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168

Further, because it is this infinitely self-proper personality of the two sexes from whose free devotion marriage proceeds, it must not be concluded within a circle already naturally identical, already acquainted, and, in all its particulars, familiar to itself — a circle in which the individuals do not have, over against one another, a personality peculiarly their own — but rather the parties must find one another out of separate families and originally distinct personality. Marriage between blood relatives is therefore contrary to the concept, according to which marriage is an ethical act of freedom, not a union of immediate naturalness and its drives — and thus is also contrary to truly natural feeling.

If marriage itself is regarded as grounded not in natural right, but merely in the natural sexual drive, and as an arbitrary contract; and if, likewise, external grounds have been given for monogamy, even from the physical ratio of the number of men and women, and, similarly, only obscure feelings have been adduced for the prohibition of marriage between blood relatives — then, at the basis of this, lay the ordinary representation of a state of nature and a naturalness of right, and the lack of the concept of rationality and freedom.

DE

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2 responses to “168”

  1. Hegel (Notes) Avatar
    Hegel (Notes)

    Withdrawal of itself into itself
    To found a new family from the very beginning –
    What gives itself must be a whole, a self-subsistent individual – an independent singularity –; what is already united does not give itself –
    Sex – natural difference – spirit is to complete the difference of blood –
    The union of what is most separated is not simply found – spiritual, felt union – is composed out of communicating, first finding oneself, out of infinitely many particulars – What is already known does not interest, one already possesses it – [there must be] first discovering oneself, – understanding oneself – being surprised –
    Siblings – a sexless relation – not the conscious, living unity positing itself into intimacy, –

  2. Eduard Gans (Additions) Avatar
    Eduard Gans (Additions)

    In the first place, marriage between blood relatives is already opposed to the feeling of shame, but this recoiling is justified in the concept of the matter. For what is already united cannot first be united through marriage. From the side of the merely natural relation it is well known that matings within one family of animals produce weaker offspring, for what is to be united must be something previously separated; the power of generation, like that of spirit, is the greater the greater the oppositions are out of which it restores itself. The familiarity, acquaintance, and habit of acting together ought not yet to exist before the marriage: it is to be found first within it, and this finding has all the higher value the richer it is and the more parts it has.

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