Taking Liberties

When liberty is mentioned, 

we must always be careful to observe 

whether it is not really the assertion of private interests 

which is thereby designated.

 — Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Hegel's Philosophy Of The State

Such is Hegel's doctrine of the State — a doctrine, which, if accepted, justifies every internal tyranny and every external aggression that can possibly be imagined.  The strength of his bias appears in the fact that his theory is largely inconsistent with his own metaphysic, and that the inconsistencies are such as tend to the justification of cruelty and international brigandage.  A man may be pardoned if logic compels him regretfully to reach conclusions he deplores, but not for departing from logic in order to be free to advocate crimes.

 — Bertrand Russell History Of Western Philosophy (p711)

Hegel's Philosophy Of History

Like other historical theories, it required, if it was to be made plausible, some distortion of the facts and considerable ignorance.  Hegel, like Marx and Spengler after him, possessed both these qualifications.

 — Bertrand Russell History Of Western Philosophy (p705)