Section 157
Original German
157 Der Begriff dieser Idee ist nur als Geist, als sich Wissendes und Wirkliches, indem er die Objectivirung seiner selbst, die Bewegung durch die Form seiner Momente ist. Er ist daher:
A) der unmittelbare oder natürliche sittliche Geist; — die Familie.
Diese Substantialität geht in den Verlust ihrer Einheit, in die Entzweyung und in den Standpunkt des Relativen über und ist so
B) bürgerliche Gesellschaft eine Verbindung der Glieder als selbstständiger Einzelner in einer somit formellen Allgemeinheit, durch ihre Bedürfnisse, und durch die Rechtsverfassung als Mittel der Sicherheit der Personen und des Eigenthums und durch eine äußerliche Ordnung für ihre besondern und gemeinsamen Interessen, welcher äußerliche Staat sich
C) in den Zweck und die Wirklichkeit des substantiellen Allgemeinen, und des demselben gewidmeten öffentlichen Lebens, — in die Staatsverfassung zurück und zusammen nimmt.
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.
157 The concept of this idea exists only as spirit, as knowing itself and actual, in that it is the objectification of itself, the movement through the form of its moments. It is therefore:
A) the immediate or natural ethical spirit—the family.
This substantiality passes over into the loss of its unity, into division and into the standpoint of the relative, and is thus
B) civil society, a connection of its members as self-sufficient individuals in a formal universality, through their needs, and through the constitution of right as a means of securing persons and property, and through an external order for their particular and common interests; and this external state
C) withdraws and gathers itself back into the end and the actuality of the substantial universal and of the public life devoted to it—into the constitution of the state.
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.
157 The concept of this idea exists only as spirit, as something that knows itself and is actual, because the concept is the making of itself into an object, the movement through the form of its moments. It is therefore:
A) the immediate or natural ethical spirit — the family.
This unified substance loses its unity. It splits apart and moves to the standpoint of the relative, and so becomes
B) civil society. This is a connection of its members as independent individuals in a universality that is therefore only formal. The connection comes through their needs, through the system of law as a means of securing persons and property, and through an external order for their particular and common interests. This external state then draws itself back and together
C) into the purpose and actual reality of the substantial universal, and of the public life devoted to it — into the constitution of the state.
About this section
Section 157 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 159 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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