philosophy of right-第65章

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state；　or　because　this　recommendation　of　religion　is　supposed　to　be　of　self…sufficient　validity；　and
religion　is　to　claim　to　decide　the　law　and　administer　it。　While　it　might　seem　a　bitter　jest　to　stifle　all
animus　against　tyranny　by　asserting　that　the　oppressed　find　their　consolation　in　religion；　it　still　must
not　be　forgotten　that　religion　may　take　a　form　leading　to　the　harshest　bondage　in　the　fetters　of
superstition　and　man's　degraded　subservience　to　animals。　（The　Egyptians　and　the　Hindus；　for
instance；　revere　animals　as　beings　higher　than　themselves。）　This　phenomenon　may　at　least　make　it
evident　that　we　ought　not　to　speak　of　religion　at　all　in　general　terms　and　that　we　really　need　a
power　to　protect　us　from　it　in　some　of　its　forms　and　to　espouse　against　them　the　rights　of　reason
and　self…consciousness。　

The　essence　of　the　relation　between　religion　and　the　state　can　be　determined；　however；　only　if　we
recall　the　concept　of　religion。　The　content　of　religion　is　absolute　truth；　and　consequently　the
religious　is　the　most　sublime　of　all　dispositions。　As　intuition；　feeling；　representative　knowledge；　its
task　is　concentrated　upon　God　as　the　unrestricted　principle　and　cause　on　which　everything　hangs。
It　thus　involves　the　demand　that　everything　else　shall　be　seen　in　this　light　and　depend　on　it　for
corroboration；　justification；　and　verification。　It　is　in　being　thus　related　to　religion　that　state；　laws；
and　duties　all　alike　acquire　for　consciousness　their　supreme　confirmation　and　their　supreme
obligatoriness；　because　even　the　state；　laws；　and　duties　are　in　their　actuality　something　determinate
which　passes　over　into　a　higher　sphere　and　so　into　that　on　which　it　is　grounded。　It　is　for　this　reason
that　in　religion　there　lies　the　place　where　man　is　always　assured　of　finding　a　consciousness　of　the
unchangeable；　of　the　highest　freedom　and　satisfaction；　even　within　all　the　mutability　of　the　world
and　despite　the　frustration　of　his　aims　and　the　loss　of　his　interests　and　possessions。　

Footnote：　Religion；　knowledge　and　science　have　as　their　principle　a　form　peculiar　to　each　and　different
from　that　of　the　state。　They　therefore　enter　the　state　partly　as　mean　…　means　to　education　and　（a　higher）
mentality　…　partly　in　so　far　as　they　are　in　essence　ends　in　themselves；　for　the　reason　that　they　are　embodied　in
existent　institutions。　In　both　these　respects　the　principles　of　tile　state　have；　in　their　application；　a　bearing　on
them。　A　comprehensive；　concrete　treatise　on　the　state　would　also　have　to　deal　with　those　spheres　of　life　is　well
as　with　art　and　such　things　as　mere　geographical　matters；　and　to　consider　their　place　in　the　state　and　their
bearing　on　it。　In　this　book；　however；　it　is　the　principle　of　the　state　in　its　own　special　sphere　which　is　being　fully
expounded　in　accordance　with　the　Ideal；　and　it　is　only　in　passing　that　reference　can　be　made　to　the　principles
of　religion；　&c。；　and　to　the　application　of　the　right　of　the　state　to　them。　

Remark：　Now　if　religion　is　in　this　way　the　groundwork　which　includes　the　ethical　realm　in
general；　and　the　state's　fundamental　nature　…　the　divine　will　…　in　particular；　it　is　at　the　same　time　only
a　groundwork；　and　it　is　at　this　point　that　state　and　religion　begin　to　diverge。　The　state　is　the　divine
will；　in　the　sense　that　it　is　mind　present　on　earth；　unfolding　itself　to　be　the　actual　shape　and
organisation　of　a　world。　Those　who　insist　on　stopping　at　the　form　of　religion；　as　opposed　to　the
state；　are　acting　like　those　logicians　who　think　they　are　right　if　they　continually　stop　at　the　essence
and　refuse　to　advance　beyond　that　abstraction　to　existence；　or　like　those　moralists　（see　Remark　to
§　140）　who　will　only　good　in　the　abstract　and　leave　it　to　caprice　to　decide　what　is　good。　Religion
is　a　relation　to　the　Absolute；　a　relation　which　takes　the　form　of　feeling；　representative　thinking；
faith；　and；　brought　within　its　all…embracing　circumference；　everything　becomes　only　accidental　and
transient。　Now　if；　in　relation　to　the　state；　we　cling　to　this　form　of　experience　and　make　it　the
authority　for　the　state　and　its　essential　determinant；　the　state　must　become　a　prey　to　weakness；
insecurity；　and　disorder；　because　it　is　an　organism　in　which　firmly　fixed　distinct　powers；　laws；　and
institutions　have　been　developed。　In　contrast　with　the　form　of　religion；　a　form　which　draws　a　veil
over　everything　determinate；　and　so　comes　to　be　purely　subjective；　the　objective　and　universal
element　in　the　state；　i。e。　the　laws；　acquires　a　negative　instead　of　a　stable　and　authoritative
character；　and　the　result　is　the　production　of　maxims　of　conduct　like　the　following：　'To　the
righteous　man　no　law　is　given；　only　be　pious；　and　for　the　rest；　practise　what　thou　wilt；　yield　to　thine
own　caprice　and　passion；　and　if　thereby　others　suffer　wrong；　commend　them　to　the　consolations
and　hopes　of　religion；　or　better　still；　call　them　irreligious　and　condemn　them　to　perdition。'　This
negative　attitude；　however；　may　not　confine　itself　to　an　inner　disposition　and　attitude　of　mind；　it
may　turn　instead　to　the　outside　world　and　assert　its　authority　there；　and　then　there　is　an　outbreak
of　the　religious　fanaticism　which；　like　fanaticism　in　politics；　discards　all　government　and　legal　order
as　barriers　cramping　the　inner　life　of　the　heart　and　incompatible　with　its　infinity；　and　at　the　same
time　proscribes　private　property；　marriage；　the　ties　and　work　involved　in　civil　society；　&c。；　&c。；　as
degrading　to　love　and　the　freedom　of　feeling。　But　since　even　then　decisions　must　somehow　be
made　for　everyday　life　and　practice；　the　same　doctrine　which　we　had　before　（see　Remark　to　§
140；　where　we　dealt　generally　with　the　subjectivity　of　the　will　which　knows　itself　to　be　absolute）
turns　up　again　here；　namely　that　subjective　ideas；　i。e。　opinion　and　capricious　inclination；　are　to　do
the　deciding。　

In　contrast　with　the　truth　thus　veiled　behind　subjective　ideas　and　feelings；　the　genuine　truth　is　the
prodigious　transfer　of　the　inner　into　the　outer；　the　building　of　reason　into　the　real　world；　and　this
has　been　the　task　of　the　world　during　the　whole　course　of　its　history。　It　is　by　working　at　this　task
that　civilised　man　has　actually　given　reason　an　embodiment　in　law　and　government　and　achieved
consciousness　of　the　fact。　Those　who　'seek　guidance　from　the　Lord'　and　are　assured　that　the
whole　truth　is　directly　present　in　their　unschooled　opinions；　fail　to　apply　themselves　to　the　task　of
exalting　their　subjectivity　to　consciousness　of　the　truth　and　to　knowledge　of　duty　and　objective
right。　The　only　possible　fruits　of　their　attitude　are　folly；　abomination；　and　the　demolition　of　the
whole　ethical　order；　and　these　fruits　must　inevitably　be　reaped　if　the　religious　disposition　holds
firmly　and　exclusively　to　its　intuitive　form　and　so　turns　against　the　real　world　and　the　truth　present
in　it　in　the　form　of　the　universal；　i。e。　of　the　laws。　Still；　there　is　no　necessity　for　this　disposition　to
turn　outward　and　actualise　itself　in　this　way。　With　its　negative　standpoint；　it　is　of　course　also　open
to　it　to　remain　something　inward；　to　accommodate　itself　to　government　and　law；　and　to　acquiesce
in　these　with　sneers　and　idle　longings；　or　with　a　sigh　of　resignation。　It　is　not　strength　but　weakness
which　has　turned　religious　feeling　nowadays　into　piety　of　a　polemical　kind；　whether　the　polemic　be
Connected　with　some　genuine　need　or　simply　with　unsatisfied　vanity。　Instead　of　subduing　one's
opinions　by　the　labour　of　study；　and　subjecting　one's　will　to　discipline　and　so　elevating　it　to　free
obedience；　the　line　of　least　resistance　is　to　renounce　knowledge　of　objective　truth。　Along　this　line
we　may　preserve　a　feeling　of　abject　humility　and　so　also　of　self…conceit；　and　claim　to　have　ready　to
hand　in　godliness　everything　requisite　for　seeing　into　the　heart　of　law　and　government；　for　passing
sentence　on　them；　and　laying　down　what　their　character　should　and　must　be；　and　of　course　if　we
take　this　line；　the　source　of　our　claims　is　a　pious　heart；　and　they　are　therefore　infallible　and
unimpeachable；　and　the　upshot　is　that　since　we　make　religion　the　basis　of　our　intentions　and
assertions；　they　cannot　be　criticised　on　the　score　of　their　shallowness