「自由、世俗化的國家所賴以生存的前提，並無法由其自身加 以保證」。此一由德國當代法學家Emst-Wolfgang Bockenforde透過對黑格爾法哲學理論的詮釋所提出關於現代國家的命題，指出現代國 家雖以自由與權利的保障為目的，但是此一目的的實現，卻不是建 立在現代性原則，而是弔詭地建立在政治共同體此一概念的基礎之 上。本文透過對黑格爾權利概念以及B6ckenf6rd相關論述的分析， 指出B6ckenf6rde命題不僅對當代民主政治的基礎提出了批判，更具 有對當代民主政治的積極性意義，即指出了公民政治文化的建立與現 代民主國家之間的內在關聯性。為論證上述主張，本文第二部分處理 Bockenforde所述現代國家興起時的歷史現實情境，第三部分與第四 部分處理黑格爾如何論證權利概念與現實之間的內在關聯性，第五部 分探討黑格爾如何將倫理共同體與現代性自由加以連結，第六部分論 述黑格爾的倫理共同體概念與現代民主政治之間的相互關係，結論部 分則指出B6ckenf6rde命題對當代民主政治所帶來的啟發與意義。

“The liberal and secularized state depends on the precondition, which can not be guaranteed by the modern state self”. This proposition from the interpretation of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right by German legal philosopher Ernst-Wolfgang Bockenforde indicates that, although the aim of modern state is to secure freedom and right, the realization of this aim could not depend solely on the principle of the modern ideas of freedom and right. On the contrary, sovereignty and ethical political community are required. In this article I analyze Hegel’s concept of right in modern state from Bockenforde’s interpretative perspective, that modern democracy ought to be grounded on the sphere of democratic culture in an ethical political community. Moreover, the internal crises and threats to modern democracy can be regarded as means to the securing freedom and right, if sovereignty and ethical political community become constitutive of the modern state.