Section 181
Original German
181 Uebergang der Familie in die bürgerliche Gesellschaft. Die Familie tritt auf natürliche Weise, und wesentlich durch das Princip der Persönlichkeit in eine Vielheit von Familien auseinander, welche sich überhaupt als selbstständige concrete Personen und daher äußerlich zu einander verhalten. Oder die in der Einheit der Familie als der sittlichen Idee, als die noch in ihrem Begriffe ist, gebundenen Momente, müssen von ihm zur selbstständigen Realität entlassen werden; — die Stufe der Differenz. Zunächst abstract ausgedrückt, giebt diß die Bestimmung der Besonderheit, welche sich zwar auf die Allgemeinheit bezieht, so daß diese die, aber nur noch innerliche, Grundlage und deswegen auf formelle in das Besondere nur scheinende Weise ist. Diß Reflexions-Verhältniß stellt daher zunächst den Verlust der Sittlichkeit dar, oder, da sie als das Wesen nothwendig scheinend ist, (Encykl. der phil. Wiss. §. 64 ff. §. 81 ff.) macht es die Erscheinungswelt des Sittlichen, die bürgerliche Gesellschaft aus.
Die Erweiterung der Familie als Uebergehen derselben in ein anderes Princip ist in der Existenz theils die ruhige Erweiterung derselben zu einem Volke, — einer Nation, die somit einen gemeinschaftlichen natürlichen Ursprung hat, theils die Versammlung zerstreuter Familiengemeinden, entweder durch herrische
Gewalt, oder durch freywillige von den verknüpfenden
Bedürfnissen und der Wechselwirkung ihrer Befriedigung eingeleitete Vereinigung.
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.
181 Transition of the Family into Civil Society. The family divides, in a natural way and essentially through the principle of personality, into a multiplicity of families, which stand toward one another as independent concrete persons and therefore in an external relation. Or, the moments bound together in the unity of the family as the ethical Idea, which is still in its concept, must be released by that concept into independent reality—the stage of difference. Expressed initially in abstract terms, this yields the determination of particularity. Particularity does indeed relate to universality, but in such a way that universality is its foundation only inwardly, and therefore appears in the particular only formally. This relation of reflection thus presents, initially, the loss of ethical life; or, since ethical life, as essence, necessarily appears (Encykl. der phil. Wiss. § 64 ff. § 81 ff.), it constitutes the phenomenal world of ethical life: civil society.
The expansion of the family, as its passage into another principle, takes the form in existence either of its peaceful expansion into a people—a nation, which thus has a common natural origin—or of the gathering of scattered family communities, whether through domineering force or through a voluntary union initiated by the needs that link them and by the reciprocal action of satisfying those needs.
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.
181 Transition from the Family to Civil Society
The family naturally breaks up into many families. The principle of personality is essential to this process. These families relate to one another as independent, concrete persons, and therefore as external to one another. In other words, the elements held together in the unity of the family—the ethical Idea that still exists only in its concept—must be released by that concept into independent reality. This is the stage of difference. To put this in abstract terms first, the result is particularity. It does relate to universality, but universality is now only its inner foundation. It therefore has only a formal presence, appearing within the particular. At first, then, this relationship of reflection represents the loss of ethical life. But ethical life, as essence, necessarily appears (Encykl. der phil. Wiss. § 64 ff. § 81 ff.). So this relationship makes up the world in which ethical life appears: civil society.
The family's expansion, as a transition into another principle, takes two forms in existence. One is its peaceful expansion into a people—a nation that therefore has a common natural origin. The other is the gathering of scattered family communities, either by the force of a ruler or by a voluntary union brought about by the needs that connect them and by their interaction in satisfying those needs.
About this section
Section 181 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 183 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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