Section 295
Original German
295 Die Sicherung des Staats und der Regierten gegen den Mißbrauch der Gewalt von Seiten der Behörden und ihrer Beamten liegt einerseits unmittelbar in ihrer Hierarchie und Verantwortlichkeit, andererseits in der Berechtigung der Gemeinden, Corporationen, als wodurch die Einmischung subjectiver Willkühr in die den Beamten anvertraute Gewalt für sich gehemmt und die in das einzelne Benehmen nicht reichende Kontrolle von Oben, von Unten ergänzt wird.
Im Benehmen und in der Bildung der Beamten liegt der Punkt, wo die Gesetze und Entscheidungen der Regierung die Einzelnheit berühren und in der Wirklichkeit geltend gemacht werden. Diß ist somit die Stelle, von welcher die Zufriedenheit und das Zutrauen der Bürger zur Regierung, so wie die Ausführung oder Schwächung und Vereitelung ihrer Absichten nach der Seite abhängt, daß die Art und Weise der Ausführung von der Empfindung und Gesinnung leicht so hoch angeschlagen wird, als der Inhalt des Auszuführenden selbst, der schon für sich eine Last enthalten kann. In der Unmittelbarkeit und Persönlichkeit dieser Berührung liegt es, daß die Kontrolle von Oben von dieser Seite unvollständiger ihren Zweck erreicht, der auch an dem gemeinschaftlichen Interesse der Beamten als eines gegen die Untergebenen und gegen die Obern sich zusammenschließenden Standes, Hindernisse finden kann, deren Beseitigung insbesondere bey etwa sonst noch unvollkommenern Institutionen, das höhere Eingreifen der Souverainetät (wie z. B. Friedrichs II. in der berüchtigt-gemachten Müller Arnoldschen Sache) erfodert und berechtigt.
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.
295 The safeguard of the state and the governed against the abuse of power by the authorities and their officials lies, on the one hand, immediately in their hierarchy and responsibility, and on the other in the authorization of communities and corporations. Through this, the intrusion of subjective arbitrary choice into the power entrusted to officials is checked in its own right, and control from above, which does not reach down to individual conduct, is supplemented from below.
The conduct and education of officials are the point at which the laws and decisions of government touch individuality and are brought to bear in actuality. This is therefore the point upon which depend the citizens' satisfaction and trust in government, as well as the realization, or weakening and frustration, of its intentions: the manner of execution is readily rated as highly by feeling and disposition as the content of what is to be executed, which may in itself already contain a burden. The immediacy and personal character of this contact mean that control from above reaches its purpose less completely from this side. It may also encounter obstacles in the common interest of officials as an estate uniting against both subordinates and superiors. Removing this, particularly where institutions are otherwise still less complete, requires and justifies the higher intervention of sovereignty—as, for example, that of Frederick II in the notorious case of the miller Arnold.
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.
295 The state and the governed are protected against abuse of power by the authorities and their officials in two ways. On the one hand, the protection lies directly in the hierarchy and accountability of the officials. On the other hand, it lies in the rights of communities and corporations. These rights by themselves block the intrusion of subjective arbitrary choice into the power entrusted to officials. And the control from above, which does not reach down to individual conduct, is supplemented from below.
The conduct and the education of officials are the point where the laws and decisions of the government touch the individual and are made to count in reality. This is therefore the point on which citizens' satisfaction with the government and their trust in it depend. It is also the point on which the carrying out of the government's intentions, or their weakening and frustration, depends. This is so because feeling and attitude easily rate the manner of carrying something out as highly as the content of what is carried out, which may already be a burden in itself. It lies in the immediacy and personal character of this contact that control from above reaches its aim less completely here. That aim can also meet obstacles in the shared interest of the officials, who form a class that closes ranks against both those below and those above. Removing these obstacles, especially where institutions are otherwise still imperfect, requires and justifies the higher intervention of the sovereign (for example, Frederick II in the notorious case of the miller Arnold).
About this section
Section 295 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 297 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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