philosophy of right-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　no　great　harm。　Hence　the　recommendation；　so　it　is　thought；　if　useless；
can　do　no　injury。　

These　presumptuous　utterances；　which　are　in　vogue　in　our　time；　are；　strange　to
say；　in　a　measure　justified　by　the　shallowness　of　the　current　philosophy。　Yet；　on
the　other　hand；　they　have　sprung　from　the　same　root　as　that　against　which　they
so　thanklessly　direct　their　attacks。　Since　that　self…named　philosophising　has
declared　that　to　know　the　truth　is　vain；　it　has　reduced　all　matter　of　thought　to　the
same　level；　resembling　in　this　way　the　despotism　of　the　Roman　Empire；　which
equalised　noble　and　slave；　virtue　and　vice；　honour　and　dishonour；　knowledge　and
ignorance。　In　such　a　view　the　conceptions　of　truth　and　the　laws　of　ethical　life　are
simply　opinions　and　subjective　convictions；　and　the　most　criminal　principles；
provided　only　that　they　are　convictions；　are　put　on　a　level　with　these　laws。　Thus；
too；　any　paltry　special　object；　be　it　never　so　flimsy；　is　given　the　same　value　as　au
interest　common　to　all　thinking　men　and　the　bonds　of　the　established　social　world。

Hence　it　is　for　science　a　piece　of　good　fortune　that　that　kind　of　philosophising；
which　might；　like　scholasticism；　have　continued　to　spin　its　notions　within　itself；
has　been　brought　into　contact　with　reality。　Indeed；　such　contact　was；　as　we　have
said；　inevitable。　The　real　world　is　in　earnest　with　the　principles　of　right　and　duty；
and　in　the　full　light　of　a　consciousness　of　these　principles　it　lives。　With　this　world
of　reality　philosophic　cob…web　spinning　has　come　into　open　rupture。　Now；　as　to
genuine　philosophy　it　is　precisely　its　attitude　to　reality　which　has　been
misapprehended。　Philosophy　is；　as　I　have　already　observed；　an　inquisition　into　the
rational；　and　therefore　the　apprehension　of　the　real　and　present。　Hence　it　cannot
be　the　exposition　of　a　world　beyond；　which　is　merely　a　castle　in　the　air；　having　no
existence　except　in　the　terror　of　a　one…sided　and　empty　formalism　of　thought。　In
the　following　treatise　I　have　remarked　that　even　Plato's　Republic；　now　regarded
as　the　bye…word　for　an　empty　ideal；　has　grasped　the　essential　nature　of　the　ethical
life　of　the　Greeks。　He　knew　that　there　was　breaking　in　upon　Greek　life　a　deeper
principle；　which　could　directly　manifest　itself　only　as　an　unsatisfied　longing　and
therefore　as　ruin。　Moved　by　the　same　longing　Plato　had　to　seek　help　against　it；
but　had　to　conceive　of　the　help　as　coming　down　from　above；　and　hoped　at　last　to
have　found　it　in　an　external　special　form　of　Greek　ethical　life。　He　exhausted
himself　in　contriving；　how　by　means　of　this　new　society　to　stem　the　tide　of　ruin；
but　succeeded　only　in　injuring　more　fatally　its　deeper　motive；　the　free　infinite
personality。　Yet　he　has　proved　himself　to　be　a　great　mind　because　the　very
principle　and　central　distinguishing　feature　of　his　idea　is　the　pivot　upon　which　the
world…wide　revolution　then　in　process　turned：　

　　　　　What　is　rational　is　real；
　　　　　And　what　is　real　is　rational。　

Upon　this　conviction　stand　not　philosophy　only　but　even　every　unsophisticated
consciousness。　From　it　also　proceeds　the　view　now　under　contemplation　that　the
spiritual　universe　is　the　natural。　When　reflection；　feeling　or　whatever　other　form
the　subjective　consciousness　may　assume；　regards　the　present　as　vanity；　and
thinks　itself　to　be　beyond　it　and　wiser；　it　finds　itself　in　emptiness；　and；　as　it　has
actuality　only　in　the　present；　it　is　vanity　throughout。　Against　the　doctrine　that　the
idea　is　a　mere　idea；　figment　or　opinion；　philosophy　preserves　the　more　profound
view　that　nothing　is　real　except　the　idea。　Hence　arises　the　effort　to　recognise　in
the　temporal　and　transient　the　substance；　which　is　immanent；　and　the　eternal；
which　is　present。　The　rational　is　synonymous　with　the　idea；　because　in　realising
itself　it　passes　into　external　existence。　It　thus　appears　in　an　endless　wealth　of
forms；　figures　and　phenomena。　It　wraps　its　kernel　round　with　a　robe　of　many
colours；　in　which　consciousness　finds　itself　at　home。　

Through　this　varied　husk　the　conception　first　of　all　penetrates；