Hegel's political philosophy has long been associated with some form of social or welfare liberalism. Questioning this interpretation, Bernardo Ferro shows that Hegel's work harbours a more ambitious philosophical project, which points to a different vision of modern society. Ferro claims that Hegel's account of the state should be read not as a complement to his characterization of civil society, but as a direct challenge to its underlying logic. He then draws the political and economic co...

This book examines the relationship between freedom and true knowledge, which is a central part of the hotly debated issue of human freedom.Is truth necessary for the attainment of freedom? Does a free life require a clear understanding of reality? And if so, to what extent? These questions lead back to a classical philosophical debate, of which the first major chapter was written by Plato. In the dialogues, he describes human life as a peculiar form of imprisonment and calls for a...