This splendid book embodies a welcome effort to do justice to the ambitious multi-dimensionality of Hegels philosophy, particularly with respect to the inseparability of its metaphysical and political aspects. Eric Goodfield fruitfully places Hegel in the context of positivistic revolts against idealistic philosophy in general, and Hegels philosophy in particular, in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. Among its excellences is its intelligent recuperation of a rich sense of political theory, by contrast with political sciences more positivist inclination. It courageously and deftly takes issue with recent revisionist readings of Hegel in which the metaphysical dimensions have been expurgated. In helping restore a more genuine Hegel, Goodfield offers very thoughtful suggestions for the reassessment of contemporary political thought with an eye to a renewed engagement with the resources of the philosophical tradition. Very warmly recommended.
William Desmond, KU Leuven, Belgium, Villanova University, USA
I am delighted to see Eric Goodfield remind political theorists and metaphysicians alike that Hegels political theory, like all political theory, involves metaphysical commitments necessarily. All the better that the implicit metaphysics of Hegels treatment of universality turns out to be Hegels own metaphysics of universals.
Ruth Porter Groff, Saint Louis University, USA
This book happily pursues the re-emergent and salutary tradition of reading Hegels political philosophy explicitly in the light of his larger metaphysical system. At the same time, it effectively situates Hegelian theory securely within its broader intellectual contexts. As such, it makes a notable contribution to the history of political thought.
Peter J. Steinberger, Reed College, USA
In his engaging new book, Eric Goodfield argues persuasively for the significance of metaphysics to Hegels political thought, and indeed to political thinking more generally. His reconsideration of the metaphysical basis of Hegels position and the nature of political theory as a whole represents a significant development and contribution. His conclusions are timely and important, and will be of great interest to all those concerned with Hegels work and with how modern political science and theory have developed, and should be developed in the future.
Robert Stern, University of Sheffield, UK
Hegel and the Metaphysical Frontiers of Political Theory
For over 150 years G.W.F. Hegels ghost has haunted theoretical understanding and practice. His opponents first, and later his defenders, have equally defined their programs against and with his. In this way Hegels political thought has both situated and displaced modern political theorizing.
This book takes the reception of Hegels political thought as a lens through which contemporary methodological and ideological prerogatives are exposed. It traces the nineteenth-century origins of the positivist revolt against Hegels legacy forward to political sciences turn away from philosophical tradition in the twentieth century. The book critically reviews the subsequent revisionist trend that has eliminated his metaphysics from contemporary considerations of his political thought. It then moves to re-evaluate their relation and defend their inseparability in his major work on politics: the Philosophy of Right. Against this background, the book concludes with an argument for the inherent metaphysical dimension of political theorizing itself. Goodfield takes Hegels reception, representation, as well as rejection in Anglo-American scholarship as a mirror in which its metaphysical presuppositions of the political are exceptionally well reflected. It is through such reflection, he argues, that we may begin to come to terms with them.
This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and readers of political theory and philosophy, Hegel, metaphysics and the philosophy of the social sciences.
Eric Lee Goodfield is Visiting Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Hegel and the Metaphysical Frontiers of Political Theory
Eric Lee Goodfield
First published 2014
by Routledge
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2014 Eric Lee Goodfield
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Goodfield, Eric Lee
Hegel and the metaphysical frontiers of political theory / Eric Lee Goodfield.
pages cm. (Routledge innovations in political theory; 58)
1. Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 17701831 Political and social views. 2. Natural law. 3. State, The. 4. Political sciencePhilosophyHistory19th century. 5. Political sciencePhilosophyHistory20th century. I. Title.
JC233.H46G66 2014
320.01dc23
2013050456
ISBN: 978-0-415-69847-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-76803-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
The image on page iv is by Albrecht Drer, Kleine Eule, 1508.
Contents
There are quite a few people to thank and recognize for their generous assistance in the writing of this book. C.J. Berry, Michael Marder, William Bluhm and Henry Richardson all offered opinion and advice at different stages. Preston Stovall, Angela Harutyunyan, David Lay Williams, Thom Brooks, Ruth Groff, James Farr, John Gunnell, Melissa Lane, David Ricci, Matteo Morganti and Octavian Esanu offered readings and in-depth commentary on various chapters. Peter Steinberger, William Desmond and Catherine Hansen were active readers, commentators and intellectual comrades whose passionate interest and sympathies contributed to the overall design, argumentation and philosophical vision which permeates this book. In addition to the tremendous benefit and enjoyment that was gained from all of these supporters, the person of Robert Stern was of particular importance in the creation of a book that would deal with Hegels thinking and our own. His generous and reflective friendship was beyond account and saw me through the deepest and most difficult sections of the workthe chapters on Hegels logical and political thoughtwhere few are able or willing to tread.
For over 150 years Hegels ghost has haunted theoretical understanding and practice. His opponents first, and later his defenders, have equally defined their programs against and in terms of his. In this way modern political theorizing has been both situated and displaced by his own. The dialectics of Hegels reception, representation as well as rejection, is a mirror in which our thinking is exceptionally well reflected.
