philosophy of right-第7章

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is　ruled　by　a　common　spirit；　then　from　below；　out　of　the　people；　will　come　life　sufficient　for　the
discharge　of　all　public　business。　Living　associations；　united　indissolubly　by　the　holy　bond　of
friendship；　will　devote　themselves　to　every　side　of　national　service；　and　every　means　for　educating
the　people。〃　This　is　the　last　degree　of　shallowness；　because　in　it　science　is　looked　upon　as
developing；　not　out　of　thou…ht　or　conception；　but　out　of　direct　perception　and　random　fancy。　Now
the　organic　connection　of　the　manifold　branches　of　the　social　system　is　the　architectonic　of　the
state's　rationality；　and　in　this　supreme　science　of　state　architecture　the　strength　of　the　whole；　is
made　to　depend　upon　the　harmony　of　all　the　clearly　marked　phases　of　public　life；　and　the　stability
of　every　pillar；　arch；　and　buttress　of　the　social　edifice。　And　yet　the　shallow　doctrine；　of　which　we
have　spoken　permits　this　elaborate　structure　to　melt　and　lose　itself　in　the　brew　and　stew　of　the
〃heart；　friendship；　and　inspiration。〃　Epicurus；　it　is　said；　believed　that　the　world　generally　should　be
given　over　to　each　individual's　opinions　and　whims　and　according　to　the　view　we　are　criticising；　the
ethical　fabric　should　be　treated　in　the　same　way。　By　this　old　wives'　decoction；　which　consists　in
founding　upon　the　feelings　what　has　been　for　many　centuries　the　labour　of　reason　and
understanding；　we　no　longer　need　the　guidance　of　any　ruling　conception　of　thought。　On　this　point
Goethe's　Mephistopheles；　and　the　poet　is　a　good　authority；　has　a　remark；　which　I　have　already
used　elsewhere：　

　　　　　〃Verachte　nur　Verstand　und　Wissenschaft；
　　　　　des　Menschen　allerh？chste　Gaben　…
　　　　　So　hast　dem　Teufel　dich　ergben
　　　　　und　musst　zu　Grunde　gehn。〃　

It　is　no　surprise　that　the　view　just　criticised　should　appear　in　the　form　of　piety。　Where；　indeed；　has
this　whirlwind　of　impulse　not　sought　to　justify　itself？　In　godliness　and　the　Bible　it　has　imagined　itself
able　to　find　authority　for　despising　order　and　law。　And；　in　fact；　it　is　piety　of　the　sort　which　has
reduced　the　whole　organised　system　of　truth　to　elementary　intuition　and　feeling。　But　piety　of　the
right　kind　leaves　this　obscure　region；　and　comes　out　into　the　daylight；　where　the　idea　unfolds　and
reveals　itself。　Out　of　its　sanctuary　it　brings　a　reverence　for　the　law　and　truth　which　are　absolute　and
exalted　above　all　subjective　feeling。　

The　particular　kind　of　evil　consciousness　developed　by　the　wishy…washy　eloquence　already
alluded　to；　may　be　detected　in　the　following　way。　It　is　most　unspiritual；　when　it　speaks　most　of　the
spirit。　It　is　the　most　dead　and　leathern；　when　it　talks　of　the　scope　of　life。　When　it　is　exhibiting　the
greatest　self…seeking　and　vanity　it　has　most　on　its　tongue　the　words　〃people〃　and　〃nation。〃　But　its
peculiar　mark；　found　on　its　very　forehead；　is　its　hatred　of　law。　Right　and　ethical　principle；　the
actual　world　of　right　and　ethical　life　are　apprehended　in　thought；　and　by　thought　are　given　definite；
general；　and　rational　form；　and　this　reasoned　right　finds　expression　in　law。　But　feeling；　which　seeks
its　own　pleasure；　and　conscience；　which　finds　right　in　private　conviction；　regard　the　law　as　their
most　bitter　foe。　The　right；　which　takes　the　shape　of　law　and　duty；　is　by　feeling　looked　upon　as　a
shackle　or　dead　cold　letter。　In　this　law　it　does　not　recognise　itself　and　does　not　find　itself　free。　Yet
the　law　is　the　reason　of　the　object；　and　refuses　to　feeling　the　privilege　of　warming　itself　at　its
private　hearth。　Hence　the　law；　as　we　shall　occasionally　observer　is　the　Shibboleth；　by　me　us　of
which　are　detected　the　false　brethren　and　friends　of　the　so…called　people。　

Inasmuch　as　the　purest　charlatanism　has　won　the　name　of　philosophy；　and　has　succeeded　in
convincing　the　public　that　its　practices　are　philosophy；　it　has　now　become　almost　a　disgrace　to
speak　in　a　philosophic　way　about　the　state。　Nor　can　it　be　taken　ill；　if　honest　men　become
impatient；　when　the　subject　is　broached。　Still　less　is　it　a　surprise　that　the　government　has　at　last
turned　its　attention　to　this　false　philosophising。　With　us　philosophy　is　not　practised　as　a　private　art；
as　it　was　by　the　Greeks；　but　has　a　public　place；　and　should　therefore　be　employed　only　in　the
service　of　the　state。　The　government　has；　up　till　now；　shown　such　confidence　in　the　scholars　in　this
department　as　to　leave　the　subject　matter　of　philosophy　wholly　in　their　hands。　Here　and　there；
perhaps；　has　been　shown　to　this　science　not　confidence　…　so　much　as　indifference；　and
professorships　have　been　retained　as　a　matter　of　tradition。　In　France；　as　far　as　I　am　aware；　the
professional　teaching　of　metaphysics　at　least　has　fallen　into　desuetude。　In　any　case　the　confidence
of　the　state　has　been　ill　requited　by　the　teachers　of　this　subject。　Or；　if　we　prefer　to　see　in　the　state
not　confidence；　but　indifference；　the　decay　of　fundamental　knowledge　must　be　looked　upon　as　a
severe　penance。　Indeed；　shallowness　is　to　all　appearance　most　endurable　and　most　in　harmony
with　the　maintenance　of　order　and　peace；　when　it　does　not　touch　or　hint　at　any　real　issue。　

Hence　it　would　not　be　necessary　to　bring　it　under　public　control；　if　the　state　did　not　require　deeper
teaching　and　insight；　and　expect　science　to　satisfy　the　need。　Yet　this　shallowness；　notwithstanding
its　seeming　innocence；　does　bear　upon　social　life；　right　and　duty　generally；　advancing　principles
which　are　the　very　essence　of　superficiality。　These；　as　we　have　learned　so　decidedly　from　Plato；
are　the　principles　of　the　Sophists；　according　to　which　the　basis　of　right　is　subjective　aims　and
opinions；　subjective　feeling　and　private　conviction。　The　result　of　such　principles　is　quite　as　much
the　destruction　of　the　ethical　system；　of　the　upright　conscience；　of　love　and　right；　in　private
persons；　as　of　public　order　and　the　institutions　of　the　state。　The　significance　of　these　facts　for　the
authorities　will　not　be　obscured　by　the　claim　that　the　bolder　of　these　perilous　doctrines　should　be
trusted；　or　by　the　immunity　of　office。　

The　authorities　will　not　be　deterred　by　the　demand　that　they　should　protect　and　give　free　play　to　a
theory　which　strikes　at　the　substantial　basis　of　conduct；　namely；　universal　principles；　and　that　they
should　disregard　insolence　on　the　ground　of　its　being　the　exercise　of　the　teacher's　function。　To
him；　to　whom　God　gives　office；　He　gives　also　understanding　is　a　well…worn　jest；　which　no　one
in　our　time　…would　like　to　take　seriously。　

In　the　methods　of　teaching　philosophy；　which　have　under　the　circumstances　been　reanimated　by
the　government；　the　important　element　of　protection　and　support　cannot　be　ignored。　The　study　of
philosophy　is　in　many　ways　in　need　of　such　assistance。　Frequently　in　scientific；　religious；　and　other
works　may　be　read　a　contempt　for　philosophy。　Some；　who　have　no　conspicuous　education　and
are　total　strangers　to　philosophy；　treat　it　as　a　cast…off　garment。　They　even　rail　against　it；　and　regard
as　foolishness　and　sinful　presumption　its　efforts　to　conceive　of　God　and　physical　and　spiritual
nature。　They　scout　its　endeavour　to　know　the　truth。　Reason；　and　again　reason；　and　reason　in
endless　iteration　is　by　them　accused；　despised；　condemned。　Free　expression；　also；　is　given　by　a
large　number　of　those；　who　are　supposed　to　be　cultivating　scientific　research；　to　their　annoyance　at
the　unassailable　claims　of　the　conception。　When　we；　I　say；　are　confronted　with　such　phenomena
as　these；　we　are　tempted　to　harbour　the　thought　that　old　traditions　of　tolerance　have　fallen　out　of
use；　and　no　longer　assure　to　philosophy　a；　place　and　public　recognition。'　

Footnote：　The　same　finds　expression　in　a　letter　of　Joh。　v。　Müller　（Works；　Part　VIII。；　p。　56）；
who；　speaking　of　the　condition　of　Rome　in　the　year　1803；　when　the　city　was　under　French　rule；
writes；　〃A　professor；　asked　how　the　public　academies　were　doing；　answered；　'On　les　tolère
comme　les　bordels！'　Similarly　the　so…called　theory　of　reason　or　logic　we　may　still　hear
commended；　perhaps　under　the　belief　that　it　is　too　dry　and　unfruitful　a　science　to　claim　any　one's
attention；　or；　if　it　be　pursued　here　and　there；　that　its　formulae　are　without　content；　and；　though　not
of　much　good；　can　be　of　n