Reason, freedom and history in Hegel

SYNOPSIS

Hegel's political philosophy is best understood when situated within the broader philosophical and theoretical concerns of his system. In constructing the system, he synthesised various themes that were prevalent in his intellectual epoch. As a result, he develops a theistic and cosmological system that explains everything in the world. The political philosophy is directly premised on this systemic foundation. The main concerns of the political philosophy are to link freedom to this broader cosmology. In doing this, Hegel identifies three main areas. They are the family, civil society and the state. The processes, institutions and consciousness that evolve from these differentiated, but connected, spheres of social interaction enable Hegel to demonstrate how freedom assumes a subjective and objective form in the state. The state, as a result, is the embodiment of freedom as well as the realisation of cosmic spirit whose essential nature is indeed freedom.