Hegel's Theory of Responsibility

The first book-length treatment of a central concept in Hegel's practical philosophy - the theory of responsibility.

Mark Alznauer (Author)

9781107078123, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 February 2015

230 pages, 2 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.48 kg

A crucial aspect of Hegel's practical philosophy is his theory of responsibility. This theory is both original and radical in its emphasis on the role and importance of social and historical conditions as a context for our actions. But even those who agree that there is something valuable in Hegel's emphasis on sociality are not in agreement about what that something is or about how Hegel argues for it. Mark Alznauer offers the first book-length account of the structure of the theory and its place within Hegel's thought as a whole. The reader is carefully walked through the psychological, social and historical aspects of responsibility in Hegel's texts. The book demonstrates that attention to the concept of responsibility reveals the true nature of Hegel's controversial claims about the inherent sociality of human action.

Introduction
1. The actualization of the will
2. Responsibility and innocence
3. Action and the spheres of right
4. The inner-outer thesis
5. Transcending responsibility.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900 [HPCD]