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Section 67

69 of 362 sections in Elements of the Philosophy of Right by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Original German

67 Von meinen besondern, körperlichen und geistigen Geschicklichkeiten und Möglichkeiten der Thätigkeit kann ich einzelne Productionen und einen in der Zeit beschränkten Gebrauch von einem andern veräußern, weil sie nach dieser Beschränkung ein äußerliches Verhältniß zu meiner Totalität und Allgemeinheit erhalten. Durch die Veräußerung meiner ganzen durch die Arbeit concreten Zeit und der Totalität meiner Production würde ich das Substantielle derselben, meine allgemeine Thätigkeit und Wirklichkeit, meine Persönlichkeit zum Eigenthum eines andern machen.

Es ist dasselbe Verhältniß, wie oben §. 61. zwischen der Substanz der Sache und ihrer Benutzung; wie diese, nur insofern sie beschränkt ist, von jener verschieden ist, so ist auch der Gebrauch meiner Kräfte von ihnen selbst und damit von mir nur unterschieden, insofern er quantitativ beschränkt ist; — die Totalität der Aeußerungen einer Kraft ist die Kraft selbst, — der Accidenzen die Substanz, — der Besonderungen das Allgemeine.

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.

67 Of my particular bodily and intellectual skills and possibilities of activity, I can alienate to another individual products and a use limited in time, because, under this limitation, they acquire an external relation to my totality and universality. By alienating the whole of my time made concrete through work, and the totality of my production, I would make what is substantial in them—my universal activity and actuality, my personality—the property of another.

This is the same relation as that between the substance of the thing and its use, above in § 61. Just as use differs from substance only insofar as it is limited, so the use of my powers differs from those powers themselves, and thus from me, only insofar as it is quantitatively limited.—The totality of the expressions of a power is the power itself; that of the accidents is the substance; that of the particularizations is the universal.

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.

67 I can transfer to someone else individual products of my particular bodily and mental skills and capacities for activity. I can also transfer a use of them that is limited in time. This limitation gives them an external relationship to my totality and universality. By transferring the whole of my time as made concrete through work, and the totality of my production, I would make their substantial basis—my universal activity and actual reality, my personality—someone else's property.

This is the same relationship as that between the substance of a thing and its use, above in § 61. Just as use differs from substance only insofar as it is limited, the use of my powers differs from the powers themselves, and thus from me, only insofar as it is quantitatively limited. The totality of a power's expressions is the power itself; the totality of the accidents is the substance; the totality of the particular forms is the universal.

About this section

Section 67 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 69 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.

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