A natureza antidemocrática do estado na filosofia do Direito de Hegel: a crítica de Marx

Abstract

During the period of existence of “real socialism” in the USSR and “Eastern Europe”, strengthened the thesis that Marx's thought is a support of totalitarian political regimes. Against this position, my aim is to argue for the thesis that Marx is a defender of democracy. To fulfill this task, I undertake as a theoretical framework Marx's critique of the constitutional monarchical State, proposed by the philosopher Hegel, through which Marx qualifies the constitution of this State form as undemocratic. Hegel exposes his ideas on the State in the work ‘Principles of Philosophy of Right’. Marx formulated his reviews on the work ‘Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right’ when he opposes the way of formation and functioning of the Hegelian state. According to Marx’s critique, Hegel conceives the State as the power of One ( the Sovereign ) over All (over the populace). Supported on his dialectical logic with idealistic bases, Hegel concludes that the “last decision” is given by the person of the Monarch, who is a material expression of State power. For Marx, this implies total subordination of popular sovereignty to the sovereignty of the monarch, which makes the democracy impractible. In criticizing Hegel’s arguments, Marx’s: ( 1 ) identifies the undemocratic character of the Hegelian state and, therefore, ( 2 ) becomes a defense of democracy. These two points are important because they contradict the thesis that Marx is “an enemy of democracy”.