The citizen of the European union from a Hegelian perspective

Paul Cobben

pp. 177-192

in: Andrew Buchwalter (ed), Hegel and global justice, Berlin, Springer, 2012

Abstract

The "disappearance of ethical life" that characterizes the transition from family into civil society in Hegel's Philosophy of Right must be followed by a second step: ethical life has to be restored in the good life of the state. According to Hegel, this movement is repeated at international level: at the level of world history, the ethical organism of the state seems, once again, is subjected to a process that can be characterized as "disappearance of ethical life." From a contemporary point of view we might conclude that in this repetition the "disappearance of ethical life" has to be overcome by the development of a just international order. Under current conditions, however, the double movement needed for the 'sublation" or supersession of the "disappearance of ethical life" manifests itself (at least in Europe) as a double crisis: at national level the sublation seems to fail, resulting in a distrust of national government; at international (European) level the sublation seems to fail, resulting in a distrust of European institutions. The essay seeks to show how a revised account of conditions for sublating the "disappearance of ethical life" can contribute to a better understanding of the actual double crisis at the national and international level mentioned above.

Cited authors

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich