Resumo:
The dynamics established through the modern expansion of industrial activity, when
capitalism was in its early stage of development, brought about changes in social, economic,
and political conditions, establishing a new code of conduct for individuals in society. In
Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Hegel performs a diagnosis of the pathologies within
bourgeois civil society. While, on one hand, the expansion of the market economy fosters the
accumulation of wealth, on the other hand, it also generates poverty. Our objective was to
analyze Hegel's conception of poverty within civil society. Poverty is a fundamental theme
because it challenges the legitimization of rational ethical life and the realization of freedom.
Here, we revisit Hegel's steps through his critical legacy, to present his conception, that is, the
concept itself, its actuality, and possible solutions to poverty. In the first chapter, we present
Hegel's concept of poverty, as it necessarily arises from the dynamics within civil society; in
the second, we investigate the consequences of poverty as the loss of what constitutes the
fundamental characteristic of modern times—the individual’s subjective freedom, their right
to be recognized and honored as such, and the guarantee of existing in and through society;
finally, we examine Hegel's proposed solutions for overcoming poverty and establish their
limits.
A
