Die Ermordung Kotzebues und Hegels Philosophie des Rechts

Abstract

In this article, I argue that the sensational 1819 murder of the famous playwright August von Kotzebue by Karl Sand, a student of theology and fraternity member, left its mark on Hegel`s Philosophy of Right. I demonstrate how Hegel incorporated an elaborate discussion of the incident and its background into his work of 1820 and reconstruct Hegel`s judgment of Sand`s action, drawing on lecture transcripts and contemporary sources, in particular a publication by his assistant Carové. Especially the remarks on § 140 are clearly the result of Hegel`s thorough engagement with Kotzebue`s murder and the public response to it, as I show with reference to discussions surrounding Jesuit moral philosophy, the notion of “the end justifies the means”, and the writings of Fried and de Wette. Kotzebue`s murder thus had a far greater impact on Hegel`s work than is usually recognised and must be seen as a direct context for the composition of the Philosophy of Right.