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Hegel’s Moral Concept of Evil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2013

TIMOTHY BROWNLEE
TIMOTHY BROWNLEE*
Affiliation:
Xavier University
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Abstract

The central aim of this article is to set out the essential elements of Hegel’s conception of evil. I demonstrate that Hegel understands evil primarily as a moral phenomenon. In particular, he identifies evil as a pernicious subjectivism and hypocrisy that undermines the social and institutional conditions for ethical action. An appropriate understanding of his conception of evil points to the centrality of trust to ethicality (die Sittlichkeit).

L’objectif principal de cet article est de faire ressortir les éléments essentiels de la conception du mal selon Hegel. Je démontre que Hegel comprend le mal principalement comme un phénomène (d’ordre) moral. Il identifie tout particulièrement le mal comme un subjectivisme pernicieux et une hypocrisie qui détruit les conditions sociales et institutionnelles d’une action éthique. Une compréhension appropriée de sa conception du mal souligne la centralité de la confiance à la vie éthique (die Sittlichkeit).

Type
Articles
Information
Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review / Revue canadienne de philosophie , Volume 52 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 81 - 108
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Philosophical Association 2013 

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