Description
Freedom is the value that Hegel most greatly admired and the central organizing concept of his social philosophy. Alan Patten offers the first full-length treatment in English of Hegel's idea of freedom - his theory of what it is to be free and his account of the social and political contexts in which this freedom is developed, realized, and sustained. Patten's investigation illuminates and resolves a number of central questions concerning Hegel's ethics and political theory. Is Hegel's outlook unacceptably conservative? Can freedom be equated with rational self-determination? Is there any special connection between freedom and citizenship? By offering interpretations of Hegels views on these and other questions, Patten develops an original 'civic humanist' reading of Hegel's social philosophy that restores to its proper, central place Hegel's idea of freedom. The book is written in a clear and jargon-free style and will be of interest to anyone concerned with Hegel's ethical, social, and political thought and the sources of contemporary ideas about freedom, community, and the state.
Winner of the First Book Prize, Foundations of Political Theory section of American Political Science Association
About the Author
Alan Patten is Assistant Professor of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal. He was previously Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter.
Reviews
Patten succeeds in the important task of convincing his readers that Hegel's social and political thought continues to deserve our attention today * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
Patten does an exemplary job of reconstructing the philosophical positions that underlie Hegel's social and political theories, and his book contributes importantly to our ability to bring the resources of Hegel's thought to bear on the problems of contemporary social philosophy * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
The distinctive contribution of Patten's book is its thorough and incisive reconstruction of the argument that underlies the principal thesis of Hegel's social philosophy * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
offers its readers a clear and penetrating analysis of the complex conception of freedom that underlies Hegel's vision of the rational, or good, social order. In providing a reconstruction of Hegel's view that is unfailingly direct and jargon-free, Patten brings us to see the plausibility and attractiveness of a social philosophy that has often seemed both obscure and pernicious to Anglo-American critics * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement 01/05/2002 *
Awards
Winner of Winner of the First Book Prize, Foundations of Political Theory section of American Political Science Association; also of the Macpherson Award for the best book in political theory published in 1998 or 1999, from the Canadian Political Science Association.
Book Information
ISBN 9780198237709
Author Alan Patten
Format Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 224mm * 146mm * 17mm
Winner of the First Book Prize, Foundations of Political Theory section of American Political Science Association
About the Author
Alan Patten is Assistant Professor of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal. He was previously Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter.
Reviews
Patten succeeds in the important task of convincing his readers that Hegel's social and political thought continues to deserve our attention today * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
Patten does an exemplary job of reconstructing the philosophical positions that underlie Hegel's social and political theories, and his book contributes importantly to our ability to bring the resources of Hegel's thought to bear on the problems of contemporary social philosophy * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
The distinctive contribution of Patten's book is its thorough and incisive reconstruction of the argument that underlies the principal thesis of Hegel's social philosophy * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement *
offers its readers a clear and penetrating analysis of the complex conception of freedom that underlies Hegel's vision of the rational, or good, social order. In providing a reconstruction of Hegel's view that is unfailingly direct and jargon-free, Patten brings us to see the plausibility and attractiveness of a social philosophy that has often seemed both obscure and pernicious to Anglo-American critics * Frederick Neuhouser, Times Literary Supplement 01/05/2002 *
Awards
Winner of Winner of the First Book Prize, Foundations of Political Theory section of American Political Science Association; also of the Macpherson Award for the best book in political theory published in 1998 or 1999, from the Canadian Political Science Association.
Book Information
ISBN 9780198237709
Author Alan Patten
Format Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 224mm * 146mm * 17mm
