ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the concrete implications of a particular aspect of G. W. F. Hegel's political theory: the problem of poverty. The creation of an independent community within the larger community would seem to constitute a new source of particularity, and thus to undermine, rather than promote, the realization of substantial ethical life. The chapter examines a tension in Hegel's account of the role of the state in addressing the problem of poverty. It explores the relationship between the notion of the state developed in Hegel's early political writings and the requirements of his systematic philosophical analysis. The chapter argues that, despite Hegel's reservations regarding the role of the state, the logic of his mature political theory requires that the state intervene to mediate the problem of poverty in civil society. It also argues that Hegel's insights remain relevant to modern debates concerning the appropriate role of the state in combating poverty.
