Foundations of Hegel's Social Theory: Actualizing Freedom

The authoro?=s purpose is to understand the philosophical foundations of Hegelo?=s social theory by articulating the normative standards at work in his claim that the three central social institutions of the modern era--the nuclear family, civil society, and the constitutional state--are rational or good. Its central question is: what, for Hegel, makes a rational social order rational? In addressing this question the book aspires to be faithful to Hegelo?=s texts and to articulate a compelling theory of rational social institutions; its aim is not only to interpret Hegel correctly but also to demonstrate the richness and power that his vision of the rational social order possesses.Frederick Neuhousero?=s task is to understand the conceptions of freedom on which Hegelo?=s theory rests and to show how they ground his arguments in defense of the modern social world. In doing so, the author focuses on Hegelo?=s most important and least understood contribution to social philosophy, the idea of o?=social freedom.o?=Neuhousero?=s strategy for making sense of social freedom is to show its affinities with Rousseauo?=s conception of the general will. The main idea that Hegel appropriates from Rousseau is that rational social institutions must satisfy two conditions: first, they must furnish the basic social preconditions of their memberso?= freedom; and, second, all social members must be able subjectively to affirm their freedom-conditioning institutions as good and thus to regard the principles that govern their social participation as coming from their own wills.