Section 352
Original German
352 Die concreten Ideen, die Völkergeister, haben ihre Wahrheit und Bestimmung in der concreten Idee, wie sie die absolute Allgemeinheit ist, — dem Weltgeist, um dessen Thron sie als die Vollbringer seiner Verwirklichung, und als Zeugen und Zierrathen seiner Herrlichkeit stehen. Indem er als Geist nur die Bewegung seiner Thätigkeit ist, sich absolut zu wissen, hiermit sein Bewußtseyn von der Form der natürlichen Unmittelbarkeit zu befreyen und zu sich selbst zu kommen, so sind die Principien der Gestaltungen dieses Selbstbewußtseyns in dem Gange seiner Befreyung, — der welthistorischen Reiche, Viere.
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.
352 The concrete Ideas, the spirits of peoples, have their truth and destiny in the concrete Idea as it is absolute universality—the world spirit, around whose throne they stand as the accomplishers of its actualization, and as witnesses and ornaments of its glory. Since, as spirit, it is only the movement of its activity to know itself absolutely, thereby to free its consciousness from the form of natural immediacy and to come to itself, the principles of the configurations of this self-consciousness in the course of its liberation—of the world-historical realms—are four.
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.
352 The concrete ideas, the spirits of the peoples, have their truth and destiny in the concrete idea as absolute universality. This is the world spirit. The peoples stand around its throne as those who carry out its realization, and as witnesses and ornaments of its glory. As spirit, it is only the movement of its own activity, which is to know itself absolutely. In doing so it frees its consciousness from the form of natural immediacy and comes to itself. So the principles of the shapes of this self-consciousness, in the course of its liberation, that is, of the world-historical realms, are four.
About this section
Section 352 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 354 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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