Section 166
Original German
166 Das eine ist daher das Geistige, als das sich entzweiende in die für sich seyende persönliche Selbstständigkeit und in das Wissen und Wollen der freyen Allgemeinheit, das Selbstbewußtseyn des begreifenden Gedankens und Wollen des objectiven Entzwecks; — das andere das in der Einigkeit sich erhaltende Geistige als Wissen und Wollen des Substantiellen in Form der concreten Einzelnheit und der Empfindung; — jenes im Verhältniß nach Außen das Mächtige und Bethätigende, dieses das Passive und Subjective. Der Mann hat daher sein wirkliches substantielles Leben im Staate, der Wissenschaft und dergleichen, und sonst im Kampfe und der Arbeit mit der Außenwelt und mit sich selbst, so daß er nur aus seiner Entzweyung die selbstständige Einigkeit mit sich erkämpft, deren ruhige Anschauung und die empfindende subjective Sittlichkeit er in der Familie hat, in welcher die Frau ihre substantielle Bestimmung und in dieser Pietät ihre sittliche Gesinnung hat.
Die Pietät wird daher in einer der erhabensten Darstellungen derselben, der Sophokleischen Antigone, vorzugsweise als das Gesetz des Weibes ausgesprochen, und als das Gesetz der empfindenden subjectiven Substantialität, der Innerlichkeit, die noch nicht ihre vollkommene Verwirklichung erlangt, als das Gesetz der alten Götter, des Unterirdischen, als ewiges Gesetz, von dem Niemand weiß, von wannen es erschien, und im Gegensatz gegen das offenbare, das Gesetz des Staates, dargestellt; — ein Gegensatz der der höchste sittliche und darum der höchste tragische, und in der Weiblichkeit und Männlichkeit daselbst individualisirt ist; vergl. Phänomel. des Geistes S. 383 ff. 417 ff.
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.
166 The one sex is therefore the spiritual as that which divides itself into personal self-sufficiency existing for itself and into the knowing and willing of free universality, the self-consciousness of conceptual thought and the willing of the objective final end; the other is the spiritual as that which maintains itself in unity, as knowing and willing of the substantial in the form of concrete individuality and of feeling; the former, in relation to the outside, is the powerful and active, the latter the passive and subjective. Man therefore has his actual substantial life in the state, in science and the like, and otherwise in struggle and labor with the external world and with himself, so that only out of his division does he fight his way to self-sufficient unity with himself, whose calm intuition and the feeling, subjective ethical life he has in the family, in which the woman has her substantial determination and in this piety her ethical disposition.
Piety is therefore, in one of its most sublime representations, the Antigone of Sophocles, expressed pre-eminently as the law of woman, and presented as the law of feeling, subjective substantiality, of inwardness that has not yet attained its perfect actualization, as the law of the ancient gods, of the nether world, as an eternal law of which no one knows where it came from, and in opposition to the manifest law, the law of the state;—an opposition that is the highest ethical and therefore the highest tragic one, and is there individualized in womanhood and manhood; compare Phenomenology of Spirit, pp. 383 ff., 417 ff.
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.
166 So the one sex is spirit as dividing itself into personal independence that exists for itself and into the knowing and willing of free universality. This is the self-awareness of thought that comprehends and the willing of the objective final purpose. The other sex is spirit as keeping itself in unity, as the knowing and willing of the substantial in the form of concrete individuality and of feeling. In relation to the outside, the first is the powerful and active side, the second the passive and subjective side. So the man has his actual substantial life in the state, in science and the like, and otherwise in struggle and labor with the outside world and with himself. He wins independent unity with himself only by fighting his way out of that division. He has a calm view of this unity, and ethical life as feeling and subjectivity, in the family. In the family the woman has her substantial destiny, and in this piety her ethical attitude.
For this reason piety is stated, in one of its most sublime portrayals, Sophocles' Antigone, mainly as the law of woman. It is presented as the law of feeling, subjective substantiality, the law of inwardness that has not yet reached its full realization. It is the law of the old gods, of the underworld, an eternal law of which no one knows from where it appeared, and it is set against the manifest law, the law of the state. This opposition is the highest ethical one and therefore the highest tragic one, and it is individualized there in womanhood and manhood. Compare Phenomenology of Spirit, pp. 383 ff., 417 ff.
About this section
Section 166 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 168 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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