Freedom and the state : a study of Hegel's philosophy of education

Hegel's political and social theory has recently been given considerable attention by philosophers. But in the field of philosophy of education, little or no attention is currently being paid to this aspect of Hegel's philosophy. In educational philosophy, the trend since Hegel's death has been to represent Hegel as an enemy of individualism and an apologist for political absolutism. A close reading of Hegel's major political text, the Philosophy of Right, suggests that the "received opinion" of Hegel's political theory, held by writers in the field of education, is marred by serious misrepresentation. Rarely in the literature in education is it pointed out that individual freedom and development is the main theme of Hegel's philosophy - including and especially, Hegel's philosophy of Objective Spirit, that moment in spirit's development that is concerned with political and social behavior. It is argued here that Hegel's theory of the state is founded upon the principle of freedom and that the aim of education in Hegel's state is the empowerment of individuals for free self-hood in an objective world built-up through self-conscious participation in quasi-independent institutions. In Hegel's state the individual participates in a consistent and coherent network of educational activities. -- In the first chapter Hegel's general philosophical perspective as it relates to education is introduced and this writer's position relative to some important concerns in Hegelian scholarship is explained. Chapter Two, Background and Context, surveys the education literature on Hegel's social and political thought and concludes with a brief comparison to Marx on the topic of freedom. Chapter Three explicates Hegel's theory of freedom and individuality. Chapter Four, Major Social and Political Themes in Hegel Relevant to Education, discusses the Hegelian concepts of the family, property, labor, and class within the context of the Hegelian notion of ethical life. In Chapter Five, The Hegelian Educational Matrix, the institutions of the Police and the Corporation are analysed for their educational characteristics. Chapter Six concludes the discussion of state and education by reviewing the place of freedom in Hegel's philosophy proper.