What does Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel mean by the statement “the rational is the real”?

In his Philosophy of Right (1821), Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel famously declared that "what is rational is actual, and what is actual is rational." This statement is a cornerstone of his idealism, reflecting his belief in the unity of thought and being, where the structures of reason necessarily underlie the entirety of reality.12

The meaning of this "infamous copula" has been a subject of significant debate, as it remains inherently ambiguous. Interpretations generally fall into two categories:2

• Legitimization of the Status Quo: Some view the statement as an assertion that existing social, political, and religious institutions are already fully rational, effectively justifying the existing order.2
• A Call for Critical Development: Others interpret it as identifying a tendency or an incomplete process. From this perspective, the statement suggests that reality should be measured against the standards of reason and freedom, serving as a basis for criticizing institutions that have not yet achieved true rationality.2

Ultimately, this ambiguity fueled the divide within the Hegelian school, with the "Hegelian left" using his philosophy to challenge and reformulate contemporary social and political structures.2