Leiden an Unbestimmtheit: Eine Reaktualisierung der Hegelschen Rechtsphilosophie

by Axel Honneth

Hegels philosophisches Werk erlebt gegenwärtig eine interkontinentale Renaissance; seine Rechtsphilosophie, einst der Klassiker politischen Denkens, scheint demgegenüber etwas vernachlässigt. Das könnte sich mit der brillanten Studie des Frankfurter Philosophen Axel Honneth rasch ändern, der sich in sechs Kapiteln mit "individueller Freiheit" und "Sittlichkeit" auseinandersetzt.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Axel Honneth (born July 18, 1949) is a professor of philosophy at both the University of Frankfurt and Columbia University. He is also director of the Institut für Sozialforschung (Institute for Social Research) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Honneth's work focuses on social-political and moral philosophy, especially relations of power, recognition, and respect. One of his core arguments is for the priority of intersubjective relationships of recognition in understanding social relations. This includes non- and mis-recognition as a basis of social and interpersonal conflict. For instance, grievances regarding the distribution of goods in society are ultimately struggles for recognition.

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the author's proclaimed reaction to the dominant tendency of political philosophy, namely, a "return to Kant" driven in particular by Jürgen Habermas and John Rawls, which leads to very formal conceptions of political philosophy. Axel Honneth shows that it is not only possible but also desirable to reintroduce Hegel's political thought into the debates that animate contemporary political and social theory. In his view, it allows a social contextualization of the principles of justice and offers an institutional framework to the abstract principles of modern law and morality. He proposes a radically new interpretation of the Philosophy of Right, the main work of political philosophy written by Hegel. This updating makes it possible to determine the role and to delimit the place of law in social functioning. Above all, in a context of increasing individualisation of contemporary societies, it makes it possible to fully recognize the principle of modern individualism, but also to identify and correct its pathological drifts. Bonus – reading Honneth makes one feel like they finally understand Hegel :) Much clarity.

[R. S. Alamsyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readings of Hegel seem to generally tout themselves as shedding a light onto what his philosophy 'actually' stood for. Here, Honneth tries to show what Hegel's philosophy *could've* been.

Simultaneously hailing and critiquing Hegel's social theory, he tries to show how it can be reinterpreted to fit democratic principles. Hegel's innovation, for Honneth, lies im his theory of recognition and the intersubjective nature of the spheres of ethical life. What he disagrees with, however, is Hegel's insistent Institutionalism, which he thinks is sorely lacking the potential of the realization of freedom through the democratic participation of citizens within a republic.

[Elaine]

chapter 1 chapter 3 ethical life as normative theory of modernity