such as Michael Walzer, Alasdair MacIntyre, or Joseph Raz are trying to keep the greatest possible distance from the political philosophy of Hegel has acquired an almost symptomatic sig nificance by now At first sight, this general isolation of Hegel's Philosophy of Right difficult to understand since the work has a number of theoretical features that could make it appear particularly suit able for our debates today. Given the widespread awareness of need for the social contextualisation of formally established principles of justice, Hegel's attempt at setting the abstract principles of modern right and morality within an institutional framework should look extremely attractive; further, in the increasing uncertainty about the place formal right should occupy in our practical everyday morals, his efforts to develop an ethical metatheory of right ought to appear uncommonly seductive; and finally, in view of the problems of political phi- losophy today, there could be a particular appeal in the close connection between the development of his theory of right and his diagnosis of the age, which centers on the alleged threat of individualism. But it appears that all these advantages have been unable so far regain a legitimate place for Hegel's Philosophy