Section 241
Original German
241 Aber eben so als die Willkühr, können zufällige, physische und in den äußern Verhältnissen (§. 200.) liegende Umstände, Individuen zur Armuth herunter bringen, einem Zustande, der ihnen die Bedürfnisse der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft läßt, und der, indem sie ihnen zugleich die natürlichen Erwerbmittel (§. 217.) entzogen und das weitere Band der Familie als eines Stammes aufhebt, (§. 281.) dagegen sie aller Vortheile der Gesellschaft, Erwerbsfähigkeit von Geschicklichkeiten und Bildung überhaupt, auch der Rechtspflege, Gesundheitssorge, selbst oft des Trostes der Religion, u. s. f. mehr oder weniger verlustig macht. Die allgemeine Macht übernimmt die Stelle der Familie bey den Armen, eben so sehr in Rücksicht ihres unmittelbaren Mangels, als der Gesinnung der Arbeitsscheu, Bösartigkeit, und der weitern Laster, die aus solcher Lage und dem Gefühl ihres Unrechts entspringen.
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.
241 But just as arbitrary choice can do so, contingent, physical circumstances, and circumstances lying in external relations (§ 200), can bring individuals down to poverty. This is a condition that leaves them the needs of civil society, while it withdraws from them the natural means of acquisition (§ 217) and dissolves the wider bond of the family as a clan (§ 281), and thereby deprives them, more or less, of all the advantages of society: the capacity to earn through skills and education generally, and likewise the administration of justice, the care of health, and often even the consolation of religion, and so on. The universal power takes the place of the family with respect to the poor, as much in regard to their immediate want as in regard to the disposition of aversion to work, of malignity, and of the further vices that spring from such a situation and from the feeling of their wrong.
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.
241 But accidents can also bring individuals down to poverty, just as arbitrary choice can. These accidents may be physical, or may lie in outer circumstances (§ 200). Poverty leaves people with the needs of civil society. At the same time it takes away their natural means of earning a living (§ 217) and dissolves the wider bond of the family as a clan (§ 281). And it more or less deprives them of all the advantages of society: the ability to earn money through skills and education generally, and also the administration of justice, health care, and often even the comfort of religion, and so on. The general power takes the place of the family for the poor. It does so both to meet their immediate want and to deal with the attitude of reluctance to work, the malice, and the further vices that arise from such a position and from the feeling of being wronged.
About this section
Section 241 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 243 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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