Hegel’s Groundwork of the Philosophy of Right is one of the most classical and influential works in modern legal and political philosophy. In it, he outlines a philosophy of objective spirit, partly drawing on earlier ‘natural law’ and partly with reference to the political and legal situation following the French Revolution and at the beginning of the Restoration period. Since its first publication in the winter of 1820/21, the Groundwork has been the subject of intense philosophical and political debates and has lost none of its relevance to this day.
Volume 2 contains supplements to the Groundwork: Hegel’s reply (“Explanation”) to Gustav Hugo’s very critical review of the Groundwork, as well as the two fragments “The Hereditary Fixed Succession to the Throne” and “What is Right,” and, most notably, the handwritten “Notes” that Hegel wrote on additional sheets of his personal copy of the Groundwork covering paragraphs 1-180.
The edition includes scans of the original text for comparison. These notes reveal Hegel’s continued work on the philosophy of law and particularly his preparation for later lectures.
The dictations initially announced for GW 14,2 on Hegel’s lectures for the academic years 1817/18 and 1818/19 are to be published in GW 26,1.
Simon Gros 
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