从具体自由到作为普遍者的国家--黑格尔国家理论探析

From Concrete Freedom to the State as the Universal: A study on Hegel’s state theory

理解黑格尔国家理论的关键在于把握他所说的自由和普遍利益这两项密切相关的概念。对此,现有的研究常常存在一些误解。我们固然可以将黑格尔所说的自由界定为遵从理性指引这一前提下的自主、自我决定或自我实现,但在作出这种界定时还必须明确意识到这里的自主、自我决定或自我实现总是与自我否定紧密结合的。自由在于自我决定与自我否定的综合。黑格尔所说的普遍利益并非人们通常所说的公共利益或整体利益,而是明确地指向以否定性为根本特征的国家主权。基于上述理解,我们能更充分地体会到,在黑格尔那里,国家不仅是市民社会的对立物,还是人与自由之间的中介者。

The key to grasp Hegel’s state theory lies in the two closely related concepts of freedom and universal interest,which has been frequently misunderstood.Although we can define Hegel’s concept of freedom as autonomy,self-determination and self-realization with the premise of being guided by reason,we must also clearly realize that autonomy,self-determination and self-realization in this context are always closely linked with self-negation.Freedom is the synthesis of self-determination and self-negation.Hegel’s concept of universal interests is not identical with the common good or the interests of the whole,which is widely held,but clearly points to the state sovereignty with negativity as its fundamental characteristics.Based on the demonstrations above,we can fully understand that,in Hegel’s view,the state is not only the antithesis of civil society,but also the mediator between man and freedom.