In his development, the absolute idea goes through three stages:
- development within yourself
- development in the form of innocence (nature) - nature itself does not develop, it is only an external manifestation of the development of the idea
- developing the idea in thinking or history
The Absolute thinks only of itself, since there is nothing but it, and in its development goes through various specifics. Ie. the absolute spirit must be a pure being, ie. nothing but active. The projection of the idea of absolute is that knowledge should not only look at the outcome, but what led to the outcome (as a process). Social-philosophical ideas: three areas are concerned: law, about the essence of history.
Hegel's social philosophy is somewhat ambiguous. For example, his aphorism, "Which is reasonable, it is real, and what is real, it is reasonable," provokes opposing interpretations in political and philosophical literature.In reality, he understands not everything in society, but only what has been formed as a legitimate necessity (it is only part of the existing one). According to Hegel, the actual standing is higher than the one existing; it is logically necessary.
Hegel believes that the facts are not as important as what is behind them as an idea, as an argument.
According to Hegel, the essence (the idea) of law is universal freedom. Hegel defines man as being absolutely free.
"The system of law is the kingdom of realized freedom."True freedom is about freedom of will. Freedom of will is not freedom of individual will, but of universal will. For Hegel, individual will must be within the moral duty.In his notion of law (legal system), Hegel includes much more than what was included then and which we include today. In essence, the philosophy of Hegel's right is a social doctrine related to questions about the human situation in society.