1) The terms of the question
The political conception of J. Calvin has been subjected to a wide range of interpretations so that a " communis opinio" appears nowadays very difficult to be reached. Particularly the contribution of Calvin's theology to the birth of democracy and liberty has been until now one of the most debated and discussed. It is well known that the most famous and influential version of the thesis associating Protestantism and Progress was offered by G. W. F. Hegel, who in his " Philosophy of History" ( trans. J Sibree, New York, 1956, p.417 and p. 444) pointed out that in Germany the eclaircissement was conducted in the interest of Theology, in France it immediately took up a position of hostility to the church. This was possible in part because the protestant world itself..... advanced so far in thought as to realize the absolute culmination of self consciousness. This is the essence of the Reformation: Man is in his very nature destined to be free.
The idea......
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