# The Ethical Theory of Hegel

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THE ETHICAL THEORY OF HEGEL
Oxford University Press
London Edinburgh Glasgow Copenhagen
New York Toronto Melbourne Cape Town
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Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University
The ETHICAL THEORY
of
HEGEL
A Study of the
PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT
By HUGH A. REYBURN, M.A., D.Phil.
Professor of Logic and Psychology at the University of Cape Town
OXFORD
At the CLARENDON PRESS
1921
TO
SIR HENRY JONES, LL.D., F.B.A.
THE GREATEST TEACHER WHOM
I HAVE KNOWN
PREFACE
This book was written for the most part before the war, and, save for a slight revision in the early part of 1915, is untouched by war influences. In spite of the long delay which has ensued before publication, I have thought it better to leave my work as it stands. No doubt a very much better book could be written, but any alterations which I should be inclined to make at present would alter the purpose which the book is intended to serve. My intention was to write not on ethical and political theory but on Hegel, and I have made no attempt to recast the Hegelian doctrine in the light of our present knowledge. A reconstruction of our modern problems and outlook on the basis of Hegel’s teaching would be an exceedingly valuable contribution to knowledge, but it is a larger task than is attempted here. The first step toward it is a reasonable knowledge of the authentic Hegel himself, and it is only this step that I have tried to take. Much of the criticism of Hegel current to-day and in the last few years appears to be vitiated by an unsympathetic and somewhat inaccurate interpretation of Hegel, and my endeavour has been to provide an account which will make his view more intelligible. Accordingly criticism has been reduced to a minimum, and has been undertaken only when the comprehension of the theory itself seemed to demand it. Nothing which I have seen since the book was first written has led me to alter my view of Hegel’s teaching.
My indebtedness in carrying out this work has been great. What I owe to the literature will, I hope, be sufficiently ​obvious from the text. My greatest debt, however, is to Sir Henry Jones of Glasgow University, under whose influence I began this study and from whom I obtained not only valuable detailed assistance in the study of Hegel but also the impulse and encouragement which led me to attempt the work. He has read through the manuscript and enabled me to make it a better book than it could otherwise have been. Portions of the manuscript have also been read by Professor J. W. Scott of Cardiff, Professor A. R. Lord of Grahamstown, and Principal Hetherington of Exeter University College. They are not responsible for my views and mistakes, but they have given me valuable advice. In the labour of preparing the book I have been greatly helped by my wife.
HUGH A. REYBURN.
University of Cape Town,
    August 1921.
CONTENTS
page :
| Introduction | Introduction | xi |
| Chapter I. | The Logical Background | 1 |
| II. | Fundamental Logical Categories | 17 |
| III. | The Real and the Rational | 45 |
| IV. | Mind | 76 |
| V. | Subjective Mind | 90 |
| VI. | Abstract Right | 115 |
| VII. | Wrong and Punishment | 143 |
| VIII. | The Principles of Morality | 158 |
| IX. | Moral Teleology | 185 |
| X. | The Ethical Order and the Family | 197 |
| XI. | Civil Society or the External State | 214 |
| XII. | The State | 226 |
| XIII. | The Limits of the State | 253 |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1950, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 73 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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