Section 11
Original German
11 Der nur erst an sich freye Wille ist der unmittelbare oder natürliche Wille. Die Bestimmungen des Unterschieds, welchen der sich selbst bestimmende Begriff im Willen setzt, erscheinen im unmittelbaren Willen als ein unmittelbar vorhandener Inhalt, — es sind die Triebe, Begierden, Neigungen, durch die sich der Wille von Natur bestimmt findet. Dieser Inhalt nebst dessen entwickelten Bestimmungen kommt zwar von der Vernünftigkeit des Willens her und ist so an sich vernünftig, aber in solche Form der Unmittelbarkeit ausgelassen, ist er noch nicht in Form der Vernünftigkeit. Dieser Inhalt ist zwar für mich der Meinige überhaupt; diese Form und jener Inhalt sind aber noch verschieden, — der Wille ist so in sich endlicher Wille.
Die empirische Psychologie erzählt und beschreibt diese Triebe und Neigungen und die sich darauf gründenden Bedürfnisse, wie sie dieselben in der Erfahrung vorfindet oder vorzufinden vermeynt und sucht auf die gewöhnliche Weise diesen gegebenen Stoff zu classificiren. Was das Objective dieser Triebe und wie dasselbe in seiner Wahrheit ohne die Form der Unvernünftigkeit, in der es Trieb ist, und wie es zugleich in seiner Existenz gestaltet ist, davon unten.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from Hegel's German in the Berlin Nicolai first edition, dated 1821. Complete preface, introduction and sections 1–360, including the author's remarks and notes; no later Gans additions.
11 The will that is at first free only in itself is the immediate or natural will. The determinations of the difference that the self-determining concept posits in the will appear in the immediate will as an immediately present content: the drives, desires, and inclinations through which the will finds itself determined by nature. This content, together with its developed determinations, does indeed arise from the rationality of the will and is thus rational in itself; but, released into such a form of immediacy, it is not yet in the form of rationality. This content is indeed mine in general; but this form and that content are still different. The will is thus finite within itself.
Empirical psychology enumerates and describes these drives and inclinations and the needs founded upon them, as it finds them in experience, or supposes it finds them, and seeks to classify this given material in the customary fashion. What is objective in these drives, how it is in its truth without the form of irrationality in which it is drive, and how it is also configured in its existence, will be discussed below.
Plain English translation
Independent machine-assisted Plain English translation made directly from the German first-edition source, not from the Musean edition or an existing English translation. Complete preface, introduction and sections 1–360 with the author's remarks and notes.
11 A will that is free only in itself is the immediate or natural will. The distinctions that the self-determining concept establishes within the will appear, in the immediate will, as content that is immediately present. These are the drives, desires, and inclinations through which the will finds itself determined by nature. This content, together with its developed determinations, does come from the will's rational nature and is therefore rational in itself. But left in this immediate form, it does not yet have the form of rationality. This content is indeed mine in a general sense. Yet that content and this form are still different. The will is therefore a finite will within itself.
Empirical psychology lists and describes these drives and inclinations, and the needs based on them, as it finds them in experience or supposes that it does. It tries to classify this given material in the usual way. What is objective in these drives, what it is in its truth without the irrational form it has as a drive, and also what shape it takes in existence, will be discussed below.
About this section
Section 11 is part of Elements of the Philosophy of Right by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. This page sets the German original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 13 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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