Hegel and the Metaphysical Frontiers of Political Theory

This book examines the relation of Hegel’s politics to his metaphysics in light of the controversy this issue has inspired over the last fifty years and to consider its larger implications for contemporary social and political thought.

Goodfield reads Hegel’s devotion to the resolution of fundamental philosophical problems as both useful and necessary to the promotion and progression of modern and contemporary political theory. Recognition of this interaction between core philosophical and political questions represents an important contribution to the contemporary field of political thought. It features

• Overview of the nineteenth and twentieth century revolts against systematic philosophy and Hegel’s legacy
• Coverage of the twentieth century turn away from philosophical trends within political science and this turn’s impact on political theory
• In-depth readings of Hegel’s metaphysical and political thought in the context of the history of ideas
• A case for the reassessment and reengagement of contemporary political thought with philosophical tradition and its contemporary endeavors.

It will be of strong interest to students and scholars of Hegel, modern political thought, political philosophy and political theory.

Eric Lee Goodfield is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science in the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.