The modern State is the distinctive product of a unique civilization. But it is a product which is still in the making, and a part of the process is a struggle between new and old principles of social order. To understand the new, which is our main purpose, we must first cast a glance at the old. We must understand what the social structure was, which--mainly, as I shall show, under the inspiration of Liberal ideas--is slowly but surely giving place to the new fabric of the civic State.

Liberalism. THE modern State is the distinctive product of unique civilization. But it is a product which is still in the making, and a part of the process is a struggle between new and old principles of social order. To understand the new, which is our main purpose, we must first cast a glance at the old. We must understand what the social structure was, which mainly, as I shall show, under the inspiration of Liberal ideas is slowly but surely giving place to the new fabric of the civic State. The older structure itself was by no means primitive. What is truly primitive is very hard to say....

This is a series of lectures that critiques the idealization of the state by British Hegelians like Bosanquet. Since Hegel and his followers are in the crossfire the focus is very much on the relation of the particular to the universal as embodied in citizen & state. A considerable effort is exerted in fleshing out how the individual will converges with the group will. Its an interesting read but is a lot of smoke. Themes are raised consistently without pointing out a possible resolution. Well written but not all that penetrating. A good source for studying ideas of British Hegelianism.