Edinburgh University Press Hegel's Political Philosophy: A Systematic Reading of the Philosophy of Right

A new edition of the first systematic reading of Hegel's political philosophy Elements of the Philosophy of Right is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important works in the history of political philosophy. This is the first book on the subject to take Hegel's system of speculative philosophy seriously as an important component of any robust understanding of this text. Key Features Sets out the difference between 'systematic' and 'non-systematic' readings of Philosophy of Right Outlines the unique structure of Hegel's philosophical arguments Explores key areas of Hegel's political philosophy: his theories of property, punishment, morality, law, monarchy, war, democracy and history This significantly expanded second edition includes: a more detailed explanation of Hegel's philosophical system; two new chapters on his theories of democracy and history; and an appendix detailing the implications this work has for future interpretations of Hegel's philosophy. Review Brooks's book is engaging and... covers an impressive list of well selected topics. --Mind From the Back Cover AUTHOR APPROVED Praise for the first edition: 'Brooks shows how Hegel's reflections on political issues are inter-linked and how his political thought is elaborated by means of concepts that serve to understand the world more generally... He is to be congratulated on providing us with a clear and convincing justification of a systematic reading of the /Philosophy of Right/.' /History of Political Thought/ 'Admirable... [Brooks] establishes conclusively to my mind that Hegel's positions are only fully intelligible within the wider framework of his conception of philosophy.' Michael Rosen, Professor of Government, Harvard University 'A very clear and methodologically self-conscious series of discussions of key topics within Hegel's classic text... what results is a series of illuminating discussions in which [Brooks] makes the case for his own interpretations on the basis of systematic considerations.' Paul Redding, Professor of Philosophy, University of Sydney A new edition of the first systematic reading of Hegel's political philosophy /Elements of the Philosophy of Right/ is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important works in the history of political philosophy. This is the first book on the subject to take Hegel's system of speculative philosophy seriously as an important component of any robust understanding of this text. Key Features Sets out the difference between 'systematic' and 'non-systematic' readings of /Philosophy of Right/ Outlines the unique structure of Hegel's philosophical arguments Explores key areas of Hegel's political philosophy: system, property, punishment, morality, family, law, monarchy, democracy, war and history This significantly expanded second edition includes two new chapters on Hegel's theories of democracy and history, and a reply to the book's critics. Thom Brooks is Reader in Law at Durham Law School. He is author of /Punishment/ (2012) and editor of several books including /The Global Justice Reader/ (2008), /The Right to a Fair Trial/ (2009), /Ethics and Moral Philosophy/ (2011), /New Waves in Ethics/ (2011) and /Global Justice and International Affairs/ (2012). About the Author Thom Brooks is Reader in Political and Legal Philosophy at the University of Newcastle.