Section 168
Original German
168 Weil es ferner diese sich selbst unendlich eigene Persönlichkeit der beyden Geschlechter ist, aus deren freyen Hingebung die Ehe hervorgeht, so muß sie nicht innerhalb des schon natürlich-identischen, sich bekannten und in aller Einzelheit vertraulichen Kreises, in welchem die Individuen nicht eine sich selbst eigenthümliche Persönlichkeit gegen einander haben, geschlossen werden, sondern aus getrennten Familien und ursprünglich verschiedener Persönlichkeit sich finden. Die Ehe unter Blutsverwandten ist daher dem Begriffe, welchem die Ehe als eine sittliche Handlung der Freyheit, nicht als eine Verbindung unmittelbarer Natürlichkeit und deren Triebe ist, somit auch wahrhafter natürlicher Empfindung zuwider.
Wenn man die Ehe selbst als nicht im Naturrecht, sondern bloß als im natürlichen Geschlechtstrieb gegründet und als einen willkührlichen Vertrag betrachtet, eben so, wenn man für die Monogamie äußere Gründe sogar aus dem physischen Verhältnisse der Anzahl der Männer und Weiber, eben so für das Verbot der Ehe unter Blutsverwandten nur dunkle Gefühle angegeben hat, so lag dabei die gewöhnliche Vorstellung von einem Naturzustande und einer Natürlichkeit des Rechts, und der Mangel am Begriffe der Vernünftigkeit und Freyheit, zum Grunde.
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.
168 Because, further, it is this personality of the two sexes, infinitely their own, from whose free surrender marriage proceeds, marriage must not be concluded within the circle that is already naturally identical, that knows itself and is familiar in every detail, a circle in which the individuals do not have a personality peculiar to themselves over against one another, but must be found out of separate families and originally different personalities. Marriage between blood relatives is therefore contrary to the concept, according to which marriage is an ethical act of freedom and not a union of immediate naturalness and its drives, and so also contrary to true natural feeling.
When marriage itself has been considered as grounded not in natural right but merely in the natural sexual drive, and as an arbitrary contract; likewise when external grounds for monogamy have been given even from the physical proportion of the number of men and women, and for the prohibition of marriage between blood relatives only obscure feelings, the common notion of a state of nature and of a naturalness of right lay at the bottom of it, together with the lack of the concept of rationality and freedom.
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.
168 The personalities of the two sexes are infinitely their own, and marriage comes from their free surrender. So marriage must not be concluded within a circle that is already naturally identical, whose members know each other and are familiar in every detail, and where individuals do not have a personality of their own over against each other. Instead, the two must find each other from separate families and from originally different personalities. Marriage between blood relatives is therefore contrary to the concept, by which marriage is an ethical act of freedom and not a union of immediate naturalness and its drives. It is therefore also contrary to true natural feeling.
Some people regard marriage as based not in natural right but merely in the natural sex drive, and as an arbitrary contract. Likewise, some have given external grounds for monogamy, even from the physical ratio of the number of men to women, and only vague feelings as grounds for banning marriage between blood relatives. Behind all of this lay the usual notion of a state of nature and of a naturalness of right, and the lack of any concept of rationality and freedom.
About this section
Section 168 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 170 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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