How does Hegel’s emphasis on the rational development of the…
How does Hegel’s emphasis on the rational development of the state and Sittlichkeit offer a perspective on political organization and individual liberty different from Montesquieu’s, and which is the better argument, and why? Do the respective arguments of Machiavelli and Hobbes about the necessity of strong, centralized authority and the pragmatic use of power persuasively undermine the liberal democratic principles advocated by Locke? Why or why not? Evaluate Hegel’s philosophy of history and the development of the ethical state as a critique of the atomistic individualism of social contract theory in Hobbes and in Locke, especially with respect to what the critique implies about the viability and justice of liberal democracy. Does Hegel persuade you and, if so, why; if not, why not? Which argument do you find more persuasive, and why: Rousseau’s general will, or individualism as developed either by Hobbes or by Locke?
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