Praktische Selbstbestimmung und Objektivität

The paper investigates the principle of free will, which constitutes the basis of Hegel's Philosophy of Right and the concept of objective spirit. Drawing on the notion of “practical self-determination,” it examines the specific nature of this Hegelian model in relation to the central characteristics of free will, which manifests itself as self-consciousness, self-evaluation, self-realization, re-identification, and self-appropriation. The paper identifies the distinctiveness of Hegel's account in that society is both the result of the self-determination of individuals expressing their freedom, and the condition of the possibility of this freedom. As a consequence, practical self-determination should not be understood as isolation or independence, but as a commitment to reality that consists in understanding, evaluating and acting - also in order to be able to lead an autonomous life. Each person should contribute to creating a free and rational world according to their own capacities.