ABSTRACT
The core of Hegel's relevance to contemporary political debates is his concept of civil society. Hegel's use of this concept to overcome the dichotomy between statism and individualism is of particular importance. When various reform movements had not yet brought forth the tangible results they have now achieved, one commentator wrote: "The most fundamental idea shared by popular movements East and West is the principle of 'civil society.'" In an address to the conference on "Hegel and Legal Theory," held at the Cardozo School of Law on March 27-29, 1988, Cornel West argued that The increasing interest in Hegel among legal scholars can be attributed to three developments. The theme of Hegelian feminism or feminist Hegelianism will strike many as being farfetched, to say the least. Some will no doubt regard it as an oxymoronic conjunction of contradictory terms. Among the major philosophers of the nineteenth century, probably only Nietzsche and Schopenhauer have a more antifeminist reputation.
