Section 167
Original German
167 Die Ehe ist wesentlich Monogamie, weil die Persönlichkeit, die unmittelbare ausschließende Einzelnheit es ist, welche sich in dieß Verhältniß legt und hingibt, dessen Wahrheit und Innigkeit (die subjective Form der Substantialität) somit nur aus der gegenseitigen ungetheilten Hingebung dieser Persönlichkeit hervorgeht; diese kommt zu ihrem Rechte, im Andern ihrer selbst bewußt zu seyn, nur insofern das Andre als Person, d. i. als atome Einzelnheit in dieser Identität ist.
Die Ehe, und wesentlich die Monogamie, ist eines der absoluten Principien, worauf die Sittlichkeit eines Gemeinwesens beruht; die Stiftung der Ehe wird daher als eines der Momente der göttlichen oder heroischen Gründung der Staaten aufgeführt.
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.
167 Marriage is essentially monogamy, because it is personality, the immediate exclusive individuality, that lays itself and surrenders itself into this relation, whose truth and intimacy (the subjective form of substantiality) therefore proceeds only from the mutual, undivided surrender of this personality; this attains its right, to be conscious of itself in the other, only insofar as the other is in this identity as a person, that is, as atomic individuality.
Marriage, and essentially monogamy, is one of the absolute principles on which the ethical life of a community rests; the institution of marriage is therefore presented as one of the moments of the divine or heroic founding of states.
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.
167 Marriage is essentially monogamy. The reason is that personality, immediate exclusive individuality, is what puts itself into this relationship and gives itself up to it. Its truth and inwardness (the subjective form of substantiality) therefore come only from the mutual, undivided surrender of this personality. This personality gains its right to be conscious of itself in the other only so far as the other is in this identity as a person, that is, as an indivisible individual.
Marriage, and essentially monogamy, is one of the absolute principles on which the ethical life of a community rests. The founding of marriage is therefore recounted as one of the moments in the divine or heroic founding of states.
About this section
Section 167 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 169 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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