§175。
Childrenarepotentiallyfreeandtheirlifedirectlyembodiesnothingsavepotentialfreedom。Consequentlytheyarenotthingsandcannotbethepropertyeitheroftheirparentsorothers。Inrespectofhisrelationtothefamily,thechild\'seducationhasthepositiveaimofinstillingethicalprinciplesintohimintheformofanimmediatefeelingforwhichdifferencesarenotyetexplicit,sothatthusequippedwiththefoundationofanethicallife,hisheartmayliveitsearlyyearsinlove,trust,andobedience。Inrespectofthesamerelation,thiseducationhasthenegativeaimofraisingchildrenoutoftheinstinctive,physical,levelonwhichtheyareoriginally,toself-subsistenceandfreedomofpersonalityandsotothelevelonwhichtheyhavepowertoleavethenaturalunityofthefamily。
Remark:OneoftheblackestmarksagainstRomanlegislationisthelawwherebychildrenweretreatedbytheirfathersasslaves。ThisgangreneoftheethicalorderatthetenderestpointofitsinnermostlifeisoneofthemostimportantcluesforunderstandingtheplaceoftheRomansinthehistoryoftheworldandtheirtendencytowardslegalformalism。
Thenecessityforeducationispresentinchildrenastheirownfeelingofdissatisfactionwiththemselvesastheyare,asthedesiretobelongtotheadultworldwhosesuperioritytheydivine,asthelongingtogrowup。Theplaytheoryofeducationassumesthatwhatischildishisitselfalreadysomethingofinherentworthandpresentsitassuchtothechildren;intheireyesitlowersseriouspursuits,andeducationitself,toaformofchildishnessforwhichthechildrenthemselveshavescantrespect。Theadvocatesofthismethodrepresentthechild,intheimmaturityinwhichhefeelshimselftobe,asreallymatureandtheystruggletomakehimsatisfiedwithhimselfasheis。Buttheycorruptanddistorthisgenuineandproperneedforsomethingbetter,andcreateinhimablindindifferencetothesubstantialtiesoftheintellectualworld,acontemptofhiseldersbecausetheyhavethusposedbeforehim,achild,inacontemptibleandchildishfashion,andfinallyavanityandconceitwhichfeedsonthenotionofitsownsuperiority。
Addition:Asachild,manmusthavelivedwithhisparentsencircledbytheirloveandtrust,andrationalitymustappearinhimashisveryownsubjectivity。Intheearlyyearsitiseducationbythemotherespeciallywhichisimportant,sinceethicalprinciplesmustbeimplantedinthechildintheformoffeeling。Itisnoteworthythatonthewholechildrenlovetheirparentslessthantheirparentslovethem。Thereasonforthisisthattheyaregraduallyincreasinginstrength,andarelearningtostandontheirownfeet,andsoareleavingtheirparentsbehindthem。Theparents,ontheotherhand,possessintheirchildrentheobjectiveembodimentoftheirunion。
§176。
MarriageisbuttheethicalIdeainitsimmediacyandsohasitsobjectiveactualityonlyintheinwardnessofsubjectivefeelinganddisposition。Inthisfactisrootedthefundamentalcontingencyofmarriageintheworldofexistence。Therecanbenocompulsiononpeopletomarry;and,ontheotherhand,thereisnomerelylegalorpositivebondwhichcanholdthepartiestogetheroncetheirdispositionsandactionshavebecomehostileandcontrary。Athirdethicalauthority,however,iscalledfortomaintaintherightofmarriage-anethicalsubstantiality-againstthemerewhimsofhostiledispositionortheaccidentofapurelypassingmood,andsoforth。Suchanauthoritydistinguishesthesefromthetotalestrangementofthetwopartiesandmaynotgrantdivorceuntilitissatisfiedthattheestrangementistotal。
Addition:Itisbecausemarriagedependsentirelyonfeeling,somethingsubjectiveandcontingent,thatitmaybedissolved。Thestate,ontheotherhand,isnotsubjecttopartition,becauseitrestsonlaw。Tobesure,marriageoughttobeindissoluble,buthereagainwehavetostopatthis\'ought\';yet,sincemarriageisanethicalinstitution,itcannotbedissolvedatwillbutonlybyanethicalauthority,whetherthechurchorthelaw-court。Ifthepartiesarecompletelyestranged,e。g。owingtoadultery,theneventheecclesiasticalauthoritymustpermitdivorce。
§177。
Theethicaldissolutionofthefamilyconsistsinthis,thatoncethechildrenhavebeeneducatedtofreedomofpersonality,andhavecomeofage,theybecomerecognisedaspersonsintheeyesofthelawandascapableofholdingfreepropertyoftheirownandfoundingfamiliesoftheirown,thesonsasheadsofnewfamilies,thedaughtersaswives。Theynowhavetheirsubstantivedestinyinthenewfamily;theoldfamilyontheotherhandfallsintothebackgroundasmerelytheirultimatebasisandorigin,whileafortioritheclanisanabstraction,devoidofrights。
§178。
Thenaturaldissolutionofthefamilybythedeathoftheparents,particularlythefather,hasinheritanceasitsconsequencesofarasthefamilycapitalisconcerned。Theessenceofinheritanceisthetransfertoprivateownershipofpropertywhichisinprinciplecommon。Whencomparativelyremotedegreesofkinshipareinquestion,andwhenpersonsandfamiliesaresodispersedincivilsocietythattheyhavebeguntogainself-subsistence,thistransferbecomesthelesshardandfastasthesenseoffamilyunityfadesawayandaseverymarriagebecomesthesurrenderofpreviousfamilyrelationshipsandthefoundingofanewself-subsistentfamily。
Remark:IthasbeensuggestedIthatthebasisofinheritancetiesinthefactthat,byaman\'sdeath,hispropertybecomeswealthwithoutanowner,andassuchfallstothefirstpersonwhotakespossessionofit,because,ofcourseitistherelativeswhoarenormallynearestaman\'sdeath-bedandsotheyaregenerallythefirsttotakepossession。Henceitissupposedthatthiscustomaryoccurrenceismadearulebypositivelegislationintheinterestsoforderliness。Thisingeniousideadisregardsthe,natureoffamilyrelationship。
§179。
Theresultofthisdisintegrationofthefamilyisthatamanmayatwilleithersquanderhiscapitalaltogether,mainlyinaccordancewithhisprivatecaprices,opinions,andends,orelselookuponacircleoffriendsandacquaintances,&c。,asiftheywerehisfamilyandmakeawillembodyingadeclarationtothateffect,withtheresultthattheybecomehislegalheirs。
Remark:Theethicaljustificationoffreedomtodisposeofone\'spropertyby\'willtoacircleoffriendswoulddependontheformationofsuchacircle;theregoestoitsformationsomuchaccident,arbitrariness,andself-seeking,&c-especiallysincetestamentaryhopeshaveabearingonreadinesstoenterit-thattheethicalmomentinitisonlysomethingveryvague。Further,therecognitionofaman\'scompetencetobequeathhispropertyarbitrarilyismuchmorelikelytobeanoccasionforbreachofethicalobligationsandformeanexertionsandequallymeansubservience;anditalsoprovidesopportunityandjustificationforthefolly,caprice,andmaliceofattachingtoprofessedbenefactionsandgiftsvain,tyrannical,andvexatiousconditionsoperativeafterthetestator\'sdeathandsoinanycaseafterhispropertyceasestobehis。
§180。
Theprinciplethatthemembersofthefamilygrowuptobeself-subsistentpersonsintheeyesofthelaw(see§177)letsintothecircleofthefamilysomethingofthesamearbitrarinessanddiscriminationamongthenaturalheirs,thoughitsexercisetheremustberestrictedtoaminimuminordertopreventinjurytothebasicfamilyrelationship。
Remark:Themeredownrightarbitrarinessofthedeceasedcannotbemadetheprincipleunderlyingtherighttomakeawill,especiallyifitrunscountertothesubstantiverightofthefamily。
Forafterallnorespectwouldbeforthcomingforhiswishesafterhisdeath,ifnotfromthefamily\'sloveandvenerationforitsdeceasedfellow-member。Sucharbitrarinessbyitselfcontainsnothingworthyofhigherrespectthantherightofthefamilyassuch-onthecontrary。
Theothergroundforthevalidityoftestamentarydispositionwouldconsistsimplyinitsarbitraryrecognitionbyothers。Butsuchanargumentmayprimafaciebeadmittedonlywhenfamilyties,towhichtestamentarydispositionisintrinsic,becomeremoterandmoreineffective。Iftheyareactuallypresent,however,withoutbeingeffective,thesituationisunethical;andtogiveextendedvaliditytoarbitrarydispositionsattheexpenseoffamilytieseoipsoweakenstheethicalcharacterofthelatter。
Tomakethefather\'sarbitrarywillwithinthefamilythemainprincipleofinheritancewaspartoftheharshandunethicallegalsystemofRometowhichreferencehasbeenmadealready。Thatsystemevengaveafatherpowertosellhisson,andifthesonwasmanumittedbyathirdparty,hecameunderhisfather\'spotestasoncemore。Notuntilhewasmanumittedathirdtimewasheactuallyandfinallyfree。Thesonneverattainedhismajoritydejurenordidhebecomeapersoninlaw;
theonlypropertyhecouldholdwasbootywoninwar(peculiumcastrense)。Ifhepassedoutofhisfather\'spotestasafterbeingthricesoldandmanumitted,hedidnotinheritalongwiththosewhohadcontinuedinbondagetotheheadofthefamily,unlessthewillspecificallysoprovided。
Similarly,awiferemainedattachedtoherfamilyoforiginratherthantothenewfamilywhichbyhermarriageshehadhelpedtofound,andwhichwasnowproperlyherown,andshewasthereforeprecludedfrominheritinganyshareofthegoodsofwhatwasproperlyherownfamily,forneitherwifenormothersharedinthedistributionofanestate。
Later,withthegrowingfeelingforrationality,theunethicalprovisionsoflawssuchastheseandotherswereevadedinthecourseoftheiradministration,forexamplewiththehelpoftheexpressionbonorumpossessioinsteadofhereditas,andthroughthefictionofnicknamingafiliaafilius。Thiswasreferredtoabove(seeRemarkto§3)asthesadnecessitytowhichthejudgewasreducedinthefaceofbadlaws-thenecessityofsmugglingreasonintothemonthesly,oratleastintosomeoftheirconsequences。Connectedwiththisweretheterribleinstabilityofthechiefpoliticalinstitutionsandariotoflegislationtostemtheoutbreakofresultingevils。
FromRomanhistoryandthewritingsofLucianandothers,wearesufficientlyfamiliarwiththeunethicalconsequencesofgivingtheheadofaRomanfamilytherighttonamewhomhepleasedashisheir。
Marriageisethicallifeatthelevelofimmediacy;intheverynatureofthecase,therefore,itmustbeamixtureofasubstantialtiewithnaturalcontingencyandinnerarbitrariness。Nowwhenbytheslave-statusofchildren,bylegalprovisionssuchasthosementionedaboveaswellasothersconsequentialuponthem,andinadditionbytheeaseofRomandivorce,prideofplaceisgiventoarbitrarinessinsteadoftotherightofthesubstantial(sothatevenCicero-andwhatfinewritingabouttheHonestumandDecorumthereisinhisDeOfficiisandinallsortsofotherplaces!-
evenCicerodivorcedhiswifeasabusinessspeculationinordertopayhisdebtswithhisnewwife\'sdowry),thenalegalroadispavedtothecorruptionofmanners,orratherthelawsthemselvesnecessitatesuchcorruption。
Theinstitutionofheirs-at-lawwithaviewtopreservingthefamilyanditssplendourbymeansoffideicommissaandsubstitutiones(inordertofavoursonsbyexcludingdaughtersfrominheriting,ortofavourtheeldestsonbyexcludingtheotherchildren)isaninfringementoftheprincipleofthefreedomofproperty(see§62),liketheadmissionofanyotherinequalityinthetreatmentofheirs。
Andbesides,suchaninstitutiondependsonanarbitrarinesswhichinandbyitselfhasnorighttorecognition,ormorepreciselyonthethoughtofwishingtopreserveintactnotsomuchthisfamilybutratherthisclanor\'house\'。Yetitisnotthisclanor\'house\',butthefamilyproperwhichistheIdeaandwhichthereforepossessestherighttorecognition,andboththeethicaldispositionandfamilytreesaremuchmorelikelytobepreservedbyfreedomofpropertyandequalityofinheritancethanbythereverseofthese。
Institutionsofthiskind,liketheRoman,whollyignoretherightduetomarriage,becausebyamarriagethefoundationofauniqueactualfamilyiseoipsocompleted(see§172),andbecausewhatiscalled,incontrastwiththenewfamily,thefamilyinthewidesense,i。e。thestirpsorgens,becomesonlyanabstraction(see§177)growinglessandlessactualthefurtheritrecedesintothebackgroundasonegenerationsucceedsanother。Love,theethicalmomentinmarriage,isbyitsverynatureafeelingforactuallivingindividuals,notforanabstraction。ThisabstractionoftheUnderstanding[thegens]appearsinhistoryastheprincipleunderlyingthecontributionoftheRomanEmpiretoworldhistory(see§357)。Inthehighersphereofthestate,arightofprimogeniturearisestogetherwithestatesrigidlyentailed;itarises,however,notarbitrarilybutastheinevitableoutcomeoftheIdeaofthestate。Onthispointseebelow,§306。
Addition:Inearliertimes,aRomanfatherhadtherighttodisinherithischildrenandevenkillthem。Laterhelostboththeserights。Attemptsweremadetoforgeintoalegalsystemthisincoherencebetweenunethicalinstitutionsanddevicestorobthemofthatcharacter,anditistheretentionofthisincoherencewhichconstitutesthedeficiencyanddifficultyoftheGermanlawofinheritance。Tobesure,therighttomakeawillmustbeconceded;butinconcedingitourpointofviewmustbethatthisrightoffreechoicearisesorismagnifiedwiththedispersionandestrangementofthemembersofthefamily。Further,theso-called\'familyoffriends\'whichtestamentarydispositionbringswithitmaybeadmittedonlyindefectofmembersofthefamilyproper,i。e。ofspouseandchildren。Tomakeawillatallentailssomethingobnoxiousanddisagreeable,becauseinmakingitIrevealthenamesofmyfavourites。Favour,however,isarbitrary;itmaybegainedsurreptitiouslybyavarietyofexpedients,itmaydependonallsortsoffoolishreasons,andasaconditionofhavinghisnameincludedinawill,abeneficiarymayberequiredtosubjecthimselftothemostabjectservilities。InEngland,thehomeofallsortsofeccentricity,thereisnoendtothefollyandwhimsicalityofbequests。
TransitionoftheFamilyintoCivilSociety§181。
Thefamilydisintegrates(bothessentially,throughtheworkingoftheprincipleofpersonality,andalsointhecourseofnature)intoapluralityoffamilies,eachofwhichconductsitselfasinprincipleaself-subsistentconcretepersonandthereforeasexternallyrelatedtoitsneighbours。Inotherwords,themomentsboundtogetherintheunityofthefamily,sincethefamilyistheethicalIdeastillinitsconcept,mustbereleasedfromtheconcepttoself-subsistentobjectivereality。Thisisthestageofdifference。Thisgivesus,touseabstractlanguageinthefirstplace,thedeterminationofparticularitywhichisrelatedtouniversalitybutinsuchawaythatuniversalityisitsbasicprinciple,thoughstillonlyaninwardprinciple;forthatreason,theuniversalmerelyshowsintheparticularasitsform。
Hencethisrelationofreflectionprimafacieportraysthedisappearanceofethicallifeor,sincethislifeastheessencenecessarilyshowsitself,thisrelationconstitutestheworldofethicalappearance-civilsociety。
Remark:Theexpansionofthefamily,asitstransitionintoanewprinciple,isintheexternalworldsometimesitspeacefulexpansionuntilitbecomesapeople,i。e。anation,whichthushasacommonnaturalorigin,orsometimesthefederationofscatteredgroupsoffamiliesundertheinfluenceofanoverlord\'spowerorasaresultofavoluntaryassociationproducedbythetieofneedsandthereciprocityoftheirsatisfaction。
Addition:The,starting-pointfortheuniversalhereistheself-subsistenceoftheparticular,andtheethicalorderseemsthereforetobelostatthispoint,sinceitispreciselytheidentityofthefamilywhichconsciousnesstakestobetheprimarything,thedivine,andthesourceofobligation。
Now,however,asituationarisesinwhichtheparticularistobemyprimarydeterminingprinciple,andthusmydeterminacybyethicalfactorshasbeenannulled。Butthisisnothingbutapuremistake,since,whileIsupposethatIamadheringtotheparticular,theuniversalandthenecessityofthelinkbetweenparticularsremainstheprimaryandessentialthing。Iamthusaltogetheronthelevelofshow,andwhilemyparticularityremainsmydeterminingprinciple,i。e。myend,Iamforthatveryreasontheservantoftheuniversalwhichproperlyretainspowerovermeinthelastresort。
ThirdPart:EthicalLifeiiCivilSocietyA:SystemofneedsB:JusticeC:Corporations§182。
Theconcreteperson,whoishimselftheobjectofhisparticularaims,is,asatotalityandamixtureofcapriceandphysicalnecessity,oneprincipleofcivilsociety。Buttheparticularpersonisessentiallysorelatedtootherparticularpersonsthateachestablisheshimselfandfindssatisfactionbymeansoftheothers,andatthesametimepurelyandsimplybymeansoftheformofuniversality,thesecondprinciplehere。
Addition:Civilsocietyisthe[stageof]differencewhichintervenesbetweenthefamilyandthestate,evenifitsformationfollowslaterintimethanthatofthestate,because,as[thestageof]
difference,itpresupposesthestate;tosubsistitself,itmusthavethestatebeforeitseyesassomethingself-subsistent。Moreover,thecreationofcivilsocietyistheachievementofthemodernworldwhichhasforthefirsttimegivenalldeterminationsoftheIdeatheirdue。Ifthestateisrepresentedasaunityofdifferentpersons,asaunitywhichisonlyapartnership,thenwhatisreallymeantisonlycivilsociety。Manymodemconstitutionallawyershavebeenabletobringwithintheirpurviewnotheoryofthestatebutthis。Incivilsocietyeachmemberishisownend,everythingelseisnothingtohim。Butexceptincontactwithothershecannotattainthewholecompassofhisends,andthereforetheseothersaremeanstotheendoftheparticularmember。A
particularend,however,assumestheformofuniversalitythroughthisrelationtootherpeople,anditisattainedinthesimultaneousattainmentofthewelfareofothers。Sinceparticularityisinevitablyconditionedbyuniversality,thewholesphereofcivilSocietyistheterritoryofmediationwherethereisfreeplayforeveryidiosyncrasy,everytalent,everyaccidentofbirthandfortune,andwherewavesofeverypassiongushforth,regulatedonlybyreasonglintingthroughthem。
Particularity,restrictedbyuniversality,istheonlystandardwherebyeachparticularmemberpromoteshiswelfare。
§183。
Inthecourseoftheactualattainmentofselfishends—anattainmentconditionedinthiswaybyuniversality—thereisformedasystemofcompleteinterdependence,whereinthelivelihood,happiness,andlegalstatusofonemanisinterwovenwiththelivelihood,happiness,andrightsofall。Onthissystem,individualHappiness,&c。,depend,andonlyinthisconnectedsystemaretheyactualisedandsecured。Thissystemmaybeprimafacieregardedastheexternalstate,thestatebasedonneed,thestateastheUnderstandingenvisagesit。
§184。
TheIdeainthisitsstageofdivisionimpartstoeachofitsmomentsacharacteristicembodiment;toparticularityitgivestherighttodevelopandlaunchforthinalldirections;andtouniversalitytherighttoproveitselfnotonlythegroundandnecessaryformofparticularity,butalsotheauthoritystandingoveritanditsfinalend。Itisthesystemoftheethicalorder,splitintoitsextremesandlost,whichconstitutestheIdea”sabstractmoment,itsmomentofreality。HeretheIdeaispresentonlyasarelativetotalityandastheinnernecessitybehindthisoutwardappearance。
Addition:Hereethicallifeissplitintoitsextremesandlost;theimmediateunityofthefamilyhasfallenapartintoaplurality。Realityhereisexternality,thedecomposingoftheconcept,theself-subsistenceofitsmomentswhichhavenowwontheirfreedomandtheirdeterminateexistence。Thoughincivilsocietyuniversalandparticularhavefallenapart,yetbotharestillreciprocallyboundtogetherandconditioned。Whileeachofthemseemstodojusttheoppositetotheotherandsupposesthatitcanexistonlybykeepingtheotheratarm”slength,nonethelesseachstillconditionstheother。Thus,forexample,mostpeopleregardthepayingoftaxesasinjurioustotheirparticularinterest,assomethinginimicalandobstructiveoftheirownends。Yet,howevertruethisseems,particularendscannotbeattainedwithoutthehelpoftheuniversal,andacountrywherenotaxeswerepaidcouldnotbesingledoutasinvigoratingitscitizens。Similarly,itmightseemthatuniversalendswouldbemorereadilyattainableiftheuniversalabsorbedthestrengthoftheparticularsinthewaydescribed,forinstance,inPlato”sRepublic。Butthis,too,isonlyanillusion,sincebothuniversalandparticularturnintooneanotherandexistonlyforandbymeansofoneanother。IfIfurthermyends,Ifurthertheendsoftheuniversal,andthisinturnfurthersmyend。
§185。
Particularitybyitself,givenfreereinineverydirectiontosatisfyitsneeds,accidentalcaprices,andsubjectivedesires,destroysitselfanditssubstantiveconceptinthisprocessofgratification。Atthesametime,thesatisfactionofneed,necessaryandaccidentalalike,isaccidentalbecauseitbreedsnewdesireswithoutend,isinthoroughgoingdependenceoncapriceandexternalaccident,andisheldincheckbythepowerofuniversality。Inthesecontrastsandtheircomplexity,civilsocietyaffordsaspectacleofextravaganceandwantaswellasofthephysicalandethicaldegenerationcommontothemboth。
Remark:Thedevelopmentofparticularitytoself-subsistence(compareRemarkto§124)isthemomentwhichappearedintheancientworldasaninvasionofethicalcorruptionandastheultimatecauseofthatworld”sdownfall。Someoftheseancientstateswerebuiltonthepatriarchalandreligiousprinciple,othersontheprincipleofanethicalorderwhichwasmoreexplicitlyintellectual,thoughstillcomparativelysimple;ineithercasetheyrestedonprimitiveunsophisticatedintuition。Hencetheycouldnotwithstandthedisruptionofthisstateofmindwhenself-consciousnesswasinfinitelyreflectedintoitself;whenthisreflectionbegantoemerge,theysuccumbedtoit,firstinspiritandtheninsubstance,becausethesimpleprincipleunderlyingthemlackedthetrulyinfinitepowertobefoundonlyinthatunitywhichallowsbothsidesoftheantithesisofreasontodevelopthemselvesseparatelyinalltheirstrengthandwhichhassoovercometheantithesisthatitmaintainsitselfinitandintegratesitinitself。
InhisRepublic,Platodisplaysthesubstanceofethicallifeinitsidealbeautyandtruth;buthecouldonlycopewiththeprincipleofself-subsistentparticularity,whichinhisdayhadforceditswayintoGreekethicallife,bysettingupinoppositiontoithispurelysubstantialstate。Heabsolutelyexcludeditfromhisstate,eveninitsverybeginningsinprivateproperty(seeRemarkto§46)andthefamily,aswellasinitsmorematureformasthesubjectivewill,thechoiceofasocialposition,andsoforth。,ItisthisdefectwhichisresponsiblebothforthemisunderstandingofthedeepandsubstantialtruthofPlato”sstateandalsofortheusualviewofitasadreamofabstractthinking,aswhatisoftencalleda‘mereideal”。Theprincipleoftheself-subsistentinherentlyinfinitepersonalityoftheindividual,theprincipleofsubjectivefreedom,isdenieditsrightinthepurelysubstantialformwhichPlatogavetomindinitsactuality。ThisprincipledawnedinaninwardformintheChristianreligionandinanexternalform(andthereforeinonelinkedwithabstractuniversality)intheRomanworld。ItishistoricallysubsequenttotheGreekworld,andthephilosophicreflectionwhichdescendstoitsdepthislikewisesubsequenttothesubstantialIdeaofGreekphilosophy。
Addition:Particularitybyitselfismeasurelessexcess,andtheformsofthisexcessarethemselvesmeasureless。Bymeansofhisideasandreflectionsmanexpandshisdesires,whicharenotaclosedcirclelikeanimalinstinct,andcarriesthemontothefalseinfinite。Attheotherendofthescale,however,wantanddestitutionaremeasurelesstoo,andthediscordofthissituationcanbebroughtintoaharmonyonlybythestatewhichhaspowersoverit。Platowishedtoexcludeparticularityfromhisstate,butthisisnohelp,sincehelpontheselineswouldcontravenetheinfiniterightoftheIdeatoallowfreedomtotheparticular。
ItwasintheChristianreligioninthefirstplacethattherightofsubjectivityarose,togetherwiththeinfinityofself-awareness,andwhilegrantingthisright,thewholeordermustatthesametimeretainstrengthenoughtoputparticularityinharmonywiththeunityofethicallife。
§186。
Butindevelopingitselfindependentlytototality,theprincipleofparticularitypassesoverintouniversality,andonlytheredoesitattainitstruthandtherighttowhichitspositiveactualityisentitled。Thisunityisnottheidentitywhichtheethicalorderrequires,becauseatthislevel,thatofdivision(see§184),bothprinciplesareself-subsistent。Itfollowsthatthisunityispresentherenotasfreedombutasnecessity,sinceitisbycompulsionthattheparticularrisestotheformofuniversalityandseeksandgainsitsstabilityinthatform。
§187。
Individualsintheircapacityasburghersinthisstateareprivatepersonswhoseendistheirowninterest。Thisendismediatedthroughtheuniversalwhichthusappearsasameanstoitsrealisation。Consequently,individualscanattaintheirendsonlyinsofarastheythemselvesdeterminetheirknowing,willing,andactinginauniversalwayandmakethemselveslinksinthischainofsocialconnections。Inthesecircumstances,theinterestoftheIdea—aninterestofwhichthesemembersofcivilsocietyareassuchunconscious—liesintheprocesswherebytheirsingularityandtheirnaturalconditionareraised,asaresultofthenecessitiesimposedbynatureaswellasofarbitraryneeds,toformalfreedomandformaluniversalityofknowingandwilling—theprocesswherebytheirparticularityiseducateduptosubjectivity。
Remark:Theideathatthestateofnatureisoneofinnocenceandthatthereisasimplicityofmannersinuncivilised(ungebildeter)peoples,impliestreatingeducation(Bildung)assomethingpurelyexternal,theallyofcorruption。Similarly,thefeelingthatneeds,theirsatisfaction,thepleasuresandcomfortsofprivatelife,andsoforth,areabsoluteends,impliestreatingeducationasameremeanstotheseends。Boththeseviewsdisplaylackofacquaintancewiththenatureofmindandtheendofreason。Mindattainsitsactualityonlybycreatingadualismwithinitself,bysubmittingitselftophysicalneedsandthechainoftheseexternalnecessities,andsoimposingonitselfthisbarrierandthisfinitude,andfinallybymaturing(bildet)itselfinwardlyevenwhenunderthisbarrieruntilitovercomesitandattainsitsobjectiverealityinthefinite。Theendofreason,therefore,isneitherthemannersofanunsophisticatedstateofnature,nor,asparticularitydevelops,thepleasureforpleasure”ssakewhicheducationprocures。Onthecontrary,itsendistobanishnaturalsimplicity,whetherthepassivitywhichistheabsenceoftheself,orthecrudetypeofknowingandwilling,i。e。immediacyandsingularity,inwhichmindisabsorbed。Itaimsinthefirstinstanceatsecuringforthis,itsexternalcondition,therationalityofwhichitiscapable,i。e。theformofuniversalityortheUnderstanding(Verst?ndigkeit)。Bythismeansalonedoesmindbecomeathomewithitselfwithinthispureexternality。There,then,mind”sfreedomisexistentandmindbecomesobjectivetoitselfinthiselementwhichisimplicitlyinimicaltomind”sappointedend,freedom;ithastodothereonlywithwhatithasitselfproducedandstampedwithitsseal。Itisinthiswaythenthattheformofuniversalitycomesexplicitlyintoexistenceinthought,andthisformistheonlyworthyelementfortheexistenceoftheIdea。Thefinalpurposeofeducation,therefore,isliberationandthestruggleforahigherliberationstill;educationistheabsolutetransitionfromanethicalsubstantialitywhichisimmediateandnaturaltotheonewhichisintellectualandsobothinfinitelysubjectiveandloftyenoughtohaveattaineduniversalityofform。
Intheindividualsubject,thisliberationisthehardstruggleagainstpuresubjectivityofdemeanour,againsttheimmediacyofdesire,againsttheemptysubjectivityoffeelingandthecapriceofinclination。Thedisfavourshoweredoneducationisdueinparttoitsbeingthishardstruggle;butitisthroughthiseducationalstrugglethatthesubjectivewillitselfattainsobjectivitywithin,anobjectivityinwhichaloneitisforitspartcapableandworthyofbeingtheactualityoftheIdea。
Moreover,thisformofuniversality—theUnderstanding,towhichparticularityhasworkeditswayanddevelopeditself,bringsitaboutatthesametimethatparticularitybecomesindividualitygenuinelyexistentinitsowneyes。Andsinceitisfromthisparticularitythattheuniversalderivesthecontentwhichfillsitaswellasitscharacterasinfiniteself-determination,particularityitselfispresentinethicallifeasinfinitelyindependentfreesubjectivity。ThisisthepositionwhichrevealseducationasamomentimmanentintheAbsoluteandwhichmakesplainitsinfinitevalue。
Addition:Byeducatedmen,wemayprimafacieunderstandthosewhowithouttheobtrusionofpersonalidiosyncrasycandowhatothersdo。Itispreciselythisidiosyncrasy,however,whichuneducatedmendisplay,sincetheirbehaviourisnotgovernedbytheuniversalcharacteristicsofthesituation。Similarly,anuneducatedmanisapttohurtthefeelingsofhisneighbours。liesimplyletshimselfgoanddoesnotreflectonthesusceptibilitiesofothers。Itisnotthatheintendstohurtthem,buthisconductisnotconsonantwithhisintention。Thuseducationrubstheedgesoffparticularcharacteristicsuntilamanconductshimselfinaccordancewiththenatureofthething。
Genuineoriginality,whichproducestherealthing,demandsgenuineeducation,whilebastardoriginalityadoptseccentricitieswhichonlyentertheheadsoftheuneducated。
§188。
Civilsocietycontainsthreemoments:
(A)Themediationofneedandoneman”ssatisfactionthroughhislabourandthesatisfactionoftheneedsofallothers—theSystemofNeeds。
(B)Theactualityoftheuniversalprincipleoffreedomthereincontained—
theprotectionofpropertythroughtheAdministrationofJustice。
(C)Provisionagainstcontingenciesstilllurkinginsystems(A)and(B),andcareforparticularinterest,asacommoninterest,bymeansofthePublicAuthorityandtheCorporation。
A。TheSystemofNeedsa:KindofNeedb:KindofLabourc:Classes§189。
Particularityisinthefirstinstancecharacterisedingeneralbyitscontrastwiththeuniversalprincipleofthewillandthusissubjectiveneed(see§59)。Thisattainsitsobjectivityi。e。itssatisfaction,bymeansof[a]externalthings,whichatthisstagearelikewisethepropertyandproductoftheneedsandwillsofothers,and[b]labourandeffort,themiddletermbetweenthesubjectiveandtheobjective。
Theaimhereisthesatisfactionofsubjectiveparticularity,buttheuniversalassertsitselfinthebearingwhichthissatisfactionhasontheneedsofothersandtheirfreearbitrarywills。TheshowofrationalitythusproducedinthissphereoffinitudeistheUnderstanding,andthisistheaspectwhichisofmostimportanceinconsideringthissphereandwhichitselfconstitutesthereconcilingelementwithinit。
Remark:Politicaleconomyisthesciencewhichstartsfromthisviewofneedsandlabourbutthenhasthetaskofexplainingmass-relationshipsandmass-movementsintheircomplexityandtheirqualitativeandquantitativecharacter。Thisisoneofthescienceswhichhavearisenoutoftheconditionsofthemodernworld。Itsdevelopmentaffordstheinterestingspectacle(asinSmith,Say,andRicardo)ofthoughtworkingupontheendlessmassofdetailswhichconfrontitattheoutsetandextractingtherefromthesimpleprinciplesofthething,theUnderstandingeffectiveinthethinganddirectingit。Itistofindreconciliationheretodiscoverinthesphereofneedsthisshowofrationalitylyinginthethingandeffectivethere;butifwelookatitfromtheoppositepointofview,thisisthefieldinwhichtheUnderstandingwithitssubjectiveaimsandmoralfanciesventsitsdiscontentandmoralfrustration。
Addition:Therearecertainuniversalneedssuchasfood,drink,clothing,&c。,anditdependsentirelyonaccidentalcircumstanceshowthesearesatisfied。Thefertilityofthesoilvariesfromplacetoplace,harvestsvaryfromyeartoyear,onemanisindustrious,anotherindolent。Butthismedleyofarbitrarinessgeneratesuniversalcharacteristicsbyitsownworking;andthisapparentlyscatteredandthoughtlesssphereisupheldbyanecessitywhichautomaticallyentersit。Todiscoverthisnecessaryelementhereistheobjectofpoliticaleconomy,asciencewhichisacredittothoughtbecauseitfindslawsforamassofaccidents。Itisaninterestingspectacleheretoseeallchainsofactivityleadingbacktothesamepoint;particularspheresofactionfallintogroups,influenceothers,andarehelpedorhinderedbyothers。Themostremarkablethinghereisthismutualinterlockingofparticulars,whichiswhatonewouldleastexpectbecauseatfirstsighteverythingseemstobegivenovertothearbitrarinessoftheindividual,andithasaparallelinthesolarsystemwhichdisplaystotheeyeonlyirregularmovements,thoughitslawsmaynonethelessbeascertained。
(a)TheKindofNeedandSatisfaction[typicalofcivilsociety]
§190。
Ananimal”sneedsanditswaysandmeansofsatisfyingthemarebothalikerestrictedinscope。Thoughmanissubjecttothisrestrictiontoo,yetatthesametimeheevinceshistranscendenceofitandhisuniversality,firstbythemultiplicationofneedsandmeansofsatisfyingthem,andsecondlybythedifferentiationanddivisionofconcreteneedintosinglepartsandaspectswhichinturnbecomedifferentneeds,particularisedandsomoreabstract。
Remark:In[abstract]right,whatwehadbeforeuswastheperson;inthesphereofmorality,thesubject;inthefamily,thefamily-member;incivilsocietyasawhole,theburgherorbourgeois。
Hereatthestandpointofneeds(compareRemarkto§123)whatwehavebeforeusisthecompositeideawhichwecallman。Thusthisisthefirsttime,andindeedproperlytheonlytime,tospeakofmaninthissense。
Addition:Ananimalisrestrictedtoparticularity。Ithasitsinstinctsandmeansofsatisfyingthem,meanswhicharelimitedandwhichitcannotoverstep。Someinsectsareparasiticonacertainkindofplant;someanimalshaveawiderrangeandcanliveindifferentclimates,butthereisalwaysarestrictionpreventingthemfromhavingtherangeopentoman。Theneedofshelterandclothing,thenecessityofcookinghisfoodtomakeitfittoeatandtoovercomeitsnaturalrawness,bothmeanthatmanhaslesscomfortthanananimal,andindeed,asmind,heoughttohaveless。
Intelligence,withitsgraspofdistinctions,multipliesthesehumanneeds,andsincetasteandutilitybecomecriteriaofjudgment,eventheneedsthemselvesareaffectedthereby。Finally,itisnolongerneedbutopinionwhichhastobesatisfied,anditisjusttheeducatedmanwhoanalysestheconcreteintoitsparticulars。Theverymultiplicationofneedsinvolvesacheckondesire,becausewhenmanythingsareinIuse,theurgetoobtainanyonethingwhichmightbeneededislessstrong,andthisisasignthatwantaltogetherisnotsoimperious。
§191。
Similarly,themeanstoparticularisedneedsandallthewaysofsatisfyingthesearethemselvesdividedandmultipliedandsointurnbecomeproximateendsandabstractneeds。Thismultiplicationgoesonadinfinitum;takenasawhole,itisrefinement,i。e。adiscriminationbetweenthesemultipliedneeds,andjudgmentonthesuitabilityofmeanstotheirends。
Addition:WhattheEnglishcall‘comfort”issomethinginexhaustibleandillimitable。[Otherscandiscovertoyouthatwhatyoutaketobe]comfortatanystageisdiscomfort,andthesediscoveriesnevercometoanend。Hencetheneedforgreatercomfortdoesnotexactlyarisewithinyoudirectly;itissuggestedtoyoubythosewhohopetomakeaprofitfromitscreation。
§192。
Needsandmeans,asthingsexistentrealiter,becomesomethingwhichhasbeingforothersbywhoseneedsandlaboursatisfactionforallalikeisconditioned。
Whenneedsandmeansbecomeabstractinquality(see§191),abstractionisalsoacharacterofthereciprocalrelationofindividualstooneanother。Thisabstractcharacter,universality,isthecharacterofbeingrecognisedandisthemomentwhichmakesconcrete,i。e。social,theisolatedandabstractneedsandtheirwaysandmeansofsatisfaction。
Addition:ThefactthatImustdirectmyconductbyreferencetoothersintroducesheretheformofuniversality。ItisfromothersthatIacquirethemeansofsatisfactionandImustaccordinglyaccepttheirviews。Atthesametime,however,Iamcompelledtoproducemeansforthesatisfactionofothers。Weplayintoeachother”shandsandsohangtogether。Tothisextenteverythingprivatebecomessomethingsocial。Indressfashionsandhoursofmeals,therearecertainconventionswhichwehavetoacceptbecauseinthesethingsitisnotworththetroubletoI
insistondisplayingone”sowndiscernment。Thewisestthinghereistodoasothersdo。
§193。
Thissocialmomentthusbecomesaparticularend-determinantformeansinthemselvesandtheiracquisition,aswellasforthemannerinwhichneedsaresatisfied。Further,itdirectlyinvolvesthedemandforequalityofsatisfactionwithothers。Theneedforthisequalityandforemulation,whichistheequalisingofoneselfwithothers,aswellastheotherneedalsopresenthere,theneedoftheparticulartoassertitselfinsomedistinctiveway,becomethemselvesafruitfulsourceofthemultiplicationofneedsandtheirexpansion。
§194。
Sinceinsocialneeds,astheconjunctionofimmediateornaturalneedswithmentalneedsarisingfromideas,itisneedsofthelattertypewhichbecauseoftheiruniversalitymakethemselvespreponderant,thissocialmomenthasinittheaspectofliberation,i。e。thestrictnaturalnecessityofneedisobscuredandmanisconcernedwithhisownopinion,indeedwithanopinionwhichisuniversal,andwithanecessityofhisownmakingalone,insteadofwithanexternalnecessity,aninnercontingency,andmerecaprice。
Remark:Theideahasbeenadvancedthatinrespectofhisneedsmanlivedinfreedomintheso-called‘stateofnature”whenhisneedsweresupposedtobeconfinedtowhatareknownasthesimplenecessitiesofnature,andwhenherequiredfortheirsatisfactiononlythemeanswhichtheaccidentsofnaturedirectlyassuredtohim。Thisviewtakesnoaccountofthemomentofliberationintrinsictolabour,onwhichseethefollowingParagraphs。Andapartfromthis,itisfalse,becausetobeconfinedtomerephysicalneedsassuchandtheirdirectsatisfactionwouldsimplybetheconditioninwhichthementalisplungedinthenaturalandsowouldbeoneofsavageryandunfreedom,whilefreedomitselfistobefoundonlyinthereflectionofmindintoitself,inmind”sdistinctionfromnature,andinthereflexofmindinnature。
§195。
Thisliberationisabstractsincetheparticularityoftheendsremainstheirbasiccontent。Whensocialconditionstendtomultiplyandsubdivideneeds,means,andenjoymentsindefinitely—aprocesswhich,likethedistinctionbetweennaturalandrefinedneeds,hasnoqualitativelimits—thisisluxury。Inthissameprocess,however,dependenceandwantincreaseadinfinitum,andthematerialtomeettheseispermanentlybarredtotheneedymanbecauseitconsistsofexternalobjectswiththespecialcharacterofbeingproperty,theembodimentofthefreewillofothers,andhencefromhispointofviewitsrecalcitranceisabsolute。
Addition:TheentireCynicalmodeoflifeadoptedbyDiogeneswasnothingmoreorlessthanaproductofAtheniansociallife,andwhatdetermineditwasthewayofthinkingagainstwhichhiswholemannerprotested。Henceitwasnotindependentofsocialconditionsbutsimplytheirresult;
itwasitselfarudeproductofluxury。Whenluxuryisatitsheight,distressanddepravityareequallyextreme,andinsuchcircumstancesCynicismistheoutcomeofoppositiontorefinement。
(b)TheKindofLabour[typicalofcivilsociety]
§196。
Themeansofacquiringandpreparingtheparticularisedmeansappropriatetooursimilarlyparticularisedneedsislabour。Throughlabourtherawmaterialdirectlysuppliedbynatureisspecificallyadaptedtothesenumerousendsbyallsortsofdifferentprocesses。Nowthisformativechangeconfersvalueonmeansandgivesthemtheirutility,andhencemaninwhatheconsumesismainlyconcernedwiththeproductsofmen。Itistheproductsofhumaneffortwhichmanconsumes。
Addition:Thereishardlyanyrawmaterialwhichdoesnotneedtobeworkedonbeforeuse。
Evenairhastobeworkedforbecausewehavetowarmit。Waterisperhapstheonlyexception,becausewecandrinkitaswefindit。Itisbythesweatofhisbrowandthetoilofhishandsthatmanobtainsthemeanstosatisfyhisneeds。
§197。
Themultiplicityofobjectsandsituationswhichexciteinterestisthestageonwhichtheoreticaleducationdevelops。Thiseducationconsistsinpossessingnotsimplyamultiplicityofideasandfacts,butalsoaflexibilityandrapidityofmind,abilitytopassfromoneideatoanother,tograspcomplexandgeneralrelations,andsoon。Itistheeducationoftheunderstandingineveryway,andsoalsothebuildingupoflanguage。Practicaleducation,acquiredthroughworking,consistsfirstintheautomaticallyrecurrentneedforsomethingtodoandthehabitofsimplybeingbusy;next,inthestrictadaptationofone”sactivityaccordingnotonlytothenatureofthematerialworkedon,butalso,andespecially,tothepleasureofotherworkers;andfinally,inahabit,producedbythisdiscipline,ofobjectiveactivityanduniversallyrecognisedaptitudes。
Addition:Thesavageislazyandisdistinguishedfromtheeducatedmanbyhisbroodingstupidity,becausepracticaleducationisjusteducationintheneedandhabitofbeingbusy。A
clumsymanalwaysproducesaresulthedoesnotintend;heisnotmasterofhisownjob。Theskilledworker,ontheotherhand,maybesaidtobethemanwhoproducesthethingasitoughttobeandwhohitsthenailontheheadwithoutshrinking(keineSpr?digkeitinseinemsubjektivenTungegendenZweckfindet)。
§198。
Theuniversalandobjectiveelementinlabour,ontheotherhand,liesintheabstractingprocesswhicheffectsthesubdivisionofneedsandmeansandtherebyeoipsosubdividesproductionandbringsaboutthedivisionoflabour。Bythisdivision,thelabouroftheindividualbecomeslesscomplex,andconsequentlyhisskillathissectionofthejobincreases,likehisoutput。Atthesametime,thisabstractionofoneman”sskillandmeansofproductionfromanother”scompletesandmakesnecessaryeverywherethedependenceofmenononeanotherandtheirreciprocalrelationinthesatisfactionoftheirotherneeds。
Further,theabstractionofoneman”sproductionfromanother”smakeslabourmoreandmoremechanical,untilfinallymanisabletostepasideandinstallmachinesinhisplace。
(c)Capital[andclass-divisions]
§199。
Whenmenarethusdependentononeanotherandreciprocallyrelatedtooneanotherintheirlabourandthesatisfactionoftheirneeds,subjectiveself-seekingturnsintoacontributiontothesatisfactionoftheneedsofeveryoneelse。Thatistosay,byadialecticaladvance,subjectiveself-seekingturnsintothemediationoftheparticularthroughtheuniversal,withtheresultthateachmaninearning,producing,andenjoyingonhisownaccountiseoipsoproducingandearningfortheenjoymentofeveryoneelse。Thecompulsionwhichbringsthisaboutisrootedinthecomplexinterdependenceofeachonall,anditnowpresentsitselftoeachastheuniversalpermanentcapital(see§170)whichgiveseachtheopportunity,bytheexerciseofhiseducationandskill,todrawasharefromitandsobeassuredofhislivelihood,whilewhathethusearnsbymeansofhislabourmaintainsandincreasesthegeneralcapital。
§200。
Aparticularman”sresources,orinotherwordshisopportunityofsharinginthegeneralresources,areconditioned,however,partlybyhisownunearnedprincipal(hiscapital),andpartlybyhisskill;thisinturnisitselfdependentnotonlyonhiscapital,butalsoonaccidentalcircumstanceswhosemultiplicityintroducesdifferencesinthedevelopmentofnatural,bodily,andmentalcharacteristics,whichwerealreadyinthemselvesdissimilar。Inthissphereofparticularity,thesedifferencesareconspicuousineverydirectionandoneverylevel,and,togetherwiththearbitrarinessandaccidentwhichthisspherecontainsaswell,theyhaveastheirinevitableconsequencedisparitiesofindividualresourcesandability。
Remark:TheobjectiverightoftheparticularityofmindiscontainedintheIdea。Menaremadeunequalbynature,whereinequalityisinitselement,andincivilsocietytherightofparticularityissofarfrom。annullingthisnaturalinequalitythatitproducesitoutofmindandraisesittoaninequalityofskillandresources,andeventooneofmoralandintellectualattainment。ToopposetothisrightademandforequalityisafollyoftheUnderstandingwhichtakesasrealandrationalitsabstractequalityandits‘ought-to-be”。
Thissphereofparticularity,whichfanciesitselftheuniversal,isstillonlyrelativelyidenticalwiththeuniversal,andconsequentlyitstillretainsinitselftheparticularityofnature,i。e。arbitrariness,orinotherwordstherelicsofthestateofnature。Further,itisreason,immanentintherestlesssystemofhumanneeds,whicharticulatesitintoanorganicwholewithdifferentmembers(seethefollowing§)。
§201。
Theinfinitelycomplex,criss-cross,movementsofreciprocalproductionandexchange,andtheequallyinfinitemultiplicityofmeansthereinemployed,becomecrystallised,owingtotheuniversalityinherentintheircontent,anddistinguishedintogeneralgroups。Asaresult,theentirecomplexisbuiltupintoparticularsystemsofneeds,means,andtypesofworkrelativetotheseneeds,modesofsatisfactionandoftheoreticalandpracticaleducation,i。e。intosystems,tooneorotherofwhichindividualsareassigned—inotherwords,intoclass-divisions。
Addition:Thewaysandmeansofsharinginthecapitalofsocietyarelefttoeachman”sparticularchoice,butthesubdivisionofcivilsocietyintodifferentgeneralbranchesisanecessity。
Thefamilyisthefirstpreconditionofthestate,butclassdivisionsarethesecond。Theimportanceofthelatterisduetothefactthatalthoughprivatepersonsareself-seeking,theyarecompelledtodirecttheirattentiontoothers。Herethenistherootwhichconnectsself-seekingtotheuniversal,i。e。tothestate,whosecareitmustbethatthistieisahardandfastone。
§202。
Theclassesarespecificallydeterminedinaccordancewiththeconceptas(a)thesubstantialorimmediate[oragricultural]class;
(b)thereflectingorformal[orbusiness]class;andfinally,(c)theuniversalclass[theclassofcivilservants]。
§203。
(a)Thesubstantial[oragricultural]classhasitscapitalinthenaturalproductsofthesoilwhichitcultivates—soilwhichiscapableofexclusivelyprivateownershipandwhichdemandsformationinanobjectivewayandnotmerehaphazardexploitation。Infaceoftheconnectionof[agricultural]labouranditsfruitswithseparateandfixedtimesoftheyear,andthedependenceofharvestsonthevariabilityofnaturalprocesses,theaimofneedinthisclassturnsintoprovisionforthefuture;butowingtotheconditionshere,theagriculturalmodeofsubsistenceremainsonewhichowescomparativelylittletoreflectionandindependenceofwill,andthismodeoflifeisingeneralsuchthatthisclasshasthesubstantialdispositionofanethicallifewhichisimmediate,restingonfamilyrelationshipandtrust。
Remark:Therealbeginningandoriginalfoundationofstateshasbeenrightlyascribedtotheintroductionofagriculturealongwithmarriage,becausetheprincipleofagriculturebringswithittheformationofthelandandconsequentiallyexclusivelyprivateproperty(compareRemarkto§
170);thenomadiclifeofsavages,whoseektheirlivelihoodfromplacetoplace,itbringsbacktothetranquillityofprivaterightsandtheassuredsatisfactionoftheirneeds。Alongwiththesechanges,sexualloveisrestrictedtomarriage,andthisbondinturngrowsintoanenduringleague,inherentlyuniversal,whileneedsexpandintocareforafamily,andpersonalpossessionsintofamilygoods。Security,consolidation,lastingsatisfactionofneeds,andsoforth—thingswhicharethemostobviousrecommendationsofmarriageandagriculture—arenothingbutformsofuniversality,modesinwhichrationality,thefinalendandaim,assertsitselfinthesespheres。
Inthismatter,nothingisofmoreinterestthantheingeniousandlearnedexplanationswhichmydistinguishedfriend,HerrCreuzer,hasgivenoftheagrarianfestivals,images,andsanctuariesoftheancients。Heshowsthatitwasbecausetheancientsthemselveshadbecomeconsciousofthedivineoriginofagricultureandotherinstitutionsassociatedwithitthattheyheldtheminsuchreligiousveneration。
Incourseoftime,thecharacterofthisclassas‘substantial”undergoesmodificationsthroughtheworkingofthecivillaw,inparticulartheadministrationofjustice,aswellasthroughtheworkingofeducation,instruction,andreligion。Thesemodifications,whichoccurintheotherclassesalso,donotaffectthesubstantialcontentoftheclassbutonlyitsformandthedevelopmentofitspowerofreflection。
Addition:Inourdayagricultureisconductedonmethodsdevisedbyreflectivethinking,i。e。likeafactory。Thishasgivenitacharacterlikethatofindustryandcontrarytoitsnaturalone。Still,theagriculturalclasswillalwaysretainamodeoflifewhichispatriarchalandthesubstantialframeofmindpropertosuchalife。Thememberofthisclassacceptsunreflectivelywhatisgivenhimandtakeswhathegets,thankingGodforitandlivinginfaithandconfidencethatthisgoodnesswillcontinue。Whatcomestohimsufficeshim;onceitisconsumed,morecomesagain。Thisisthesimpleattitudeofmindnotconcentratedonthestruggleforriches。Itmaybedescribedastheattitudeoftheoldnobilitywhichjustatewhattherewas。Sofarasthisclassisconcerned,naturedoesthemajorpart,whileindividualeffortissecondary。Inthebusinessclass,however,itisintelligencewhichistheessentialthing,andnaturalproductscanbetreatedonlyasrawmaterials。
§204。
(b)Thebusinessclasshasforitstasktheadaptationofrawmaterials,andforitsmeansoflivelihooditisthrownbackonitswork,onreflectionandintelligence,andessentiallyonthemediationofoneman”sneedsandlabourwiththoseofothers。Forwhatthisclassproducesandenjoys,ithasmainlyitself,itsownindustry,tothank。Thetaskofthisclassissubdividedinto[a]worktosatisfysingleneedsinacomparativelyconcretewayandtosupplysingleorders—craftsmanship;
[b]workofamoreabstractkind,mass-productiontosatisfysingleneeds,butneedsinmoreuniversaldemand—manufacture;
[c]thebusinessofexchange,wherebyseparateutilitiesareexchangedtheonefortheother,principallythroughtheuseoftheuniversalmediumofexchange,money,whichactualisestheabstractvalueofallcommodities—
trade。
Addition:Inthebusinessclass,theindividualisthrownbackonhimself,andthisfeelingofself-hoodismostintimatelyconnectedwiththedemandforlawandorder。Thesenseoffreedomandorderhasthereforearisenaboveallintowns。Theagriculturalclass,ontheotherhand,haslittleoccasiontothinkofitself;whatitobtainsisthegiftofastranger,ofnature。Itsfeelingofdependenceisfundamentaltoit,andwiththisfeelingthereisreadilyassociatedawillingnesstosubmittowhatevermaybefallitatothermen”shands。Theagriculturalclassisthusmoreinclinedtosubservience,thebusinessclasstofreedom。
§205。
(c)Theuniversalclass[theclassofcivilservants]hasforitstasktheuniversalinterestsofthecommunity。Itmustthereforeberelievedfromdirectlabourtosupplyitsneeds,eitherbyhavingprivatemeansorbyreceivinganallowancefromthestatewhichclaimsitsindustry,withtheresultthatprivateinterestfindsitssatisfactioninitsworkfortheuniversal。
§206。
Itisinaccordancewiththeconceptthatclass-organisation,asparticularitybecomeobjectivetoitself,issplitinthiswayintoitsgeneraldivisions。Butthequestionoftheparticularclasstowhichanindividualistobelongisoneonwhichnaturalcapacity,birth,andothercircumstanceshavetheirinfluence,thoughtheessentialandfinaldeterminingfactorsaresubjectiveopinionandtheindividual”sarbitrarywill,whichwininthisspheretheirright,theirmerit,andtheirdignity。
Hencewhathappensherebyinnernecessityoccursatthesametimebythemediationofthearbitrarywill,andtotheconscioussubjectithastheshapeofbeingtheworkofhisownwill。
Remark:Inthisrespecttoothereisaconspicuousdifference,inrelationtotheprincipleofparticularityandthesubject”sarbitrarywill,betweenthepoliticallifeoftheeastandthewest,andalsobetweenthatoftheancientandthemodernworld。Intheformer,thedivisionofthewholeintoclassescameaboutobjectivelyofitself,becauseitisinherentlyrational;buttheprincipleofsubjectiveparticularitywasatthesametimedenieditsrights,inthat,forexample,theallotmentofindividualstoclasseswaslefttotherulingclass,asinPlato”sRepublic,ortotheaccidentofbirth,asintheIndiancaste-system。Thussubjectiveparticularitywasnotincorporatedintotheorganisationofsocietyasawhole;itwasnotreconciledinthewhole,andtherefore—sinceasanessentialmomentitemergesthereinanyevent—itshowsitselfthereassomethinghostile,asacorruptionofthesocialorder(seeRemarkto§185)Eitheritoverthrowssociety,ashappenedintheGreekstatesandintheRomanRepublic;orelse,shouldsocietypreserveitselfinbeingasaforceorasareligiousauthority,forinstance,itappearsasinnercorruptionandcompletedegeneration,aswasthecasetosomeextentinSpartaandisnowaltogetherthecaseinIndia。
Butwhensubjectiveparticularityisupheldbytheobjectiveorderinconformitywithitandisatthesametimealloweditsrights,thenitbecomestheanimatingprincipleoftheentirecivilsociety,ofthedevelopmentalikeofmentalactivity,merit,anddignity。Therecognitionandtherightthatwhatisbroughtaboutbyreasonofnecessityincivilsocietyandthestateshallatthesametimebeeffectedbythemediationofthearbitrarywillisthemoreprecisedefinitionofwhatisprimarilymeantbyfreedomincommonparlance(see§121)。
§207。
Amanactualiseshimselfonlyinbecomingsomethingdefinite,i。e。somethingspecificallyparticularised;thismeansrestrictinghimselfexclusivelytooneoftheparticularspheresofneed。Inthisclass-system,theethicalframeofmindthereforeisrectitudeandespritdecorps,i。e。thedispositiontomakeoneselfamemberofoneofthemomentsofcivilsocietybyone”sownact,throughone”senergy,industry,andskill,tomaintainoneselfinthisposition,andtofendforoneselfonlythroughthisprocessofmediatingoneselfwiththeuniversal,whileinthiswaygainingrecognitionbothinone”sowneyesandintheeyesofothers。
Moralityhasitsproperplaceinthisspherewheretheparamountthingisreflectiononone”sdoings,andthequestofhappinessandprivatewants,andwherethecontingencyinsatisfyingthesemakesintoadutyevenasingleandcontingentactofassistance。
Remark:Atfirst(i。e。especiallyinyouth)amanchafesattheideaofresolvingonaparticularsocialposition,andlooksuponthisasarestrictiononhisuniversalcharacterandasanecessityimposedonhimpurelyabextra。Thisisbecausehisthinkingisstillofthatabstractkindwhichrefusestomovebeyondtheuniversalandsoneverreachestheactual。Itdoesnotrealisethatiftheconceptistobedeterminate,itmustfirstofalladvanceintothedistinctionbetweentheconceptanditsrealexistenceandtherebyintodeterminacyandparticularity(see§7)—Itisonlythusthattheconceptcanwinactualityandethicalobjectivity。
Addition:Whenwesaythatamanmustbea‘somebody”,wemeanthatheshouldbelongtosomespecificsocialclass,sincetobeasomebodymeanstohavesubstantivebeing。Amanwithnoclassisamereprivatepersonandhisuniversalityisnotactualised。Ontheotherhand,theindividualinhisparticularitymaytakehimselfastheuniversalandpresumethatbyenteringaclassheissurrenderinghimselftoanindignity。Thisisthefalseideathatinattainingadeterminacynecessarytoit,athingisrestrictingandsurrenderingitself。
§208。
Astheprivateparticularityofknowingandwilling,theprincipleofthissystemofneedscontainsabsoluteuniversality,theuniversalityoffreedom,onlyabstractlyandthereforeastherightofproperty。Atthispoint,however,thisrightisnolongermerelyimplicitbuthasattaineditsrecognisedactualityastheprotectionofpropertythroughtheadministrationofjustice。
B。AdministrationofJusticea:RightasLawb:DeterminateLawc:Courts§209。
Therelatednessarisingfromthereciprocalbearingononeanotherofneedsandlabourtosatisfytheseisfirstofallreflectedintoitselfasinfinitepersonality,asabstractright。Butitisthisverysphereofrelatedness—asphereofeducation,whichgivesabstractrightthedeterminateexistenceofbeingsomethinguniversallyrecognised,known,andwilled,andhavingavalidityandanobjectiveactualitymediatedbythisknownandwilledcharacter。
Remark:Itispartofeducation,ofthinkingastheconsciousnessofthesingleintheformofuniversality,thattheegocomestobeapprehendedasauniversalpersoninwhichallareidentical。
Amancountsas‘amaninvirtueofhismanhoodalone,notbecauseheisaJew,Catholic,Protestant,German,Italian,&c。Thisisanassertionwhichthinkingratifiesandtobeconsciousofitisofinfiniteimportance。Itisdefectiveonlywhenitiscrystallised,e。g。asacosmopolitanisminoppositiontotheconcretelifeofthestate。
Addition:Fromonepointofview,itisthroughtheworkingofthesystemofparticularitythatrightbecomesanexternalcompulsionasaprotectionofparticularinterests。Eventhoughthisresultisduetotheconcept,rightnonethelessonlybecomessomethingexistentbecausethisisusefulformen”sneeds。Tobecomeconsciousinthoughtofhisright,manmustbetrainedtothinkandgiveupdallyingwithmeresensation。Wemustinvesttheobjectsofourthoughtwiththeformofuniversalityandsimilarlywemustdirectourwillingbyauniversalprinciple。Itisonlyaftermanhasdevisednumerousneedsandaftertheiracquisitionhasbecomeintertwinedwithhissatisfaction,thathecanframelawsforhimself。
§210。
Theobjectiveactualityoftherightconsists,first,initsexistenceforconsciousness,initsbeingknowninsomewayorother;secondly,initspossessingthepowerwhichtheactualpossesses,initsbeingvalid,andsoalsoinitsbecomingknownasuniversallyvalid。
(a)RightasLaw§211。
Theprincipleofrightnessbecomesthelaw(Gesetz)when,initsobjectiveexistence,itisposited(gesetzt),i。e。whenthinkingmakesitdeterminateforconsciousnessandmakesitknownaswhatisrightandvalid;andinacquiringthisdeterminatecharacter,therightbecomespositivelawingeneral。
Remark:Topositsomethingasuniversal,i。e。tobringitbeforeconsciousnessasuniversal,is,I
needhardlysay,tothink(compareRemarksto§§13and21)。Therebyitscontentisreducedtoitssimplestformandsoisgivenitsfinaldeterminacy。Inbecominglaw,whatisrightfirsttimenotonlytheformpropertoitsuniversality,butalsoitsdeterminacy。Hencemakingalawisnottoberepresentedasmerelytheexpressionofaruleofbehaviour;validforeveryone,thoughthatisonemomentinlegislation;themoreimportantmoment,theinneressenceofthematter,isknowledgeofthecontentofthelawinitsdeterminateuniversality。
Sinceitisonlyanimalswhichhavetheirlawasinstinct,whileitismanalonewhohaslawascustom,evensystemsofcustomarylawcontainthemomentofbeingthoughtsandbeingknown。
Theirdifferencefrompositivelawconsistssolelyinthis,thattheyareknownonlyinasubjectiveandaccidentalway,withtheresultthatinthemselvestheyarelessdeterminateandtheuniversalityofthoughtislessclearinthem。(Andapartfromthis,knowledgeofasystemoflaweitheringeneralorinitsdetails,istheaccidentalpossessionofafew。)Thesuppositionthatitiscustomarylaw,onthestrengthofitscharacterascustom,whichpossessestheprivilegeofhavingbecomepartoflifeisadelusion,sincehevalidlawsofanationdonotceasetobeitscustomsbybeingwrittenandcodified—andbesides,itisasarulepreciselythoseversedinthedeadestoftopicsandthedeadestofthoughtswhotalknowadaysof‘life”andof‘becomingpartoflife”。Whenanationbeginstoacquireevenalittleculture,itscustomarylawmustsooncometobecollectedandputtogether。Suchacollectionisalegalcode,butonewhich,asamerecollection,ismarkedlyformless,indeterminate,andfragmentary。Themaindifferencebetweenitandacodeproperlyso-calledisthatinthelattertheprinciplesofjurisprudenceintheiruniversality,andsointheirdeterminacy,havebeenapprehendedintermsofthoughtandexpressed。Englishnationallawormunicipallawiscontained,asiswellknown,instatutes(writtenlaws)andinso-called‘unwritten”laws。Thisunwrittenlaw,however,isasgoodaswritten,andknowledgeofitmay,andindeedmust,beacquiredsimplybyreadingthenumerousquartoswhichitfills。Themonstrousconfusion,however,whichprevailsbothinEnglishlawanditsadministrationisgraphicallyportrayedbythoseacquaintedwiththematter。Inparticular,theycommentonthefactthat,sincethisunwrittenlawiscontainedincourtverdictsandjudgments,thejudgesarecontinuallylegislators。Theauthorityofprecedentisbindingonthem,sincetheirpredecessorshavedonenothingbutgiveexpressiontotheunwrittenlaw;andyettheyarejustasmuchexemptfromitsauthority,becausetheyarethemselvesrepositoriesoftheunwrittenlawandsohavetherighttocriticisepreviousjudgmentsandpronouncewhethertheyaccordedwiththeunwrittenlawornot。
AsimilarconfusionmighthaveariseninthelegalsystemofthelaterRomanEmpireowingtothedifferentbutauthoritativejudgmentsofallthefamousjurists。AnEmperormetthesituation,however,byasensibleexpedientwhen,bywhatwascalledtheLawofCitations,hesetupakindofCollegeofthejuristswhowerelongestdeceased。TherewasaPresident,andthemajorityvotewasaccepted。
Nogreaterinsultcouldbeofferedtoacivilisedpeopleortoitslawyersthantodenythemabilitytocodifytheirlaw;forsuchabilitycannotbethatofconstructingalegalsystemwithanovelcontent,butonlythatofapprehending,i。e。graspinginthought,thecontentofexistinglawsinitsdeterminateuniversalityandthenapplyingthemtoparticularcases。
Addition:Thesunandtheplanetshavetheirlawstoo,buttheydonotknowthem。Savagesaregovernedbyimpulses,customs,andfeelings,buttheyareunconsciousofthis。Whenrightispositedaslawandisknown,everyaccidentoffeelingvanishestogetherwiththeformofrevenge,sympathy,andselfishness,andinthiswaytherightattainsforthefirsttimeitstruedeterminacyandisgivenitsduehonour。Itisasaresultofthedisciplineofcomprehendingtherightthattherightfirstbecomescapableofuniversality。Inthecourseofapplyingthelaws,clashesoccur,andindealingwiththesethejudge”sintelligencehasitsproperscope;thisisquiteinevitable,becauseotherwisecarryingoutthelawwouldbesomethingmechanicalfromstarttofinish。Buttogosofarastogetridofclashesaltogetherbyleavingmuchtothejudge”sdiscretionisafarworsesolution,becauseeventheclashisintrinsictothought,toconsciousthinkinganditsdialectic,whilethemerefiatofajudgewouldbearbitrary。
Itisgenerallyallegedinfavourofcustomarylawthatitis‘living”,butthisvitality,i。e。theidentitybetweenthesubjectandwhatthelawprovides,isnotthewholeessenceofthematter。Law(Recht)mustbeknownbythought,itmustbeasysteminitself,andonlyassuchcanitberecognisedinacivilisedcountry。Therecentdenialthatnations‘haveavocationtocodifytheirlaws”isnotonlyaninsult;italsoimpliestheabsurdityofsupposingthatnotasingleindividualhasbeenendowedwithskillenoughtobringintoacoherentsystemtheendlessmassofexistinglaws。
Thetruthisthatitisjustsystematisation,i。e。elevationtotheuniversal,whichourtimeispressingforwithoutanylimit。Asimilarviewisthatcollectionsofjudgments,likethoseavailableinaCorpusjuris,arefarsuperiortoacodeworkedoutinthemostgeneralway。Thereasonallegedisthatsuchjudgmentsalwaysretainacertainparticularityandacertainreminiscenceofhistorywhichmenareunwillingtosacrifice。ButthemischievousnessofsuchcollectionsismadeclearenoughbythepracticeofEnglishlaw。
§212。
Itisonlybecauseofthisidentitybetweenitsimplicitanditspositedcharacterthatpositivelawhasobligatoryforceinvirtueofitsrightness。Inbeingpositedinpositivelaw,therightacquiresdeterminateexistence。Intosuchexistencetheremayenterthecontingencyofself-willandotherparticularcircumstancesandhencetheremaybeadiscrepancybetweenthecontentofthelawandtheprincipleofrightness。
Remark:Inpositivelaw,therefore,itisthelegalwhichisthesourceofourknowledgeofwhatisright,or,moreexactly,ofourlegalrights(Rechtens)。Thusthescienceofpositivelawistothatextentanhistoricalsciencewithauthorityasitsguidingprinciple。AnythingoverandabovethishistoricalstudyismatterfortheUnderstandingandconcernsthecollectionoflaws,theirclassificationonexternalprinciples,deductionsfromthem,theirapplicationtofreshdetails,&c。
WhentheUnderstandingmeddleswiththenatureofthethingitself,itstheories,e。g。ofcriminallaw,showwhatitsdeductiveargumentationcanconcoct。
Thescienceofpositivelawhasnotonlytheright,buteventheinescapableduty,tostudygivenlaws,todeducefromitspositivedatatheirprogressinhistory,theirapplicationsandsubdivisions,downtothelastdetail,andtoexhibittheirimplications。Ontheotherhand,if,afterallthesedeductionshavebeenproved,thefurtherquestionabouttherationalityofaspecificlawisstillraised,thequestionmayseemperversetothosewhoarebusiedwiththesepursuits,buttheirastonishmentatitshouldatleaststopshortofdismay。
WiththisRemark,comparewhatwassaidintheRemarkto§3about‘understanding”thelaw。
§213。
Rightbecomesdeterminateinthefirstplacewhenithastheformofbeingpositedaspositivelaw;italsobecomesdeterminateincontentbybeingappliedbothtothematerialofcivilsociety(i。e。totheendlesslygrowingcomplexityandsubdivisionofsocialtiesandthedifferentspeciesofpropertyandcontractwithinthesociety)andalsotoethicaltiesbasedontheheart,onloveandtrust,thoughonlyinsofarastheseinvolveabstractrightasoneoftheiraspects(see§159)—
Moralityandmoralcommandsconcernthewillonitsmostprivate,subjective,andparticularside,andsocannotbeamatterforpositivelegislation。Furthermaterialforthedeterminatecontentoflawisprovidedbytherightsanddutieswhichhavetheirsourceintheadministrationofjusticeitself,inthestate,andsoforth。
Addition:Inthehigherrelationshipsofmarriage,love,religion,andthestate,theonlyaspectswhichcanbecomethesubjectoflegislationarethoseofsuchanatureastopermitoftheirbeinginprincipleexternal。Still,inthisrespectthereisawidedifferencebetweenthelawsofdifferentpeoples。TheChinese,forinstance,havealawrequiringahusbandtolovehisfirstwifemorethanhisotherwives。Ifheisconvictedofdoingtheopposite,corporalpunishmentfollows。Similarly,thelegislationoftheancientsinearliertimeswasfullofpreceptsaboutuprightnessandintegritywhichareunsuitedbynaturetolegalenactmentbecausetheyfallwhollywithinthefieldoftheinnerlife。Itisonlyinthecaseoftheoath,wherebythingsarebroughthometoconscience,thatuprightnessandintegritymustbetakenintoaccountasthesubstanceofthematter。