Introduction

Hegel never intended his Philosophy of Right to stand on its own, but instead it was meant to be read against the backdrop of his larger philosophical system, which he lays out in his Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences. Hegel's intentions are clear from the first passages in the preface to the Philosophy of Right, where he says:

The Encyclopaedia outlines Hegel's philosophy with respect to a large variety of topics, including logic, nature, politics, and religion. Hegel wrote supplementary texts for use in his lectures that expanded his treatment of topics in the Encyclopaedia at much greater length throughout his career. The Philosophy of Right is itself such a text, providing ‘a more extensive … exposition of the same basic concepts … already contained’ in the Encyclopaedia as we have seen above. In particular, the Philosophy of Right is a greater exposition of Hegel's views on politics found in sections §§483–552 of the Encyclopaedia, a part of the system that Hegel calls ‘Objective Spirit [Objektiv Geist]’. It is clear that the Philosophy of Right was written as an integral part of Hegel's larger philosophical system.