Beyond Prometheus: Hegel on the Need to Be Free

For Hegel, the realm of natural necessity is the realm of unfreedom. Man's constant burden of having to satisfy his natural needs makes him as unfree as Prometheus tied to his rock. This article sets out to discover how Hegel thinks such an impediment can be overcome. Through an analysis of needs and the role of work in his writings an answer is ascertained which indicates the pertinence and potency of Hegel's political philosophy for politics today.