Comments on: 163

By: Hegel (Simple)

Hegel (Simple) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:54:42 +0000

§ 163: The spiritual bond

What makes marriage ethical? The consciousness of being a unity. Love, trust and sharing life in everything.

And the physical side?

It belongs to marriage. But it steps back. It is a moment of nature that passes away in its fulfillment. The spiritual bond matters more. It stands above changing passion. That is why marriage is, in itself, indissoluble.

In itself, but not absolutely:

Because marriage rests on feeling, it can break. Divorce is possible. But the laws should make it very hard. The right of ethical life should stand against whim.

Marriage is not a contract:

We know this already. In a contract, two persons remain separate. In marriage, they become one. In the past, people worshiped this unity as household gods. Here lies what is holy in marriage and the family.

A false separation:

Some people separate spiritual love completely from the body. They call this Platonic love. But it has little to do with Plato. It comes from a monkish view that despises the natural. Precisely because of this, the natural takes on an exaggerated importance.

Summary: The ethical side of marriage is the spiritual bond of love, trust and shared life. It stands above passion. That is why marriage is, in itself, indissoluble.

By: Eduard Gans (Additions)

Eduard Gans (Additions) — Wed, 29 May 1833 13:42:46 +0000

Marriage is distinguished from concubinage in that with the latter what matters chiefly is the satisfaction of the natural drive, whereas in marriage this is repressed. That is why, in marriage, one speaks without blushing of natural occurrences that would produce a feeling of shame in extramarital relations. For this very reason, however, marriage is also to be regarded in itself as indissoluble; for the end of marriage is the ethical end, which stands so high that everything else appears powerless against it and subordinate to it. Marriage is not to be disturbed by passion, for passion is subordinate to it. But it is indissoluble only in itself, for as Christ says: it is only on account of the hardness of their hearts that divorce is granted.) Because marriage contains the moment of feeling, it is not absolute but wavering, and carries within it the possibility of dissolution. But legislation must make this possibility as difficult as possible and uphold the right of ethical life against mere caprice.
) cf. Matth. 19, 8; Mark. 10, 5

By: Hegel (Notes)

Hegel (Notes) — Thu, 30 Jan 1823 15:56:27 +0000

Marriage is a union of conscious, reflecting beings.
α) The whole of life, not a momentary union.
β) Provision for the future – foreseeing of children – survey of the scope of the consequences.
γ) Platonic love – against feeling. – Moment of naturalness – the highest is this spiritual unity – spirit engaged as the highest, in the mode of the existence of spirit: science, state, art.