Hegel's Civic Republicanism: Integrating Natural Law with Kant's Moral Constructivism

Westphal interprets Hegels moral philosophy as a robust form of civic republicanism, building on natural law in Humes and Kants accounts. He identifies the genre of Natural Law Constructivism and argues that Hegels justification for political legitimacy integrates Rousseaus Independence Requirement into public reason within a constitutional republic. His book is of interest to scholars of moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, and Hegel.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In his groundbreaking book, Westphal delves into an original interpretation of Hegel's moral philosophy, building upon his previous exploration of the role of natural law in the accounts of justice by Hume and Kant. Through meticulous research, Westphal establishes that Hegel not only developed but also justified a robust form of civic republicanism. He identifies the proper genre to which Hegel's Philosophical Outlines of Justice belongs, which he calls Natural Law Constructivism, an approach developed by Hume, Rousseau, Kant, and Hegel. Westphal further elucidates how Hegel adopted and augmented Kant's Critique of rational judgment and justification in all non-formal domains to his moral philosophy in his Outlines.

In his justification for the standards of political legitimacy, Westphal skillfully integrates Rousseau's Independence Requirement into the role of public reason within a constitutional republic. This integration demonstrates Hegel's commitment to progressive principles not only in theory but also in practice.

Hegel's Civic Republicanism holds immense interest for scholars engaged in the fields of moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, Hegel, as well as eighteenth- and nineteenth-century philosophy. Westphal's profound analysis and insightful interpretations shed light on Hegel's moral and political ideas, contributing to our understanding of this influential philosopher and his profound contributions to the philosophical discourse.

Weight: 640g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032337753