Introduction

The commonly assumed dichotomy between democracy and monarchy will be shown to be false in the light of the model constitution to be outlined. Hegel’s own political philosophy goes along way toward synthesising the two but the conceptual completion of this task is attempted here. Hegel’s constitutional monarchy is not perfect, but arguably it does offer the closest available approximation to the best framework for modern political life. Here it has stimulated its own critique from within his wider system and then its reconstruction as ‘democratic monarchy’ ¹ in the face of strong republican arguments. To whatever limited extent institutional arrangements can help to shape events, it will be argued that democratic monarchy would be the most supportive of the sort of human life which is both free and rational.