Section 70
Original German
70 Die umfassende Totalität der äußerlichen Thätigkeit, das Leben, ist gegen die Persönlichkeit, als welche selbst Diese und unmittelbar ist, kein Aeußerliches. Die Entäußerung oder Aufopferung desselben ist vielmehr das Gegentheil, als das Daseyn dieser Persönlichkeit. Ich habe daher zu jener Entäußerung überhaupt kein Recht, und nur eine sittliche Idee, als in welcher diese unmittelbar einzelne Persönlichkeit an sich untergegangen, und die deren wirkliche Macht ist, hat ein Recht darauf, so daß zugleich wie das Leben als solches unmittelbar, auch der Tod die unmittelbare Negativität desselben ist, daher er von Außen, als eine Natursache, oder im Dienste der Idee, von fremder Hand empfangen werden muß.
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.
70 The all-embracing totality of external activity, life, is not something external to personality, since personality is itself this individual and immediate. Alienating or sacrificing life is, rather, the opposite of the existence of this personality. I therefore have no right at all to such alienation. Only an ethical Idea, in which this immediately individual personality has in itself passed away, and which is its actual power, has a right to it. At the same time, just as life as such is immediate, so death is its immediate negativity; hence death must be received from outside, as a natural occurrence, or, in the service of the Idea, at another's hand.
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.
70 The all-embracing totality of external activity, life, is not external to personality, since personality is itself this one and immediate. Giving up or sacrificing life is, rather, the opposite of the existence of this personality. I therefore have no right at all to give it up in that way. Only an ethical Idea, in which this immediately individual personality has in itself been absorbed, and which is its actual power, has a right to it. At the same time, just as life as such is immediate, death too is its immediate negation. Death must therefore come from outside, as a natural event, or, in the service of the Idea, at someone else's hand.
About this section
Section 70 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 72 of 362 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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