Section 19
Original German
19 In der Foderung der Reinigung der Triebe liegt die allgemeine Vorstellung, daß sie von der Form ihrer unmittelbaren Naturbestimmtheit und von dem Subjectiven und Zufälligen des Inhalts befreyt und auf ihr substantielles Wesen zurückgeführt werden. Das Wahrhafte dieser unbestimmten Foderung ist, daß die Triebe, als das vernünftige System der Willensbestimmung seyen; sie so aus dem Begriffe zu fassen, ist der Inhalt der Wissenschaft des Rechts.
Der Inhalt dieser Wissenschaft kann nach allen seinen einzelnen Momenten z. B. Recht, Eigenthum, Moralität, Familie, Staat u. s. f. in der Form vorgetragen werden, daß der Mensch von Natur den Trieb zum Recht, auch den Trieb zum Eigenthum, zur Moralität, auch den Trieb der Geschlechterliebe, den Trieb zur Geselligkeit u. s. f. habe. Will man statt dieser Form der empirischen Psychologie vornehmerweise eine philosophische Gestalt haben, so ist diese nach dem, was, wie vorhin bemerkt worden, in neuerer Zeit für Philosophie gegolten hat und noch gilt, wohlfeil damit zu bekommen, daß man sagt, der Mensch finde als Thatsache seines Bewußtseyns in sich, daß er das Recht, Eigenthum, den Staat u. s. f. wolle. Weiterhin wird eine andere Form desselben Inhalts, der hier in Gestalt von Trieben erscheint, nemlich die von Pflichten, eintreten.
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.
19 The demand for the purification of drives contains the general conception that they should be freed from the form of their immediate natural determinacy and from what is subjective and contingent in their content, and brought back to their substantial essence. The truth in this indeterminate demand is that the drives should exist as the rational system of the will’s determination. To comprehend them in this way from the concept is the content of the science of right.
The content of this science, in all its individual moments—for example, right, property, morality, family, state, and so on—can be presented in the form that human beings have by nature a drive toward right, also a drive toward property and morality, as well as the drive of sexual love, the drive toward sociability, and so on. If, instead of this form of empirical psychology, one wishes to have a philosophical shape that sounds more distinguished, then, according to what—as was noted earlier—has passed for philosophy in recent times and still does, this is cheaply obtained by saying that human beings find within themselves, as a fact of their consciousness, that they will right, property, the state, and so on. Later, another form of the same content that appears here in the shape of drives will emerge: that of duties.
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.
19 The demand for the purification of the drives contains the general idea that they should be freed from their immediate natural form and from the subjective and contingent character of their content, and brought back to their substantial essence. What is true in this undetermined demand is that the drives should be the rational system of the will's determinations. Grasping them in this way from the concept is the content of the science of right.
The content of this science can be presented in all its particular elements—for example, right, property, morality, family, state, and so on—in the form of saying that human beings have a natural drive toward right, also a drive toward property and morality, as well as a drive toward sexual love and a drive toward sociability, and so on. If, instead of this form of empirical psychology, someone wants the more distinguished appearance of a philosophical form, this is cheaply obtained, given what has passed and still passes for philosophy in recent times, as noted earlier. One need only say that people find within themselves, as a fact of their consciousness, that they will right, property, the state, and so on. Later, another form of the same content, which appears here as drives, will come into play: the form of duties.
About this section
Section 19 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 21 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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