Hegel and the ontological critique of liberalism. (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel)

American Political Science Review, December, 1997 by Kaufman, Alexander

An analysis of the ethics of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's ethical theory suggests that identification provides the foundation for trust in the institutions and norms of civil society. This view supplements contemporary concepts of trust as a social capital that requires mediation between the state and the individual. Mediation ensures that individuals comprehend the role of the state in furthering their interests and that the state continues to look after the interests and needs of its members.

Is some form of identification with ethical norms and institutions a necessary condition of viable social life? If so, what form of identification is required? Contemporary communitarian theory argues for a particular form, which I will call strong identification. Because...

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