of exposing contradictions, and then refining and removing them to achieve an absolute or perfect form.
The Three Steps of Dialectics
He provided three distinct steps for his dialectical idealism:
- 1. Thesis: This represents the central theme of the discussion or the main argument (the narrative).
- 2. Antithesis: Because contradictory ideas exist for each argument, countering arguments must also be examined and cross-examined (the counter-narrative).
- 3. Synthesis: This is the final outcome that emerges from the struggle between the thesis and antithesis. It is the best possible conclusion which includes important elements of both the thesis and antithesis.
It is important to note that the synthesis is neither infallible, nor is it the end of dialectical idealism. This continuous circulation of thesis-antithesis-synthesis keeps running until we find ‘absolute truth’ or ‘absolute consciousness’. According to Hegel, dialectics is the most logical apparatus for interpreting history in its true form.
Philosophy of History
Hegel proclaimed that “ideas are the true motor of history”. History is nothing but a continuous corollary of a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. Unlike the Indian conception of a negative and regressive march of history towards Kaliyuga, Hegel gave a progressive version of history. He believed that history is moving towards a logical and rational conclusion which will eventually bring about absolute spirit and absolute consciousness.
He proclaimed Ancient Greece as the starting point of the history of the state, while designating the European notion of the ‘nation’ as the noblest form of the state. Ultimately, Hegel presented human society as a dialectical process.
The Stages of History
According to Hegel, the stages of history unfold in the following sequence:
- Stage 1: The evolution of the physical or the inorganic world.
- Stage 2: The evolution of the organic world, such as animals and plants.
- Stage 3: The evolution of the human being as a rational agent, which represents a qualitatively higher stage.
- Stage 4: The establishment of the family, representing an initial idea of human association.
- Stage 5: The establishment of civil society, characterized by mutual cooperation and economic interdependence.
- Last Stage: The formation of the State. This stage represents a perfectly rational and perfectly ethical social order that symbolizes universality.
Theory of State
“State is the march of God on earth.” — Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel conceptualized three important aspects of human life: family, civil society, and the state. Unlike early social contractarians such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, Hegel did not mingle the concept of ‘civil society’ with that of the ‘state’. According to Hegel, each of these organs reflects a distinct idea:
- Family: The family reflects the idea of ‘particularistic altruism’. This means that each member of the family is ready for the selfless service of another member. However, this altruism is limited only to family members and is, therefore, particularistic in nature.
- Civil Society: As opposed to the family, civil society reflects the idea of ‘universal egoism’. This is a sphere where each member of society creates interpersonal relations for the fulfillment of their own self-interests (e.g., our relationships with newspaper hawkers, milkmen, and shopkeepers).
- To sustain civil society relations, Hegel proposed an intermediary setup called the ‘external state’, which is based on the idea of ‘universal principles’.
- According to Hegel, this ‘external state’ is nothing but what Thomas Hobbes and John Locke call the ‘state’.
- Its primary work is to facilitate relations among members of civil society by providing common measurements, communication mediums, and security.
- State: Above all exists the institution of the ‘State’, which is the supreme reason. Based on the conception of ‘universal altruism’, the state reflects not merely the will of the people but the spirit of God.
Characteristics of the State and Freedom
The state has its own soul, reason, and consciousness. Hegel’s state is defined as a political community where a group of people manage their collective life together.
Under his ‘theory of freedom’, Hegel asserted that “what the state decides for people is true freedom”. He argued that state laws and regulations represent a universal spirit and are designed for the benefit of larger humanity. Hence, even disagreeing citizens are obligated to follow the state’s orders.
The State as a Dialectical Process
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was fundamentally a statist thinker. According to his philosophy, the formation of the State as an organization for human society represents a dialectical process.
For Hegel, “reason gets its perfect realization in the state”. The state serves as the highest manifestation of reason specifically because it emerges as a synthesis of the family (which acts as the thesis) and civil society (which acts as the antithesis). Summarizing this ultimate authority, Hegel further stated that “The State is Reason Personified”.
The Idea of the Universal Class
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel believed that the realization of true freedom fundamentally required an efficient and exemplary bureaucracy. To build this system, he advised that the bureaucracy should be chosen through open competition and based strictly on merit.
He referred to these meritocratic administrators as the “universal class”. This designation was given because they are meant to represent the common interests of the people and dedicate themselves to serving the public. Hegel’s faith in the capability of this bureaucracy was so strong that he called for a constitutional monarch whose primary administrative work would simply be to “sign on dotted lines,” leaving the real governance to these experts.
Book List with Important Information
The following table outlines several of Hegel’s major works alongside their central philosophical themes:
| Book | Central Idea |
| Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) | Acts as an inquiry into deep philosophical ideas, including the absolute spirit, consciousness, and truth. |
| Science of Logic (1812) | Focuses heavily on the principles of logical reasoning and dialectics. |
| Philosophy of Right (1821) | Details his comprehensive theory regarding civil society and the state. |
| Lectures on the Aesthetics (1835) | Examines the concepts and themes of Romanticism. |
| Philosophy of History (1837) | Centers entirely on the framework of Historical Idealism. |