Marx's Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right
Schuringa, Christoph (2021) Marx's Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right. Crisis and Critique, 8 (2). pp. 346-367. ISSN 2311-5475
Abstract
Marx’s Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, though often mentioned, has received surprisingly little sustained scrutiny. As a result, the text has often been associated with catchphrases and slogans (in particular those involving the image of an ‘inversion’ of Hegel’s dialectic). These in turn have served to hide from view the complex argument that Marx mounts. Although the argument can seem tangled, largely because it simultaneously seeks to operate at a high level of generality and to engage in the fine detail of Hegel’s exposition, it is both ambitious and consistent—if fragmentary. I focus on two fragments that Marx provides us with. First, by means of a critique of Hegel’s defence of monarchy, Marx offers a fragment of political theory that amounts to an argument for radical democracy. Second, and connectedly, Marx offers a fragment of a more fundamental theoretical critique of Hegel’s procedure in Philosophy of Right, which seeks to overturn Hegel’s Platonizing dialectic. Throughout, the complex argument that is revealed is one that gives the lie to the slogans. Once we start to spell out this argument, we see that Marx’s critique of Hegel is far more radical and far-reaching than the images of ‘inversion’ suggest.
Actions (login required)
 |
Edit Item |