In his Encyclopaedia, Hegel’s section “Objective Spirit” is crucial for our understanding his more elaborated ethical and political philosophy in the Philosophy of Right. The latter assumes a familiarity with key ideas found only in the Encyclopaedia, including (a) a proof of the free will and the need to develop a philosophical account for distinguishing between a free will and an arbitrary will, (b) the wider context of how ethical and political philosophy sits within his philosophical system and (c) its link beyond itself to other parts of Hegel’s philosophy. Unlike other philosophers, Hegel’s work is systematic, and a deeper appreciation of Objective Spirit and its place within the system – made clear in the Encyclopaedia – illuminates crucial ideas in his Philosophy of Right.