Section 177
Original German
177 Die sittliche Auflösung der Familie liegt darin, daß die Kinder zur freyen Persönlichkeit erzogen, in der Volljährigkeit anerkannt werden, als rechtliche Personen und fähig zu seyn, theils eigenes freyes Eigenthum zu haben, theils eigene Familien zu stiften, — die Söhne als Häupter, und die Töchter als Frauen, — eine Familie, in welcher sie nunmehr ihre substantielle Bestimmung haben, gegen die ihre erste Familie als nur erster Grund und Ausgangspunkt zurücktritt, und noch mehr das Abstractum des Stammes keine Rechte hat.
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.
177 The ethical dissolution of the family lies in this: that the children, educated to free personality, are recognized in majority as legal persons and as capable, partly of having free property of their own, partly of founding families of their own—the sons as heads, and the daughters as wives—a family in which they now have their substantial determination, against which their first family recedes as only the first ground and point of departure, and still more the abstraction of the stock has no rights.
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.
177 The ethical dissolution of the family lies in this: the children are educated to free personality, and at majority they are recognized as legal persons. They are then able partly to hold free property of their own and partly to found families of their own, the sons as heads and the daughters as wives. In that family they now have their substantial destiny. Compared with it, their first family recedes and is only a first ground and starting point, and still more, the abstraction of the clan has no rights.
About this section
Section 177 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 179 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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