Section 236
Original German
236 Die verschiedenen Interessen der Producenten und Consumenten können in Collision mit einander kommen, und wenn sich zwar das richtige Verhältniß im Ganzen von selbst herstellt, so bedarf die Ausgleichung auch einer über beyden stehenden mit Bewußtseyn vorgenommenen Regulirung. Das Recht zu einer solchen für das Einzelne (z. B. Taxation der Artikel der gemeinsten Lebensbedürfnisse) liegt darin, daß das öffentliche Ausstellen von Waaren, die von ganz allgemeinem, alltäglichen Gebrauche sind, nicht sowohl einem Individuum als solchen, sondern ihm als Allgemeinen, dem Publicum angeboten werden, dessen Recht, nicht betrogen zu werden, und die Untersuchung der Waaren, als ein gemeinsames Geschäft von einer öffentlichen Macht vertreten und besorgt werden kann. — Vornemlich aber macht die Abhängigkeit großer Industriezweige von auswärtigen Umständen und entfernten Combinationen, welche die an jene Sphären angewiesenen und gebundenen Individuen in ihrem Zusammenhang nicht übersehen können, eine allgemeine Vorsorge und Leitung nothwendig.
Gegen die Freyheit des Gewerbes und Handels in der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft ist das andere Extrem die Versorgung, so wie die Bestimmung der Arbeit Aller durch öffentliche Veranstaltung, — wie etwa auch die alte Arbeit der Pyramiden und der andern ungeheuren, ägyptischen und asiatischen Werke, welche für öffentliche Zwecke ohne die Vermittlung der Arbeit des Einzelnen durch seine besondere Willkühr und sein besonderes Interesse hervorgebracht wurden. Dieses Interesse ruft jene Freyheit gegen die höhere Regulirung an, bedarf aber, jemehr es blind in den selbstsüchtigen Zweck vertieft, um so mehr einer solchen, um zum Allgemeinen zurückgeführt zu werden, und um die gefährlichen Zuckungen und die Dauer des Zwischenraumes, in welchem sich die Collisionen auf dem Wege bewußtloser Nothwendigkeit ausgleichen sollen, abzukürzen und zu mildern.
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.
236 The different interests of producers and consumers can come into collision with one another, and although the right relation is restored of itself in the whole, the adjustment also needs a regulation undertaken consciously and standing above both. The right to such regulation for the particular case (for example, the fixing of prices for articles of the most common necessities of life) lies in this: that wares of entirely universal, everyday use are offered in public display not so much to an individual as such but to him as a universal, to the public, whose right not to be deceived, and the inspection of the wares, can be represented and attended to by a public power as a common task. — Chiefly, however, the dependence of great branches of industry on foreign circumstances and distant combinations, which the individuals assigned and bound to those spheres cannot survey in their connection, makes a universal provision and direction necessary.
Against the freedom of trade and commerce in civil society, the other extreme is provision for, and determination of, the work of all by public arrangement, as with the ancient work of the pyramids and the other enormous Egyptian and Asiatic works, which were produced for public ends without the mediation of the individual's work through his particular arbitrary choice and particular interest. This interest calls upon that freedom against the higher regulation, yet the more blindly it is sunk in its selfish end, the more it needs such regulation in order to be led back to the universal, and in order to shorten and soften the dangerous convulsions, and the duration of the interval, in which the collisions are to be adjusted by way of unconscious necessity.
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.
236 The different interests of producers and consumers can come into conflict with each other. The right relation does establish itself of its own accord in the whole. Even so, the balancing also needs a regulation made consciously, standing above both. The right to such regulation for particular cases (for example, setting prices for the commonest necessities of life) lies in this. Goods of entirely general, everyday use are put on public display. They are offered not to an individual as such but to him as a universal, to the public. The public's right not to be cheated, and the inspection of the goods, can be represented and looked after by a public power as a common business. — Above all, however, large branches of industry depend on foreign conditions and distant combinations. The individuals assigned and bound to those branches cannot see these in their connection. This makes general care and direction necessary.
The opposite extreme to the freedom of trade and commerce in civil society is the providing for everyone, and the fixing of everyone's work, by public arrangement. The ancient work on the pyramids and on the other enormous Egyptian and Asian works is an example. These were produced for public purposes without the work of the individual being mediated by his particular arbitrary choice and particular interest. That interest calls for freedom against the higher regulation. But the more blindly it sinks into its selfish purpose, the more it needs such regulation, to be brought back to the universal. It needs it also so that the dangerous convulsions can be shortened and softened, along with the period in between, during which the conflicts are supposed to settle themselves by way of unconscious necessity.
About this section
Section 236 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 238 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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