Section 289
Original German
289 Die Festhaltung des allgemeinen Staatsinteresses und des Gesetzlichen in diesen besonderen Rechten und die Zurückführung derselben auf jenes erfordert eine Besorgung durch Abgeordnete der Regierungsgewalt, die executiven Staatsbeamten und die höheren berathenden insofern collegialisch constituirten Behörden, welche in den obersten, den Monarchen berührenden Spitzen, zusammenlaufen.
Wie die bürgerliche Gesellschaft der Kampfplatz des individuellen Privatinteresses Aller gegen Alle ist, so hat hier der Conflict desselben gegen die gemeinschaftlichen besonderen Angelegenheiten, und dieser zusammen mit jenem gegen die höheren Gesichtspunkte und Anordnungen des Staats, seinen Sitz. Der Corporationsgeist, der sich in der Berechtigung der besondern Sphären erzeugt, schlägt in sich selbst zugleich in den Geist des Staats um, indem er an dem Staate das Mittel der Erhaltung der besondern Zwecke hat. Diß ist das Geheimniß des Patriotismus der Bürger nach dieser Seite, daß sie den Staat als ihre Substanz wissen, weil er ihre besondern Sphären, deren Berechtigung und Autorität wie deren Wohlfahrt, erhält. In dem Corporationsgeist, da er die Einwurzelung des Besonderen in das Allgemeine unmittelbar enthält, ist insofern die Tiefe und die Stärke des Staates, die er in der Gesinnung hat. Die Verwaltung der Corporationsangelegenheiten durch ihre eigenen Vorsteher wird, da sie zwar ihre eigenthümlichen Interessen und Angelegenheiten, aber unvollständiger den Zusammenhang der entfernteren Bedingungen und die allgemeinen Gesichtspunkte kennen und vor sich haben, häufig ungeschickt seyn — außerdem daß weitere Umstände dazu beytragen, z. B. die nahe Privatberührung und sonstige Gleichheit der Vorsteher mit den ihnen auch untergeordnet seyn sollenden, ihre mannichfachere Abhängigkeit u. s. f. Diese eigene Sphäre kann aber, als dem Moment der formellen Freyheit überlassen angesehen werden, wo das eigene Erkennen, Beschließen und Ausführen, so wie die kleinen Leidenschaften und Einbildungen einen Tummelplatz haben, sich zu ergehen, — und diß um so mehr, je weniger der Gehalt der Angelegenheit, die dadurch verdorben, weniger gut, mühseliger u. s. f. besorgt wird, für das Allgemeinere des Staats von Wichtigkeit ist, und je mehr die mühselige oder thörichte Besorgung solcher geringfügiger Angelegenheit in directem Verhältnisse mit der Befriedigung und Meynung von sich steht, die daraus geschöpft wird.
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.
289 Maintaining the universal interest of the state and legality within these particular rights, and bringing these back to the former, requires attention by delegates of the executive power: executive state officials and the higher advisory authorities, constituted to that extent as boards, which converge in the highest offices in contact with the monarch.
Just as civil society is the battlefield of the individual private interest of all against all, here is the seat of the conflict of that interest against common particular affairs, and of these together with the former against the state's higher points of view and requirements. The spirit of the corporation, which arises in the authorization of the particular spheres, at the same time turns within itself into the spirit of the state, since it has in the state the means of preserving its particular purposes. This is the secret of the citizens' patriotism from this side: they know the state as their substance because it preserves their particular spheres, their authorization and authority, and their welfare. Insofar as the spirit of the corporation immediately contains the rooting of the particular in the universal, it contains the depth and strength that the state possesses in disposition.
The administration of corporate affairs by their own directors will often be clumsy, since, though they know their distinctive interests and affairs, their knowledge and view of the connection with more remote conditions and universal points of view are less complete. Other circumstances also contribute, for example the directors' close private connection and equality in other respects with those who are also supposed to be subordinate to them, their manifold dependence, and so forth. Yet this sphere may be regarded as left to the moment of formal freedom: here one's own knowing, deciding, and executing, as well as petty passions and conceits, have an arena in which to indulge themselves. This is all the more so, the less important to the more universal affairs of the state is the content of the business, which is thereby spoiled, attended to less well, more laboriously, and so forth; and the more the laborious or foolish handling of such insignificant affairs stands in direct proportion to the satisfaction and opinion of oneself derived from it.
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.
289 Upholding the universal interest of the state and what is lawful within these particular rights, and bringing these rights back to that interest, requires the work of delegates of the governmental power: the executive state officials and the higher advisory authorities, constituted to that extent as collegiate bodies. These converge in the highest offices, which come into contact with the monarch.
Civil society is the battlefield of everyone's individual private interest against everyone else's. Here, in the same way, is the seat of the conflict of that interest with shared particular affairs, and of both together with the state's higher viewpoints and arrangements. The spirit of the corporation, generated by the entitlement of particular spheres, also turns within itself into the spirit of the state, since it has in the state the means to preserve its particular purposes. This is the secret of the citizens' patriotism in this respect: they know the state as their substance because it preserves their particular spheres, their entitlement and authority as well as their welfare. Insofar as the spirit of the corporation immediately contains the rooting of the particular in the universal, it contains the depth and strength that the state has in disposition.
Administration of corporate affairs by the corporations' own heads will often be inept. They know and have before them their own distinctive interests and affairs, but have less complete knowledge of the connection with more distant conditions and of general viewpoints. Other circumstances contribute as well: for example, the heads' close private contact with, and other respects in which they are equal to, those who are also supposed to be subordinate to them; their various dependencies; and so on. But this sphere of their own can be seen as left to the moment of formal freedom, where people's own knowing, deciding, and carrying out, as well as their petty passions and conceits, have a playground in which to move about. This holds all the more, the less the substance of these affairs—which are thereby spoiled, managed less well, with more difficulty, and so on—matters to the more universal concerns of the state; and the more the laborious or foolish management of such insignificant affairs stands in direct proportion to the satisfaction and self-opinion drawn from it.
About this section
Section 289 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 291 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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