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that the various aspects； hitherto treated as separate moments of experience； are in
reality abstractions from the life of concrete spirit now to be discussed and analysed。
It is noteworthy that from this point onwards the argument is less negative in its result
either directly or indirectly； and is more systematic and constructive。 This is no doubt
largely because hitherto individual mind as such has been under review； and this is an
abstraction from social mind or spiritual existence。
A。 Objective Spirit： the ethical order
a。 The ethical world： law divine and human： man and woman
Translator's comments： The first step in the analysis of spirit is to take spirit as a realized
actual social order； immediately given as a historical fact； and present directly to the
mincls of the individuals composing it。 This is social life as an established routine of
human adjustments； where the natural characteristics and constitution of its moral
individuals are absorbed and built into the single substance of the living social whole。 It is
spirit as an objectively embodied whole of essentially spiritual individuals； without any
consciousness of opposition to one another or to the whole； and with an absolute
unbroken sense of their own security and fulfilment within the substance of social mind。 It
is spirit at the level of naive acquiescence in the law and order of conventional life。
But such a self…complete type of experience has various levels of realization。 It cannot
exist except through the union of opposing elements； and the central principle of all
experience； self…consciousness； which assumes here such a concrete form； has abundant
material on which to exercise its function of creating and uniting distinctions。 The first level
is deternlined by the fact that the substance of social life is constituted out of the
quasi…natural phenomena of human genus and species； of race and nationality； on the
one hand； and the purely natural element of specialized individual sex on the other。
These two aspects go together； the sex…relations of individuals maintain race and
nationality； the nation lives in and through its sexually distinct individuals。 The social order
as an rder is realized and maintained in the medium of these elements。 The fact that this
order is an order of universal mind gives it a permanence； an inviolability； an
absoluteness； which are inseparable from it； so inseparable that the order is looked on as
having its roots in the Absolute Mind； and as deriving its authority from it。 The social order
on this aspect consists of a divinely established and divinely sanctioned régime； the gods
are the guardians of the city； of the hearth and the home。 On the other hand the
expression of this order varies； and is enunciated from time to time in the history of a
community。 The order in this sense is made by man； the law of the social order thus
becomes a human law； determined by human conditions and human ends； it is a round of
conventions and customs。 These two forms of order are inseparable in the life of a
community； and they subsist together and side beside at this level of social
consciousness。 They may lead to conflict in the life of the individual in the community； and
have to be reconciled by force or otherwise； and they become associated and connected
with the fundamental differences of individuality above referred to。
The analysis of this level of social life constituted as above furnishes the argument of the
following section。 With Hegel's treatment of the relationships holding between Husband
and Wife； Parents and Children； Brothers and Sisters should be read Aristotle's discussion
of social fellowship in Eth。 Nicom。 Bks。 VIII； IX。
1。 Nation and Family
（a） Human Law
（b） Divine Law
（c） The claims of the Individual
2。 The Process involved in these Two Laws
（a） Government as Positive Power； War as Negative
（b） Man & Woman as Brother & Sister
（c） The Interfusion of these Two Laws
3。 Ethical World as Infinitude or Self…complete Totality
b。 Ethical action： knowledge human and Divine： Guilt and Destiny
Translator's comments： A fundamental condition of social order is that it is maintained by
action on the part of the individual members of a society； action is a fundamental principle
of distinction between individuals； is the way they make their contribution to social life； and
is also the way by which the continuance of social life is ceaselessly broken and
reconstituted。 In a comprehensive sense therefore action is the principle by which
distinction in unity is carried out in social life。 The consideration of its significance is thus
an essential problem of social mind。 Action must be considered at once with reference to
individuality and also with reference to those conceptions of social order as containing both
〃divine〃 and 〃human〃 law。 In the following section； this analysis is undertaken。
The specific historical background of Hegel's thought in this section； and to some extent in
the preceding section； is supplied by the social life of the Greek city state。 The Greek city
state has been taken as the type； so to say； of spiritual existence realized as a
self…complete ethical order。 But the social life of Greece is here in large measure read and
interpreted in the light of the dramatization of Greek ethical conceptions by the great
Greek tragedians； especially Sophocles。 This accounts for the repeated reference to the
purely dramatic conception of the 〃destiny〃 or the 〃pathic〃 element in the life of the
individual whose spiritual existence is completely bound up with the established social
order。 It is in Greece that we find most fully realized the all…sufficiency of the state for the
individual； which Hegel has here in view； a sufficiency which was at once the strength and
beauty； as well as the pathos and weakness； of Greek social life。
With this and the preceding section should be read Hegel's Philosophy of History； Part II；
〃The Greek World〃
（1） Contradiction of Individuality with its Essence
（2） Opposite Characteristics of Ethical Action
（3） Dissolution of the Ethical Being
c。 Legal status
Translator's comments： A further step in the realization of the principle of c