easy · MCAT cars

Passage: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's political philosophy views the state as the ultimate realization of ethical life. Unlike the social contract theorists who saw the state as a secondary construct created to serve individual interests, Hegel argued that individuals find their true identity and freedom only through their participation in the state's institutions. He viewed the state as an organic whole that represents the 'objective spirit' of a people. For Hegel, the laws and customs of the state are not constraints on freedom, but the very medium through which freedom is articulated and achieved.

What is the primary difference between Hegel's view of the state and that of social contract theorists?

  1. Hegel sees the state as the realization of identity and freedom, whereas contract theorists see it as a tool for individual interests.
  2. Hegel believes the state itself must be entirely abolished before individuals can ever achieve genuine personal freedom.
  3. Contract theorists view laws and customs merely as the medium through which freedom exists, while Hegel sees them as constraints.
  4. Hegel focuses far more heavily on the hypothetical pre-political 'state of nature' than contract theorists typically do in their own writings.

Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →

More MCAT cars practice

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy — free adaptive practice for GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, National Real Estate Exam, Investment Banking, and finance with full explanations.

KomFi Academy is free GMAT prep and personalized GMAT help built as a training platform: 75,000+ practice questions, 26,500+ flashcards, on-demand video lectures, podcasts, and 4K slide decks. Flagship tracks: Free GMAT Prep, Free GMAT Resources, National Real Estate Exam Prep, Investment Banking Prep, Finance Prep, GRE, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, Financial Accounting, Private Equity, Private Credit, and Quantitative Finance.

Free GMAT Prep & Personalized GMAT Help

What's inside

Topics

View pricing · Read testimonials