What is a "person"? Not in a psychological, but in a philosophical sense. Hegel uses that word to express the existing free wil, the subject of freedom and liberty. But a "person" is in his language just an abstract individual. And just as abstract is the main category of personality: property. In Hegel's text there is a discussion going on with the tradition of "natural law" (Naturrecht) that defined freedom only negatively. But up to a point their approach is valid, Hegel says. On the level of abstract institutions like property, freedom is indeed negative and abstract.

How to go on from there? Hegel explains that in these paragraphs.