Introductory description

This module will engage with some of the key writings of two highly influential figures in nineteenth-century Post-Kantian philosophy who have had a significant impact on modern social and political theory especially, Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831) and Karl Marx (1818-1883). The module aims to provide an in-depth examination of, and critical engagement with Hegel's Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Marx's critique of the modern state and his theory of history. Particular attention will be paid to the various types of freedom that Hegel introduces, his attempt to situate personality and moral subjectivity within a modern form of ethical life (Sittlichkeit) so as to reconcile modern individualism with a human being’s social nature, and to Marx's critique of the modern state as an alienated form of life which is destined to be replaced by communism.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The module looks at central aspects of Hegel's Philosophy of Right and shows how this work provides the basis for Marx's critique of the modern state. Particular attention will be paid to the various types of freedom that Hegel introduces, and to his attempt to situate personality and moral subjectivity within a modern form of ethical life so as to reconcile modern individualism with a human being’s social nature. Other issues to be discussed include Hegel’s revolutionary conceptual distinction between civil society and the political state, which plays a key role in Marx's theory of the modern state as an alienated form of life.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Subject knowledge and understanding:… have a systematic understanding and knowledge of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and the major conceptual issues that it raises in connection with the nature of the modern state and the individual’s place within it. The students should also be able to understand how Marx’s critique of the modern state relates to Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and to offer relevant support for and critical responses to the arguments and views set out by Hegel and Marx.
• Key skills: … should be able to communicate clearly and substantively in speech and in writing on the issues raised by their close reading and critical analysis of the relevant texts. They should be able to engage with these texts in a way that appreciates their potential relevance to present-day concerns while being sensitive to the historical context in which they were written. The students should also be able to evaluate critically the relevant secondary literature.
• Cognitive Skills)... be able to analyse and critically evaluate different theories and arguments presented in the primary texts, and to come to an independent assessment of their merits with the aid of relevant secondary literature. The students should also to be able to discern and critically evaluate the different types of argument employed.

Indicative reading list

Primary texts

G.W.F. Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right (Cambridge University Press, 1991)
Karl Marx, Early Political Writings (Cambridge University Press, 1994)

Selected secondary texts

Avineri, S. The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx (Cambridge University Press, 1968)
Franco, P., Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom (Yale University Press, 1999)
James, D., Rousseau and German Idealism: Freedom, Dependence and Necessity (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Neuhouser, F., Foundations of Hegel's Social Theory: Actualizing Freedom (Harvard University Press, 2000)
Pippin, R.B. and O. Hoffe, Hegel on Ethics and Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
Wood, A. W., Hegel's Ethical Thought (Cambridge University Press, 1990)
Wood, A. W., Karl Marx (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981)

Subject specific skills

Have a systematic understanding and knowledge of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and the major conceptual issues that it raises in connection with the nature of the modern state and the individual’s place within it. The students should also be able to understand how Marx’s critique of the modern state relates to Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and to offer relevant support for and critical responses to the arguments and views set out by Hegel and Marx.

Transferable skills

(a) The ability to communicate information (verbally and in written form) to people both expert and non-expert in the field; (b) The ability to analyse, evaluate, critique and apply complex information gathered from reading, reflection, reasoning or communication. (c) The ability to effectively manage schedules and deadlines.