Section 282
Original German
282 Aus der Souverainetät des Monarchen fließt das Begnadigungs-Recht der Verbrecher, denn ihr nur kommt die Verwirklichung der Macht des Geistes zu, das Geschehene ungeschehen zu machen, und im Vergeben und Vergessen das Verbrechen zu vernichten.
Das Begnadigungsrecht ist eine der höchsten Anerkennungen der Majestät des Geistes. — Diß Recht gehört übrigens zu den Anwendungen oder Reflexen der Bestimmungen der höheren Sphäre auf eine vorhergehende. — Dergleichen Anwendungen aber gehören der besonderen Wissenschaft an, die ihren Gegenstand in seinem empirischen Umfange abzuhandeln hat. (vergl. §. 270. Anm. \*). — Zu solchen Anwendungen gehört auch, daß die Verletzungen des Staats überhaupt, oder der Souverainetät, Majestät und der Persönlichkeit des Fürsten, unter den Begriff des Verbrechens, der früher (§. 95. bis 102.) vorgekommen ist, subsumirt, und zwar als die höchsten Verbrechen, die besondere Verfahrungsart u. s. f. bestimmt werden.
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.
282 From the monarch's sovereignty flows the right to pardon criminals; for to it alone belongs the actualization of spirit's power to undo what has happened, and to annihilate crime in forgiving and forgetting.
The right of pardon is one of the highest recognitions of the majesty of spirit. This right belongs, moreover, among applications or reflections of the determinations of the higher sphere upon an earlier one. Such applications, however, belong to the particular science that must treat its object in its empirical extent: compare § 270, remark. Such applications also include subsuming injuries to the state in general, or to the sovereignty, majesty, and personality of the prince, under the concept of crime previously considered (§§ 95–102), and determining them as the gravest crimes, with special procedures, and so forth.
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.
282 The monarch's sovereignty gives rise to the right to pardon criminals. Only sovereignty can actualize the power of spirit to undo what has happened and, through forgiving and forgetting, destroy the crime.
The right to pardon is one of the highest acknowledgments of the majesty of spirit. This right, incidentally, belongs among the applications or reflections of the determinations of a higher sphere onto an earlier one. But applications of this kind belong to the particular science that must deal with its subject across its empirical range (compare § 270, Remark. Such applications also include bringing violations of the state in general, or of sovereignty, majesty, and the prince's personality, under the concept of crime discussed earlier (§§ 95–102). They are determined as the highest crimes, and their special procedure and so on are determined as well.
About this section
Section 282 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 284 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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