Section 196
Original German
b) Die Art der Arbeit.
196 Die Vermittelung, den particularisirten Bedürfnissen angemessene eben so particularisirte Mittel zu bereiten und zu erwerben ist die Arbeit, welche das von der Natur unmittelbar gelieferte Material für diese vielfachen Zwecke durch die mannigfaltigsten Processe specificirt. Diese Formirung giebt nun dem Mittel den Werth und seine Zweckmäßigkeit, so daß der Mensch in seiner Consumtion sich vornemlich zu menschlichen Productionen verhält und solche Bemühungen es sind, die er verbraucht.
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.
b) The Nature of Labor
196 The mediation that prepares and acquires particularized means suited to particularized needs is labor, which specifies the material immediately supplied by nature for these manifold purposes through the most varied processes. This formation now gives the means its value and its purposiveness, so that man in his consumption relates chiefly to human productions, and it is such efforts that he consumes.
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.
b) The Character of Work
196 The mediation that prepares and acquires suitably particularized means for particularized needs is work. Through a wide variety of processes, it adapts the material directly supplied by nature to these many purposes. This shaping now gives the means its value and usefulness. So what a person chiefly deals with in consumption is human products, and what he uses up is human effort.
About this section
Section 196 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 198 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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