Section 21
Original German
21 Die Wahrheit aber dieser formellen, für sich unbestimmten und ihre Bestimmtheit an jenem Stoffe vorfindenden Allgemeinheit, ist die sich selbst bestimmende Allgemeinheit, der Wille, die Freyheit. Indem er die Allgemeinheit, sich selbst, als die unendliche Form zu seinem Inhalte, Gegenstande und Zweck hat, ist er nicht nur der an sich, sondern eben so der für sich freye Wille — die wahrhafte Idee.
Das Selbstbewußtseyn des Willens, als Begierde, Trieb ist sinnlich, wie das Sinnliche überhaupt die Aeußerlichkeit und damit das Außersichseyn des Selbstbewußtseyns bezeichnet. Der reflectirende Wille hat die zwey Elemente, jenes Sinnliche und die denkende Allgemeinheit; der an und für sich seyende Wille hat den Willen selbst als solchen, hiemit sich in seiner reinen Allgemeinheit zu seinem Gegenstande — der Allgemeinheit, welche ebendieß ist, daß die Unmittelbarkeit der Natürlichkeit und die Particularität, mit welcher eben so die Natürlichkeit behaftet, als sie von der Reflexion hervorgebracht wird, in ihr aufgehoben ist. Dieß Aufheben aber und Erheben ins Allgemeine ist das, was die Thätigkeit des Denkens heißt. Das Selbstbewußtseyn, das seinen Gegenstand, Inhalt und Zweck bis zu dieser Allgemeinheit reinigt und erhebt, thut dieß als das im Willen sich durchsetzende Denken. Hier ist der Punkt, auf welchem es erhellt, daß der Wille nur als denkende Intelligenz wahrhafter, freyer Wille ist. Der Sclave weiß nicht sein Wesen, seine Unendlichkeit, die Freyheit, er weiß sich nicht als Wesen; — und er weiß sich so nicht, das ist, er denkt sich nicht. Dieß Selbstbewußtseyn, das durch das Denken sich als Wesen erfaßt, und damit eben sich von dem Zufälligen und Unwahren abthut, macht das Princip des Rechts, der Moralität und aller Sittlichkeit aus. Die, welche philosophisch vom Recht, Moralität, Sittlichkeit sprechen, und dabey das Denken ausschließen wollen, und an das Gefühl, Herz und Brust, an die Begeisterung verweisen, sprechen damit die tiefste Verachtung aus, in welche der Gedanke und die Wissenschaft gefallen ist, indem so die Wissenschaft sogar selbst, über sich in Verzweiflung und in die höchste Mattigkeit versunken, die Barbarey und das Gedankenlose sich zum Princip macht und so viel an ihr wäre, dem Menschen alle Wahrheit, Werth und Würde raubte.
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.
21 But the truth of this formal universality, which is indeterminate on its own and finds its determinacy in that material, is self-determining universality: the will, freedom. Since the will has universality—itself—as infinite form for its content, object, and end, it is the will that is free not only in itself, but also for itself—the true Idea.
The self-consciousness of the will as desire and drive is sensuous, just as the sensuous in general signifies externality, and thus self-consciousness’s being outside itself. The reflective will has two elements: that sensuous element and the universality of thought. The will that is in and for itself has the will itself as such, and therefore itself in its pure universality, for its object—a universality that consists precisely in this: within it, the immediacy of naturalness and the particularity that both inheres in naturalness and is produced by reflection are sublated. But this sublation and elevation into the universal is what is called the activity of thinking. The self-consciousness that purifies and elevates its object, content, and end to this universality does so as thinking that asserts itself within the will. Here is the point at which it becomes clear that only as thinking intelligence is the will a true, free will. The slave does not know his essence, his infinity, freedom; he does not know himself as an essence—and he does not know himself in this way, that is, he does not think himself. This self-consciousness, which through thinking grasps itself as essence, and thereby frees itself from what is contingent and untrue, constitutes the principle of right, morality, and all ethical life. Those who speak philosophically of right, morality, and ethical life, yet wish to exclude thinking and refer instead to feeling, to heart and breast, to enthusiasm, thereby express the deepest contempt into which thought and science have fallen. For in this way even science itself, despairing of itself and sunk into the utmost exhaustion, makes barbarism and thoughtlessness its principle and, so far as it could, would rob human beings of all truth, value, and dignity.
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.
21 But the truth of this formal universality, which is undetermined on its own and finds its determinations in that material, is universality that determines itself: the will, freedom. Because it has universality—itself, as infinite form—for its content, object, and purpose, it is the will free not only in itself but also for itself: the true Idea.
As desire and drive, the will's self-consciousness is sensory, just as the sensory in general means externality and thus self-consciousness being outside itself. The reflecting will has two elements: that sensory element and thinking universality. The will that is in and for itself has the will itself as such, and therefore itself in its pure universality, for its object. This universality is precisely that in which both the immediacy of natural existence and particularity have been overcome, whether that particularity attaches to natural existence or is produced by reflection. This overcoming and raising into the universal is what is called the activity of thinking. Self-consciousness purifies and raises its object, content, and purpose to this universality as thinking asserting itself within the will. This is the point at which it becomes clear that the will is true, free will only as thinking intelligence. A slave does not know his essence, his infinity, freedom; he does not know himself as an essential being. And he does not know himself in this way—that is, he does not think himself. This self-consciousness, which through thinking grasps itself as an essential being and thereby frees itself from the contingent and untrue, is the principle of right, morality, and all ethical life. Those who speak philosophically about right, morality, and ethical life, yet want to exclude thinking and appeal to feeling, heart and breast, and enthusiasm, thereby express the deepest contempt into which thought and science have fallen. On this view, even science itself, sunk in despair about itself and in utter exhaustion, makes barbarism and thoughtlessness its principle. As far as it could, it would thus rob human beings of all truth, value, and dignity.
About this section
Section 21 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 23 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
Open the work page for the full contents, every edition, and the download links, or go back to Explore to browse other complete works in the European tradition. The reader keeps your place when you are signed in and lets you compare the original with each translation, one edition at a time.