Section 341
Original German
341 C. Die Weltgeschichte.
Das Element des Daseyns des allgemeinen Geistes, welches in der Kunst Anschauung und Bild, in der Religion Gefühl und Vorstellung, in der Philosophie der reine, freye Gedanke ist, ist in der Weltgeschichte die geistige Wirklichkeit in ihrem ganzen Umfange von Innerlichkeit und Aeußerlichkeit. Sie ist ein Gericht, weil in seiner an und für sich seyenden Allgemeinheit das Besondere, die Penaten, die bürgerliche Gesellschaft und die Völkergeister in ihrer bunten Wirklichkeit, nur als ideelles sind, und die Bewegung des Geistes in diesem Elemente ist, diß darzustellen.
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.
341 C. World History.
The element of the existence of the universal spirit, which in art is intuition and image, in religion feeling and representation, in philosophy pure, free thought, is in world history spiritual actuality in its whole compass of inwardness and outwardness. It is a judgment because in its universality, which is in and for itself, the particular, the penates, civil society, and the spirits of peoples in their motley actuality, are only as ideal, and the movement of spirit in this element is to present this.
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.
341 C. World History.
Universal spirit exists in a certain element. In art that element is intuition and image. In religion it is feeling and imagination. In philosophy it is pure, free thought. In world history it is spiritual actuality in its whole range, both inner and outer. World history is a court of judgment. In its universality, which is in and for itself, the particular (the household gods, civil society and the spirits of the peoples in all their varied reality) exists only as something ideal. The movement of spirit in this element is to show this.
About this section
Section 341 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 343 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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