Section 195
Original German
195 Diese Befreyung ist formell, indem die Besonderheit der Zwecke der zu Grunde liegende Inhalt bleibt. Die Richtung des gesellschaftlichen Zustandes auf die unbestimmte Vervielfältigung und Specificirung der Bedürfnisse, Mittel und Genüsse, welche, so wie der Unterschied zwischen natürlichem und ungebildetem Bedürfnisse, keine Grenzen hat, — der Luxus ist eine eben so unendliche Vermehrung der Abhängigkeit und Noth, welche es mit einer den unendlichen Widerstand leistenden Materie, nämlich mit äußern Mitteln von der besondern Art, Eigenthum des freyen Willens zu seyn, dem somit absolut harten, zu thun 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.
195 This liberation is formal, since the particularity of purposes remains the underlying content. The direction of the social condition toward the indeterminate multiplication and specification of needs, means and enjoyments—which, like the distinction between natural and uncultivated need, has no limits—this direction, luxury, is an equally infinite increase of dependence and distress, and this increase has to do with a material that offers infinite resistance, namely with external means of the particular kind of being property of the free will, and that is therefore absolutely hard.
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.
195 This liberation is formal, since the particularity of the ends remains its underlying content. Social life tends toward the indefinite multiplication and specialization of needs, means, and enjoyments. This tendency, like the difference between natural and uncultivated need, has no limits. Luxury is an equally endless increase in dependence and want. These have to contend with material that offers infinite resistance: external means of the special kind that are the property of a free will, and are therefore absolutely unyielding.
About this section
Section 195 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 197 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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