Section 151
Original German
151 Aber in der einfachen Identität mit der Wirklichkeit der Individuen erscheint das Sittliche, als die allgemeine Handlungsweise derselben — als Sitte, — die Gewohnheit desselben als eine zweyte Natur, die an die Stelle des ersten bloß natürlichen Willens gesetzt, und die durchdringende Seele, Bedeutung und Wirklichkeit ihres Daseyns ist, der als eine Welt lebendige und vorhandene Geist, dessen Substanz so erst als Geist ist.
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.
151 In simple identity with the actuality of individuals, however, the ethical appears as their universal way of acting—as custom—and the habit of it as a second nature, set in the place of the first, merely natural will, and as the pervading soul, meaning and actuality of their existence: the spirit living and present as a world, whose substance thus first is as spirit.
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.
151 But in its simple identity with the actuality of individuals, the ethical appears as their universal way of acting, as custom. Its habit appears as a second nature, which is put in the place of the first, merely natural will. This second nature is the pervading soul, meaning and actuality of the individuals' existence. It is spirit alive and present as a world, and only in this way is its substance spirit.
About this section
Section 151 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 153 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
Open the work page for the full contents, every edition, and the download links, or go back to Explore to browse other complete works in the European tradition. The reader keeps your place when you are signed in and lets you compare the original with each translation, one edition at a time.