A Study Of Hegel 's National Ethical Thoughts

Compared with the category of "morality" which stresses the inner ethnics of an individual,"social ethnics" is a subject on how to manage the world affairs. If the core of individual morals is deontological moral theory, then, the core of social ethics is the relationship between "rights and obligations." If members in the society only assert their rights and lack a sense of duty, this society isn’t in order and harmony at all. In modern political state, the crucial problem is how to unify the following two aspects: The first is the pursuit of freedom based on the maximum individual independence of the Later Enlightenment Age, self-determination, and the privilege of differences and diversities; The other is an older and more traditional views of community with the function of representation (including common goal and communities’ pursuit and planning) as the basis of the social life." In the contemporary China with rapid transformation, this problem becomes more prominent.The ideology of "harmonious society" proposed by Hegel is a treasure of rich and prosperous theories and has a long history. The relationship of rights and obligations between individuals and communities, i.e. the ideas of the state ethnics, is significant for the construction of modern Chinese harmonious society in both theory and reality.This paper is studied from the following aspects:In the first chapter, the old Grecian philosopher Pythagoras found that there is a harmonious ratio of quantity among each thing in the world and put forward the idea of harmonious living of human society. Heraclitus proposed that the two opposite sides of everything are interdependent and can be transformed mutually. Besides, he also believed that the harmony is temporary and relative, whereas the conflict is prevalent and absolute. Based on the ideology of natural harmony, old Grecian philosophers, from Socrates, Plato to Aristotle all formed the perspective that individuals should be involved in the state and the harmony living of all individuals in a state should be perused. And these ideas become the origins of ethnics of harmonious state of Hegel. In the second chapter, classical natural right ideologists such as Stoic School thought the way of thinking starts from the concept of universal reason and then introduces the inner spirit of freedom and equality. This is the root of modern concept of human rights. The transformation of the two periods of Roman and Christian has a tremendous impact on freedom, equality, rights endowed by God and individualism. Individualism advocates the inviolable rights of an individual. The building of national ideology was established by means of the ideas of natural rights. The country’s fundamental purpose is to protect the basic rights of citizens. On this basis, bourgeois political philosophers proposed national ideology of democracy, rule of law, checks and balance.In the third chapter, in Hegel’s view, a state is treated as a tool from the perspective of Reason and Natural rights and the Social Contact. And it does not really recognize the rights of individuals and the nature of the state. Modern ideas of natural rights emphasize that the political society is the agreements reached in order to better protect the rights and freedom of the individual, but too much attention for the individual rights will inevitably lead to separation of the community of country. The absolute terror of French Revolution as violent despotism is a case in point. He discovered the intermediary role of labor between man and others, man and nature, and proposed to achieve reconciliation between country and its individual in labor. So the whole country can become an ethical unity and the unification of universality and particularity between citizens and the country communities in harmony can be achieved.In the fourth chapter, Marx, in the realistic standpoint, revealed the essence of ethical country from individual’s egocentric activities, separating from Hegel’s empty and subjective rationality nation. He proposed the separation of civil society from the state and the formation of modern state systems is the society and state generated in a certain historical stage in the interactive movement of real social relations instead of the consequence of conceptual movement. Individual and society is the basis of a nation. Accordingly, Marx put forward the comprehensive development of freedom through reconciliation of man and man, man and nature, society and nation on the basis of social labor. In the fifth chapter, based on Hegel’s view of ethnic state and the sublation of Marx, theories for contemporary China and significance influenced by Hegel’s ideology is explored. The development of harmonious social ethnics from Hegel to Marx is firstly analyzed, i.e. from political liberation to liberation of mankind. Secondly, such ideas of national ethnics as democracy, government by law, people-oriented harmonious society are studied. Finally, civic awareness and public morality of citizens in harmonious socialist country is proposed.