Hegel's political philosophy has long been associated with some form of social or welfare liberalism. Bernardo Ferro challenges this interpretation and shows how Hegel's work harbours a more ambitious philosophical project, pointing to a different vision of modern society. Ferro argues that Hegel's account of the state should be read not as a complement to the concept of civil society, but as a direct challenge to its underlying logic. He then draws the political and economic conclusions implicit in this line of approach, arguing that the conscious pursuit of the common good which Hegel regards as essential to a rational state is not compatible with either a capitalist production system or a constitutional monarchy: a true dialectical synthesis of the particular interests of individuals and the general interests of society entails nothing less than a comprehensive democratization of the economic and the political spheres, and the need for this transformation holds the key to Hegel's enduring political relevance.

‘In this controversial but compelling interpretation of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, Bernardo Ferro shows that the basic thrust of Hegel's social and political philosophy is transformative. His book is poised to make a lasting impact not only on Hegel scholarship but, much more broadly, on general debates about the proper relationship between freedom, the market, and the state.'

Hannes Kuch - Goethe-Universität Frankfurt