Section 47
Original German
47 Als Person bin Ich selbst unmittelbar Einzelner, — dieß heißt in seiner weitern Bestimmung zunächst: Ich bin lebendig in diesem organischen Körper, welcher mein dem Inhalte nach allgemeines ungetheiltes äußeres Daseyn, die reale Möglichkeit alles weiter bestimmten Daseyns, ist. Aber als Person habe ich zugleich mein Leben und Körper, wie andere Sachen, nur in so fern es mein Wille ist.
Daß Ich nach der Seite, nach welcher Ich nicht als der für sich seyende, sondern als der unmittelbare Begriff existire, lebendig bin und einen organischen Körper habe, beruht auf dem Begriffe des Lebens und dem des Geistes als Seele, — auf Momenten, die aus der Naturphilosophie (Encyklop. der philos. Wissensch. §. 259. f. f. vergl. §. 161. 164. und 298.) und der Anthropologie (ebendas. §. 318.) aufgenommen sind. —
Ich habe diese Glieder, das Leben nur, in so fern ich will; das Thier kann sich nicht selbst verstümmeln oder umbringen, aber der Mensch.
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.
47 As a person, I am myself immediately an individual.—In its further determination this means, first: I am alive in this organic body, which is my external existence, universal in content and undivided, the real possibility of all further determined existence. But as a person I also have my life and body, like other things, only insofar as it is my will.
That I am alive and have an organic body, in the respect in which I exist not as the concept that is for itself but as the immediate concept, rests on the concept of life and that of spirit as soul—on moments taken from the philosophy of nature (Encyklop. der philos. Wissensch. § 259. f. f. vergl. § 161. 164. und 298.) and anthropology (ebendas. § 318.).—
I have these limbs, this life, only insofar as I will; an animal cannot mutilate or kill itself, but a human being can.
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.
47 As a person, I myself am an immediate individual. To determine this further, it means first that I am alive in this organic body. This body is my undivided external existence, universal in its content, and the real possibility of every more specifically determined existence. But as a person I also have my life and body, like other things, only insofar as this is my will.
I am alive and have an organic body on the side of my existence where I exist not as the concept that is for itself, but as the immediate concept. This rests on the concept of life and on that of spirit as soul—moments taken from the philosophy of nature (Encyklop. der philos. Wissensch. § 259. f. f. vergl. § 161. 164. und 298.) and anthropology (ebendas. § 318.).
I have these limbs and this life only insofar as I will them. An animal cannot mutilate or kill itself, but a human being can.
About this section
Section 47 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 49 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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