Section 178
Original German
178 Die natürliche Auflösung der Familie durch den Tod der Eltern, insbesondere des Mannes hat die Erbschaft in Ansehung des Vermögens zur Folge; ihrem Wesen nach ein Eintreten in den eigenthümlichen Besitz des an sich gemeinsamen Vermögens, — ein Eintreten, das mit den entferntern Graden der Verwandtschaft und im Zustande der die Personen und Familien verselbstständigenden Zerstreuung der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft um so unbestimmter wird, als die Gesinnung der Einheit sich um so mehr verliert, und als jede Ehe das Aufgeben der vorigen Familienverhältnisse und die Stiftung einer neuen selbstständigen Familie wird.
Der Einfall, als Grund der Erbschaft den Umstand anzusehen, daß durch den Tod das Vermögen herrenloses Gut werde, und als solches dem, der sich zuerst im Besitz setzt, zufalle, diese Besitzergreifung aber wohl meistens von den Verwandten, als der gewöhnlich nächsten Umgebung, werde vorgenommen werden, — welcher gewöhnliche Zufall dann durch die positiven Gesetze der Ordnung wegen zur Regel erhoben werde, — dieser Einfall läßt die Natur des Familienverhältnisses unberücksichtigt.
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.
178 The natural dissolution of the family through the death of the parents, in particular of the man, has as its consequence inheritance with regard to the wealth; in its essence an entering into the proper possession of the wealth that is in itself common—an entering that becomes the more indeterminate with the more remote degrees of kinship, and in the condition of dispersion in civil society, which makes persons and families self-sufficient, the more the disposition of unity is lost, and as every marriage becomes the giving up of the former family relations and the founding of a new self-sufficient family.
The notion of taking as the ground of inheritance the circumstance that through death the wealth becomes ownerless goods, and as such falls to whoever first takes possession, and that this taking possession will for the most part be undertaken by the relatives, as the usually nearest surroundings—which usual chance is then raised into a rule by positive laws for the sake of order—this notion leaves the nature of the family relation out of account.
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.
178 The natural dissolution of the family comes through the death of the parents, especially of the man. As far as the fortune goes, the consequence is inheritance. In essence this is a taking over into individual possession of a fortune that was in itself common. The taking over becomes more indefinite the more distant the degree of kinship, and in the scattered condition of civil society, which makes persons and families independent. The reason is that the attitude of unity is lost more and more, and every marriage means giving up the earlier family relationships and founding a new, independent family.
There is the notion that inheritance rests on the fact that, through death, the fortune becomes ownerless goods, and as such falls to whoever first takes possession of it. On this notion, relatives would mostly take possession, since they are usually the nearest to hand. Positive laws would then turn this usual accident into a rule for the sake of order. This notion ignores the nature of the family relationship.
About this section
Section 178 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 180 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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