Customer Reviews

Hegel's Philosophy of Freedom

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Paul Franco once again demonstrates that he is the master of social and political philosophy. Prof. Franco delves into every corner of Hegel's profundity to offer up a stunning cautionary tale; beware! Hegel, largely neglected and even more misunderstood, steers a course independent of the paralysing conformity of western "liberal" thinking and the totalitarian mysteries of the east; he was the last great third way. Franco shines a light on this and with bubbling clarity and freshness of prose let's even the beginning reader in on the secret we've all been missing.

Hegel, often misunderstood and trivialized by stolid academics, is finally brought to new life in this insightful volume. The book rewards those intrepid travellers willing to follow the elegance of Professor Franco's argument and prose style. He lets you sink your teeth into the rich meaning of freedom and liberalism, particularly relevant in today's turbulent world. As he points out, Hegel offers a deep image of ourselves and of our modern, liberal social order. The author holds the mirror up to the inner core from which that social order derives its most profound meaning and justification. The book is an essential work for the serious student of philosophy, both professional and amateur.

I believe that the other reviewers here may not have understood Franco's (admittedly unobvious) intent in this work. Certainly the greater portion of the book is devoted to an explication of Hegel's essentially post-mediaeval notions of `ability,' with particular attention paid to those seemlingly inconsistent areas aligned with the early Christian modes of thought, but--useful as this is--it is merely the foundation for Franco's presentation of his own theory of `paralysis of will' in late 19th and 20th century political discourse. One is tempted to gloss over this short section, since at first glance it seems a trivial sort of nonsense, but a close reading in the light of his comments on Heigel's later period reveals that Franco does indeed cast new and interesting light on post-Leninist Marxism. This, unfortunately, is obsecured by some meandering in the later parts, and certainly bringing Ayn Rand into it (however indirectly) was entirely uncalled for. Still, beyond the unquestionably excellent study of Hegel himself, this book has something interesting to offer modern philosophers.

As a Slobovian, it has always been difficult to accept Hegel's edification of the Prussian State. After all Prussia, in guises including but not limited to Nazi Germany, the Papist Church, the Uncircumcised turks, Croat fascist biker gangs, and italin black shirts on bicycles, has invaded my beloved land many times. Mr. Franco shows me that Hegel was more than just a rightist apologist for this tyranny, and more than simpply a precursor to godless marxism....he like Thomas Jefferson, Robbespierre, Ronald Reagan, and the late and famous slobovian rock star Czicik Kromonobicka was a believer in freedom. thank you for writing this book even if my english does not enable me to truly comprehend it.

I hesitate to use this review as a "discussion board", but I'm afraid TMChurch has somewhat glossed over the shortcomings in Mr. Franco's achievement. While it is, without a doubt, a substantial bit of research, Franco veers off course, neglecting the import of Hegel's private life on his all-too-public philosophy. Missing are the hazy, misbegotten 'Amsterdam Years' of Hegel's youth and the reckless university pranks and mayhem that made Hegel the philosopher everyone loves to scrath their collective heads over.

To Mr. Franco - a good work that simply requires a finer brush stroke. To TMChurch: a more careful read is in order!