We examine Hegel’s concept of a «decent way of life» (ordentliche Lebensweise) as it intersects with the dynamics of modern society. Hegel identifed conficting tendencies in life-world and lifestyle, shaped by his critique of the modernising economy—a perspective that later infuenced Marx. Unlike Marx, however, Hegel demanded a decent way of life not only for workers but for the poor in general, conceiving it not as the reproduction of labour power but as the condition for self determined existence. We argue that Hegel’s proposal of institutionally regulated and solidaristic responsibility represents a distinctive alternative to Marx’s revolutionary strategy, one that grounds rational life in the interventions of public institutions. These, in turn, should redistribute the growing abundance of goods so that all may share in the «fruits» of modern consumer culture. Hegel’s struggle against poverty and wealth thus unfolds within everyday life—an issue still urgent in late modernity