§214。
Butapartfrombeingappliedtoparticularinstances,rightbybeingembodiedinpositivelawbecomesapplicabletothesinglecase。Henceitentersthespherewherequantity,nottheconcept,istheprincipleofdetermination。Thisisthesphereofthequantitativeassuch,ofthequantitativeasthatwhichdeterminestherelativevalueinexchangeofqualia。Inthissphere,theconceptmerelylaysdownagenerallimit,withinwhichvacillationisstillallowed。Thisvacillationmustbeterminated,however,intheinterestofgettingsomethingdone,andforthisreasonthereisaplacewithinthatlimitforcontingentandarbitrarydecisions。
Remark:Thepurelypositivesideoflawlieschieflyinthisfocusingoftheuniversalnotmerelyonaparticularinstance,butonanisolatedcase,i。e。initsdirectapplication。Reasoncannotdetermine,norcantheconceptprovideanyprinciplewhoseapplicationcoulddecidewhetherjusticerequiresforanoffenceiacorporalpunishmentoffortylashesorthirty-nine,oriiafineoffivedollarsorfourdollarsninety-three,four,&c。,cents,oriiiimprisonmentofayearorthreehundredandsixty-four,three,&c。,days,orayearandone,two,orthreedays。Andyetinjusticeisdoneatonceifthereisonelashtoomany,oronedollaroronecent,oneweekinprisonoroneday,toomanyortoofew。
Reasonitselfrequiresustorecognisethatcontingency,contradiction,andshowhaveasphereandarightoftheirown,restrictedthoughitbe,anditisirrationaltostrivetoresolveandrectifycontradictionswithinthatsphere。Heretheonlyinterestpresentisthatsomethingbeactuallydone,thatthematterbesettledanddecidedsomehow,nomatterhowwithinacertainlimit。Thisdecisionpertainstoabstractsubjectivity,toformalself-certainty,whichmaydecideeitherbysimplyholdingtoitspowerwithinthatlimitofsettlingthematterbymerelyterminatingdeliberationandtherebydismissingitoutofhand,orelsebyadoptingsomereasonfordecisionsuchaskeepingtoroundnumbersoralwaysadopting,saythirty-nine。
Itistruethatthelawdoesnotsettletheseultimatedecisionsrequiredbyactuallife;itleavestheminsteadtothejudge”sdiscretion,merelylimitinghimbyamaximumandminimum。Butthisdoesnotaffectthepointatissue,becausethemaximumandminimumarethemselvesineveryinstanceonlyroundnumbersoncemore。Tofixthem,therefore,doesnotexemptthejudgefrommakingafinite,purelypositive,decision,sinceonthecontrarysuchadecisionisstilllefttohimbythenecessitiesofthecase。
Addition:Thereisoneessentialelementinlawandtheadministrationofjusticewhichcontainsameasureofcontingencyandwhicharisesfromthefactthatthelawisauniversalprescriptionwhichhastobeappliedtothesinglecase。Ifyouwishedtodeclareyourselfagainstthiscontingency,youwouldbetalkinginabstractions。Themeasureofaman”spunishment,forexample,cannotbemadeequivalenttoanydeterminationoftheconceptofpunishment,andthedecisionmade,whateveritbe,isfromthispointofviewarbitraryalways。Butthiscontingencyisitselfnecessary,andifyouargueagainsthavingacodeatallonthegroundthatanycodeisincomplete,youareoverlookingjustthatelementoflawinwhichcompletionisnottobeachievedandwhichthereforemustjustbeacceptedasitstands。
bLawdeterminatelyexistent§215。
Iflawsaretohaveabindingforce,itfollowsthat,inviewoftherightofself-consciousnesssee§132andtheRemarktheretotheymustbemadeuniversallyknown。
Remark:TohangthelawssohighthatnocitizencouldreadthemasDionysiustheTyrantdid
isinjusticeofoneandthesamekindastoburytheminrowuponrowoflearnedtomes,collectionsofdissentingjudgmentsandopinions,recordsofcustoms,&c。,andinadeadlanguagetoo,sothatknowledgeofthelawofthelandisaccessibleonlytothosewhohavemadeittheirprofessionalstudy。Rulerswhohavegivenanationallawtotheirpeoplesintheformofawell-arrangedandclear-cutlegalcodeorevenamereformlesscollectionoflaws,likeJustinian”s—havebeenthegreatestbenefactorsoftheirpeoplesandhavereceivedthanksandpraisefortheirbeneficence。Butthetruthisthattheirworkwasatthesametimeagreatactofjustice。
Addition:Thelegalprofession,possessedofaspecialknowledgeofthelaw,oftenclaimsthisknowledgeasitsmonopolyandrefusestoallowanylaymantodiscussthesubject。PhysicistssimilarlyhavetakenamissGoethe”stheoryaboutcoloursbecausehedidnotbelongtotheircraftandwasapoetintothebargain。Butwedonotneedtobeshoemakerstoknowifourshoesfit,andjustaslittlehaveweanyneedtobeprofessionalstoacquireknowledgeofmattersofuniversalinterest。Lawisconcernedwithfreedom,theworthiestandholiestthinginman,thethingmanmustknowifitistohaveobligatoryforceforhim。
§216。
Forapubliclegalcode,simplegenerallawsarerequired,andyetthenatureofthefinitematerialtowhichlawisappliedleadstothefurtherdeterminingofgenerallawsadinfinitum。Ontheonehand,thelawoughttobeacomprehensivewhole,closedandcomplete;andyet,ontheotherhand,theneedforfurtherdeterminationsiscontinual。Butsincethisantinomyarisesonlywhenuniversalprinciples,whichremainfixedandunchanged,areappliedtoparticulartypesofcase,therighttoacompletelegalcoderemainsunimpaired,liketherightthatthesesimplegeneralprinciplesshouldbecapableofbeinglaiddownandunderstoodapartandindistinctionfromtheirapplicationtosuchparticulartypes。
Remark:Afruitfulsourceofcomplexityinlegislationisthegradualintrusionofreason,ofwhatisinherentlyandactuallyright,intoprimitiveinstitutionswhichhavesomethingwrongattheirrootsandsoarepurelyhistoricalsurvivals。ThisoccurredinRomanlaw,aswasremarkedaboveseeRemarkto§180,inmedievalfeudallaw,&c。Itisessentialtonotice,however,thattheverynatureofthefinitematerialtowhichlawisappliednecessarilyentailsaninfiniteprogressintheapplicationtoitofprinciplesuniversalinthemselvesandinherentlyandactuallyrational。
Itismisunderstandingwhichhasgivenrisealiketothedemand—amorbidcravingofGermanscholarschiefly—thatalegalcodeshouldbesomethingabsolutelycomplete,incapableofanyfreshdeterminationindetail,andalsototheargumentthatbecauseacodeisincapableofsuchcompletion,thereforeweoughtnottoproducesomething‘incomplete”,i。e。weoughtnottoproduceacodeatall。Themisunderstandingrestsinbothcasesonamisconceptionofthenatureofafinitesubject-matterlikeprivatelaw,whoseso-called‘completeness”isaperennialapproximationtocompleteness,onamisconceptionofthedifferencesbetweentheuniversalofreasonandtheuniversaloftheUnderstanding,andalsointheapplicationofthelattertothematerialoffinitudeandatomicitywhichgoesonforever。—LeplusgrandennemiduBien,c”estleMeilleuristheutteranceoftruecommonsenseagainstthecommonsenseofidleargumentationandabstractreflection。
Addition:Completenessmeanstheexhaustivecollectionofeverysinglething,pertainingtoagivenfield,andnoscienceorbranchofknowledgecanbecompleteinthissense。Now。ifwesaythatphilosophyoranyoneofthesciencesisincomplete,wearenotfarfromholdingthatwemustwaituntilthedeficiencyismadeup,sincethebestpartmaystillbewanting。Buttakeupthisattitudeandadvanceisimpossible,eitheringeometry,whichseemstobeaclosedsciencealthoughnewpropositionsdoarise,orinphilosophy,whichisalwayscapableoffreshnessindetaileventhoughitssubjectistheuniversalIdea。Inthepast,theuniversallawalwaysconsistedofthetencommandments;nowwecanseeatoncethatnottolaydownthelaw‘Thoushaltnotkill”,onthegroundthatalegalcodecannotbecomplete,isanobviousabsurdity。Anycodecouldbestillbetter—noeffortofreflectionisrequiredtojustifythisaffirmation;wecanthinkofthebest,finest,andnoblestasstillbetter,finer,andnobler。Butabigoldtreeputsforthmoreandmorebrancheswithouttherebybecominganewtree;thoughitwouldbesillytorefusetoplantatreeatallsimplybecauseitmightproducenewbranches。
§217。
Theprincipleofrightnesspassesoverincivilsocietyintolaw。Myindividualright,whoseembodimenthashithertobeenimmediateandabstract,nowsimilarlybecomesembodiedintheexistentwillandknowledgeofeveryone,inthesensethatitbecomesrecognised。Hencepropertyacquisitionsandtransfersmustnowbeundertakenandconcludedonlyintheformwhichthatembodimentgivestothem。Incivilsociety,propertyrestsoncontractandontheformalitieswhichmakeownershipcapableofproofandvalidinlaw。
Remark:Original,i。e。direct,titlesandmeansofacquisitionsee§§54ff。aresimplydiscardedincivilsocietyandappearonlyasisolatedaccidentsorassubordinatedfactorsofpropertytransactions。Itiseitherfeeling,refusingtomovebeyondthesubjective,orreflection,clingingtoitsabstractessences,whichcastsformalitiesaside,whilethedry-as-dustUnderstandingmayforitspartclingtoformalitiesinsteadoftherealthingandmultiplythemindefinitely。
Apartfromthis,however,themarchofmentaldevelopmentisthelongandhardstruggletofreeacontentfromitssensuousandimmediateform,endowitwithitsappropriateformofthought,andtherebygiveitsimpleandadequateexpression。Itisbecausethisisthecasethatwhenthedevelopmentoflawisjustbeginning,ceremoniesandformalitiesaremorecircumstantialandcountratherasthethingitselfthanasitssymbol。ThuseveninRomanlaw,anumberofformsandespeciallyphraseswereretainedfromold-fashionedceremonialusages,insteadofbeingreplacedbyintelligibleformsandphrasesadequatelyexpressingthem。
Addition:Lawandtherightareidenticalinthesensethatwhatisimplicitlyrightispositedinthelaw。Ipossesssomething,ownaproperty,whichIoccupiedwhenitwasownerless。Thispossessionmustnowfurtherberecognisedandpositedasmine。Henceincivilsocietyformalitiesariseinconnectionwithproperty。Boundarystonesareerectedasasymbolforotherstorecognise。Entriesaremadeinmortgageandpropertyregisters。Mostpropertyincivilsocietyisheldoncontract,andcontractualformsarefixedanddeterminate。Nowwemayhaveanantipathytoformalitiesofthiskindandwemaysupposethattheyonlyexisttobringinmoneytotheauthorities;wemayevenregardthemassomethingoffensiveandasignofmistrustbecausetheyimpairthevalidityofthesaying:‘Amanisasgoodashisword。”Buttheformalityisessentialbecausewhatisinherentlyrightmustalsobepositedasright。Mywillisarationalwill;ithasvalidity,anditsvalidityshouldberecognisedbyothers。Atthispoint,then,mysubjectivityandthatofothersmustbesetasideandthewillmustachievethesecurity,stability,andobjectivitywhichcanbeattainedonlythroughsuchformalities。
§218。
Sincepropertyandpersonalityhavelegalrecognitionandvalidityincivilsociety,wrongdoingnowbecomesaninfringement,notmerelyofwhatissubjectivelyinfinite,butoftheuniversalthingwhichisexistentwithinherentstabilityandstrength。Henceanewattitudearises:theactionisseenasadangertosocietyandtherebythemagnitudeofthewrongdoingisincreased。Ontheotherhand,however,thefactthatsocietyhasbecomestrongandsureofitselfdiminishestheexternalimportanceoftheinjuryandsoleadstoamitigationofitspunishment。
Remark:Thefactthataninjurytoonememberofsocietyisaninjurytoallothersdoesnotaltertheconceptionofwrongdoing,butitdoesalteritinrespectofitsoutwardexistenceasaninjurydone,aninjurywhichnowaffectsthemindandconsciousnessofcivilsocietyasawhole,notmerelytheexternalembodimentofthepersondirectlyinjured。Inheroictimes,asweseeinthetragedyoftheancients,thecitizensdidnotfeelthemselvesinjuredbywrongswhichmembersoftheroyalhousesdidtooneanother。
Implicitly,crimeisaninfinite,injury;butasanexistentfactitmustbemeasuredinquantityandqualitysee§96,andsinceitsfieldofexistenceherehastheessentialcharacterofaffectinganideaandconsciousnessofthevalidityofthelaws,itsdangertocivilsocietyisadeterminantofthemagnitudeofacrime,orevenoneofitsqualitativecharacteristics。
Nowthisqualityormagnitudevarieswiththestateofcivilsociety;andthisisthejustificationforsometimesattachingthepenaltyofdeathtoatheftofafewpenceoraturnip,andatothertimesalightpenaltytoatheftofahundredormoretimesthatamount。Ifweconsideritsdangertosociety,thisseemsatfirstsighttoaggravatethecrime;butinfactitisjustthiswhichhasbeentheprimecauseofthemitigationofitspunishment。Apenalcode,then,isprimarilythechildofitsageandthestateofcivilsocietyatthetime。
Addition:Itseemstobeacontradictionthatacrimecommittedinsocietyappearsmoreheinousandyetispunishedmoreleniently。Butwhileitwouldbeimpossibleforsocietytoleaveacrimeunpunished,sincethatwouldbetoposititasright,stillsincesocietyissureofitself,acrimemustalwaysbesomethingidiosyncraticincomparison,somethingunstableandexceptional。Theverystabilityofsocietygivesacrimethestatusofsomethingpurelysubjectivewhichseemstobetheproductratherofnaturalimpulsethanofaprudentwill。Inthislight,crimeacquiresamilderstatus,andforthisreasonitspunishmenttoobecomesmilder。Ifsocietyisstillinternallyweak,thenanexamplemustbemadebyinflictingpunishments,sincepunishmentisitselfanexampleoveragainsttheexampleofcrime。Butinasocietywhichisinternallystrong,thecommissionofcrimeissomethingsofeeblethatitsannulmentmustbecommensurablewithitsfeebleness。Harshpunishments,therefore,arenotunjustinandbythemselves;theyarerelatedtocontemporaryconditions。Acriminalcodecannotholdgoodforalltime,andcrimesareonlyshowsofrealitywhichmaydrawonthemselvesagreaterorlesserdegreeofdisavowal。
cTheCourtofJustice§219。
Bytakingtheformoflaw,rightstepsintoadeterminatemodeofbeing。Itisthensomethingonitsownaccount,andincontrastwithparticularwillingandopiningoftheright,itisself-subsistentandhastovindicateitselfassomethinguniversal。,Thisisachievedbyrecognisingitandmakingitactualinaparticularcasewithoutthesubjectivefeelingofprivateinterest;andthisisthebusinessofapublicauthority—thecourtofjustice。
Remark:Thehistoricaloriginofthejudgeandhiscourtmayhavehadtheformofapatriarch”sgifttohispeopleorofforceorfreechoice;butthismakesnodifferencetotheconceptofthething。ToregardtheintroductionofalegalsystemasnomorethananoptionalactofgraceorfavouronthepartofmonarchsandgovernmentsasHerrvonHallerdoesinhisRestaurationderStaatswissenschaftisapieceofthemerethoughtlessnesswhichhasnoinklingofthepointatissueinadiscussionoflawandthestate。Thepointisthatlegalandpoliticalinstitutionsarerationalinprincipleandthereforeabsolutelynecessary,andthequestionoftheforminwhichtheyaroseorwereintroducedisentirelyirrelevanttoaconsiderationoftheirrationalbasis。
AttheotherextremefromHerrvonHaller”spointofviewisthebarbarousnationthattheadministrationofjusticeisnow,asitwasinthedayswhenmightwasright,animproperexerciseofforce,asuppressionoffreedom,andadespotism。Theadministrationofjusticemustberegardedasthefulfilmentofadutybythepublicauthority,nolessthanastheexerciseofaright;
andsofarasitisaright,itdoesnotdependuponanoptionaldelegationtooneauthoritybytheindividualmembersofsociety。
§220。
Whentherightagainstcrimehastheformofrevengesee§102,itisonlyrightimplicit,notrightintheformofright,i。e。noactofrevengeisjustified。Insteadoftheinjuredparty,theinjureduniversalnowcomesonthescene,andthishasitsproperactualityinthecourtoflaw。Ittakesoverthepursuitandtheavengingofcrime,andthispursuitconsequentlyceasestobethesubjectiveandcontingentretributionofrevengeandistransformedintothegenuinereconciliationofrightwithitself,i。e。intopunishment。Objectively,thisisthereconciliationofthelawwithitself;bytheannulmentofthecrime,thelawisrestoredanditsauthorityistherebyactualised。Subjectively,itisthereconciliationofthecriminalwithhimself,i。e。withthelawknownbyhimashisownandasvalidforhimandhisprotection;whenthislawisexecuteduponhim,hehimselffindsinthisprocessthesatisfactionofjusticeandnothingsavehisownact。
§221。
Amemberofcivilsocietyhastherightinjudiciostareand,correspondingly,thedutyofacknowledgingthejurisdictionofthecourtandacceptingitsdecisionasfinalwhenhisownrightsareindispute。
Addition:Sinceanyindividualhastherightinjudiciostare,hemustalsoknowwhatthelawisorotherwisethisprivilegewouldbeuselesstohim。Butitisalsohisdutytostandhistrial。Underthefeudalsystem,thenoblesoftenrefusedtostandtheirtrial。Theydefiedthecourtandallegedthatthecourtwaswrongtodemandtheirappearance。Feudalconditions,however,contravenedtheveryideaofacourt。Nowadaysmonarchshavetorecognisethejurisdictionofthecourtintheirprivateaffairs,andinfreestatestheycommonlylosetheircase。
§222。
Incourtthespecificcharacterwhichrightnessacquiresisthatitmustbedemonstrable。Whenpartiesgotolaw,theyareputinthepositionofhavingtomakegoodtheirevidenceandtheirclaimsandtomakethejudgeacquaintedwiththefacts。Thesestepsinalegalprocessarethemselvesrights,andtheircoursemustthereforebefixedbylaw。Theyalsoconstituteanessentialpartofjurisprudence。
Addition:Amanmaybeindignantifarightwhichheknowshehasisrefusedhimbecausehecannotproveit。ButifIhavearight,itmustatthesametimebearightpositedinlaw。Imustbeabletoexplainandproveit,anditsvaliditycanonlyberecognisedinsocietyifitsrightnessinprincipleisalsomadeapositedrightnessinlaw。
§223。
Thesestepsinalegalprocessaresubdividedcontinuallywithinnofixedlimitsintomoreandmoreactions,eachbeingdistinctinitselfandaright。Hencealegalprocess,in,itselfinanycaseameans,nowbeginstobesomethingexternaltoitsendandcontrastedwithit。Thislongcourseofformalitiesisarightofthepartiesatlawandtheyhavetherighttotraverseitfrombeginningtoend。Still,itmaybeturnedintoanevil,andevenaninstrumentofwrong,andforthisreasonitisbylawmadethedutyofthepartiestosubmitthemselvestothesimpleprocessofarbitrationbeforeatribunalofarbitratorsandtotheattempttoreconciletheirdifferencesoutofcourt,inorderthatthey—andrightitself,asthesubstanceofthethingandsothethingreallyatissuemaybeprotectedagainstlegalprocessesandtheirmisuse。
Remark:Equityinvolvesadeparturefromformalrightsowingtomoralorotherconsiderationsandisconcernedprimarilywiththecontentofthelawsuit。Acourtofequity,however,comestomeanacourtwhichdecidesinasinglecasewithoutinsistingontheformalitiesofalegalprocessor,inparticular,ontheobjectiveevidencewhichtheletterofthelawmayrequire。Further,itdecidesonthemeritsofthesinglecaseasauniqueone,notwithaviewtodisposingofitinsuchawayastocreateabindinglegalprecedentforthefuture。
§224。
Amongsttherightsofthesubjectiveconsciousnessarenotonlythepublicationofthelawssee§215butalsothepossibilityofascertainingtheactualisationofthelawinaparticularcasethecourseoftheproceedings,thelegalargument,&c。
—i。e。thepublicityofjudicialproceedings。Thereasonforthisisthatatrialisimplicitlyaneventofuniversalvalidity,andalthoughtheparticularcontentoftheactionaffectstheinterestsofthepartiesalone,itsuniversalcontent,i。e。therightatissueandthejudgmentthereon,affectstheinterestsofeverybody。
Remark:Ifthemembersofthebenchdeliberateamongstthemselvesaboutthejudgmentwhichtheyaretodeliver,suchdeliberationsexpressopinionsandviewsstillpersonalandsonaturallyarenotpublic。
Addition:Itisstraightforwardcommonsensetoholdthatthepublicityoflegalproceedingsisrightandjust。Astrongreasonagainstsuchpublicityhasalwaysbeentherankofjustices;theyareunwillingtositinpublicandtheyregardthemselvesasasanctuaryoflawwhichlaymenarenottoenter。Butanintegralpartofjusticeistheconfidencewhichcitizenshaveinit,anditisthiswhichrequiresthatproceedingsshallbepublic。Therightofpublicitydependsonthefactthatitheaimofthecourtisjustice,whichasuniversalfallsunderthecognisanceofeveryone,andiiitisthroughpublicitythatthecitizensbecomeconvincedthatthejudgmentwasactuallyjust。
§225。
Bythejudgmentofthecourt,thelawisappliedtoasinglecase,andtheworkofjudgmenthastwodistinctaspects:first,ascertainmentofthenatureofthecaseasaunique,single,occurrencee。g。whetheracontract,&c。,&c。,hasbeenmade,whetheratrespasshasbeencommitted,andifsobywhomand,incriminalcases,reflectiontodeterminetheessential,criminal,—characterofthedeedseeRemarkto§119;secondly,thesubsumptionofthecaseunderthelawthatrightmustberestored。Punishmentincriminalcasesisaconceptionfallingunderthislaw。Decisionsonthesetwodifferentaspectsaregivenbydifferentfunctionaries。
Remark:IntheRomanjudicialsystem,thisdistinctionoffunctionsappearedinthatthePraetorpronouncedjudgmentontheassumptionthatthefactsweresoandso,andthenappointedaspecialjudextoinquireintothefacts。
InEnglishlaw,itislefttotheinsightoroptionoftheprosecutortodeterminetheprecisecharacterofacriminalacte。g。whetheritismurderormanslaughterandthecourtispowerlesstoaltertheindictmentifitfindstheprosecutor”schoicewrong。
§226。
First,theconductoftheentireprocessofinquiry,secondly,thedetailedstagesoftheactionbetweenthepartiesthesestagesthemselvesbeingrights—see§222,andthenalsothesecondoftheaspectsoftheworkofjudgmentmentionedinthepreviousParagraph,areallataskwhichproperlybelongstothejudgeatlaw。Heistheorganofthelaw,andthecasemustbe‘preparedforhiminsuchawayastomakepossibleitssubsumptionfoundersomeprinciple;thatistosay,itmustbestrippedofits。apparent,empirical,characterandexaltedintoarecognisedfactofageneraltype。
§227。
Thefirstaspectoftheworkofjudgment,i。e。theknowledgeofthefactsofthecaseasaunique,single,occurrence,andthedescriptionofitsgeneralcharacter,involvesinitselfnopronouncementonpointsoflaw。Thisisknowledgeattainablebyanyeducatedman。Insettlingthecharacterofanaction,thesubjectivemoment,i。e。theagent”sinsightandintentionseetheSecondPart,istheessentialthing;andapartfromthis,theproofdependsnotonobjectsofreasonorabstractionsoftheUnderstanding,butonlyonsingledetailsandcircumstances,objectsofsensuousintuitionandsubjectivecertainty,andthereforedoesnotcontaininitselfanyabsolute,objective,probativefactor。Itfollowsthatjudgmentonthefactsliesinthelastresortwithsubjectiveconvictionandconscienceanimisententia,whiletheproof,restingasitdoesonthestatementsandaffidavitsofothers,receivesitsfinalthoughpurelysubjectiveverificationfromtheoath。
Remark:Inthismatteritisofthefirstimportancetofixoureyesonthetypeofproofhereinquestionandtodistinguishitfromknowledgeandproofofanothersort。Toestablishbyproofarationalcategory,liketheconceptofrightitself,meanstoapprehenditsnecessity,andsodemandsamethodotherthanthatrequisitefortheproofofageometricaltheorem。Further,inthislattercase,thefigureisdeterminedbytheUnderstandingandmadeabstractinadvanceaccordingtoarule。Butinthecaseofsomethingempiricalincontent,likeafact,thematerialofknowledgeisagivensensuousintuitionandsubjectivesense-certainty,andstatementsandaffidavitsaboutsuchmaterial。Itisthenaquestionofdrawingconclusionsandputtingtwoandtwotogetheroutofdepositionsofthatkind,attestationsandotherdetails,&c。Theobjectivetruthwhichemergesfrommaterialofthiskindandthemethodappropriatetoitleads,whenattemptsaremadetodetermineitrigidlyandobjectively,tohalf-proofsandthen,byfurthersinceredeductionsfromthese—deductionswhichatthesametimeinvolveformalillogicality—toextraordinarypunishments。”ButsuchobjectivetruthmeanssomethingquitedifferentfromthetruthofarationalcategoryorapropositionwhosecontenttheUnderstandinghasdeterminedforitselfabstractlyinadvance。Toshowthat,sincethestrictlylegalcharacterofacourtcoverscompetencetoascertainthissortoftruthaboutempiricalevents,ittherebyproperlyqualifiesacourtforthistaskandsogivesitaninherentexclusiverighttoperformitandlaysonitthenecessityofperformingit—thatisthebestapproachtosettlingthequestionofhowfardecisionsonpointsoffact,aswellasonpointsoflaw,shouldbeascribedtocourtsasstrictlyjuristicbodies。
Addition:Nogroundscanbeadducedforsupposingthatthejudge,i。e。thelegalexpert,shouldbetheonlypersontoestablishhowthefactslie,forabilitytodosodependsongeneral,notonpurelylegal,education。Determinationofthefactsofthecasedependsonempiricaldetails,ondepositionsaboutwhathappened,andonsimilarperceptualdata,oragainonfactsfromwhichinferencescanbedrawnaboutthedeedinquestionandwhichmakeitprobableorimprobable。
Herethen,itisanassurancewhichshouldberequired,nottruthinthehighersenseinwhichitisalwayssomethingeternal。Heresuchassuranceissubjectiveconviction,orconscience,andtheproblemis:Whatformshouldthisassurancetakeinacourtoflaw?Thedemand,commonlymadeinGermanlaw,thatacriminalshouldconfesshisguilt,hasthistobesaidforit,thattherightofself-consciousnesstherebyattainsameasureofsatisfaction;consciousnessmustchimeinwiththejudge”ssentence,anditisonlywhenthecriminalhasconfessedthatthejudgmentlosesitsaliencharactersofarasheisconcerned。Butadifficultyariseshere,becausethecriminalmaylie,andtheinterestofjusticemaybejeopardised。If,ontheotherhand,thesubjectiveconvictionofthejudgeistoholdgood,somehardshipisoncemoreinvolved,becausetheaccusedisnolongerbeingtreatedasafreeman。Nowthemiddletermbetweentheseextremesistrialbyjury,whichmeetsthedemandthatthedeclarationofguiltorinnocenceshallspringfromthesouloftheaccused。
§228。
Whenjudgmentispronounced—sofarasthefunctionofjudgmentisthesubsumptionunderthelawofthecasewhosenaturehasbeensettled—therightduetothepartiesonthescoreoftheirself-consciousnessispreservedinrelationtothelawbecausethelawisknownandsoisthelawofthepartiesthemselves,andinrelationtothesubsumption,becausethetrialispublic。Butwhenaverdictisgivenontheparticular,subjective,andexternalfactsofthecaseknowledgeofwhichfallsunderthefirstoftheaspectsdescribedin§225,thisrightissatisfiedbytheconfidencewhichthepartiesfeelinthesubjectivityofthosewhogivetheverdict。Thisconfidenceisbasedprimarilyonthesimilaritybetweenthemandthepartiesinrespectoftheirparticularity,i。e。theirsocialposition,&c。
Remark:Therightofself-consciousness,themomentofsubjectivefreedom,mayberegardedasthefundamentalthingtokeepbeforeusinconsideringthenecessityforpublicityinlegalproceedingsandfortheso-calledjury-courts,andthisinthelastresortistheessenceofwhatevermaybeadvancedinfavouroftheseinstitutionsonthescoreoftheirutility。Otherpointsofviewandreasoningabouttheirseveraladvantagesanddisadvantagesmaygiverisetoanargumentativeexchange,butreasoningofthiskind,likealldeductivereasoning,iseithersecondaryandinconclusive,orelsedrawnfromotherandperhapshigherspheresthanthatofadvantage。Itmaybethecasethatiftheadministrationofjusticewereentirelyinthehandsofprofessionallawyers,andtherewerenolayinstitutionslikejuries,itwouldintheorybemanagedjustaswell,ifnotbetter。Itmaybeso,butevenifthispossibilityrisesbygeneralconsenttoprobability,orevencertainty,itstilldoesnotmatter,forontheothersidethereisalwaystherightofself-consciousness,insistingonitsclaimsanddissatisfiediflaymenplaynopart。
Owingtothecharacteroftheentirebodyofthelaws,knowledgebothofwhatisrightandalsoofthecourseoflegalproceedingsmaybecome,togetherwiththecapacitytoprosecuteanactionatlaw,thepropertyofaclasswhichmakesitselfanexclusivecliquebytheuseofaterminologylikeaforeigntonguetothosewhoserightsareatissue。Ifthishappens,themembersofcivilsociety,whodependfortheirlivelihoodontheirindustry,ontheirownknowledgeandwill,arekeptstrangerstothelaw,notonlytothosepartsofitaffectingtheirmostpersonalandintimateaffairs,butalsotoitssubstantiveandrationalbasis,therigitself,andtheresultisthattheybecomethewards,oreveninasensethebondsmen,ofthelegalprofession。Theymayindeedhavetherighttoappearincourtinpersonandto‘stand”thereinjudiciostare,buttheirbodilypresenceisatrifleiftheirmindsarenottobetherealso,iftheyarenottofollowtheproceedingswiththeirownknowledge,andifthejusticetheyreceiveremainsintheireyesadoompronouncedabextra。
§229。
Incivilsociety,theIdeaislostinparticularityandhasfallenasunderwiththeseparationofinwardandoutward。Intheadministrationofjustice,however,civilsocietyreturnstoitsconcept,totheunityoftheimplicituniversalwiththesubjectiveparticular,althoughherethelatterisonlythatpresentinsinglecasesandtheuniversalityinquestionisthatofabstractright。TheactualisationofthisunitythroughitsextensiontothewholeambitofparticularityisithespecificfunctionofthePolice,thoughtheunificationwhichiteffectsisonlyrelative;iiitistheCorporationwhichactualisestheunitycompletely,thoughonlyinawholewhich,whileconcrete,isrestricted。
Addition:Incivilsociety,universalityisnecessityonly。Whenwearedealingwithhumanneeds,itisonlyrightassuchwhichissteadfast。Butthisright—onlyarestrictedsphere—hasabearingsimplyontheprotectionofproperty;welfareissomethingexternaltorightassuch。Thiswelfare,however,isanessentialendinthesystemofneeds。Hencetheuniversal,whichinthefirstinstanceistherightonly,hastobeextendedoverthewholefieldofparticularity。Justiceisabigthingincivilsociety。Givengoodlaws,astatecanflourish,andfreedomofpropertyisafundamentalconditionofitsprosperity。Still,sinceIaminextricablyinvolvedinparticularity,Ihavearighttoclaimthatinthisassociationwithotherparticulars,myparticularwelfaretooshallbepromoted。
Regardshouldhepaidtomywelfare,tomyparticularinterest,andthisisdonethroughthepoliceandtheCorporation。
C。ThePublicAuthoritiesa:Policeb:Corporation§230。
Inthesystemofneeds,thelivelihoodandwelfareofeverysinglepersonisapossibilitywhoseactualattainmentisjustasmuchconditionedbyhiscapricesandparticularendowmentasbytheobjectivesystemofneeds。Throughtheadministrationofjustice,offencesagainstpropertyorpersonalityareannulled。
Buttherightactuallypresentintheparticularrequires,first,thataccidentalhindrancestooneaimoranotherberemoved,andundisturbedsafetyofpersonandpropertybeattained;andsecondly,thatthesecuringofeverysingleperson”slivelihoodandwelfarebetreatedandactualisedasaright,i。e。thatparticularwelfareassuchbesotreated。
aPolice[orthepublicauthority]
§231。
Inasmuchasitisstilltheparticularwillwhichgovernsthechoiceofthisorthatend,theuniversalauthoritybywhichsecurityisensuredremainsinthefirstinstance,arestrictedtothesphereofcontingencies,andbanexternalorganisation。
§232。
Crimeiscontingencyassubjectivewillingofevil,andthisiswhattheuniversalauthoritymustpreventorbringtojustice。But,crimeapart,thesubjectivewillingwhichispermissibleinactionslawfulperseandintheprivateuseofproperty,alsocomesintoexternalrelationwithothersinglepersons,aswellaswithpublicinstitutions,otherthanlaw-courts,establishedforrealisingacommonend。Thisuniversalaspectmakesprivateactionsamatterofcontingencywhichescapestheagent”scontrolandwhicheitherdoesormayinjureothersandwrongthem。
§233。
Thereishereonlyapossibilityofinjury;buttheactualnon-occurrenceofinjuryisatthisstagenotjustanothercontingency。Thepointisthattheactionsofindividualsmayalwaysbewrongful,andthisistheultimatereasonforpolicecontrolandpenaljustice。
§234。
TherelationsbetweenexternalexistentsfallintotheinfiniteoftheUnderstanding;
thereis,therefore,noinherentlineofdistinctionbetweenwhatisandwhatisnotinjurious,evenwherecrimeisconcerned,orbetweenwhatisandwhatisnotsuspicious,orbetweenwhatistobeforbiddenorsubjectedtosupervisionandwhatistobeexemptfromprohibition,fromsurveillanceandsuspicion,frominquiryandthedemandtorenderanaccountofitself。Thesedetailsaredeterminedbycustom,thespiritoftherestoftheconstitution,contemporaryconditions,thecrisisofthehour,andsoforth。
Addition:Herenothinghardandfastcanbelaiddownandnoabsolutelinescanbedrawn。
Everythinghereispersonal;subjectiveopinionentersin,andthespiritoftheconstitutionandthecrisisofthedayhavetoprovideprecisionofdetail。Intimeofwar,forinstance,manyathing,harmlessatothertimes,hastoberegardedasharmful。Asaresultofthispresenceofaccident,ofpersonalarbitrariness,thepublicauthorityacquiresameasureofodium。Whenreflectivethinkingisveryhighlydeveloped,thepublicauthoritymaytendtodrawintoitsorbiteverythingitpossiblycan,forineverythingsomefactormaybefoundwhichmightmakeitdangerousinoneofitsbearings。Insuchcircumstances,thepublicauthoritymaysettoworkverypedanticallyandembarrasstheday-to-daylifeofpeople。Buthowevergreatthisannoyance,noobjectivelinecanbedrawnhereeither。
§235。
Intheindefinitemultiplicationandinterconnectionofday-to-dayneeds,atheacquisitionandexchangeofthemeanstotheirsatisfactions—satisfactionwhicheveryoneconfidentlyexpectstobepossibleofattainmentwithouthindrance,andbtheendeavoursmadeandthetransactionscarriedoutinordertoshortentheprocessofattainmentasmuchaspossible,giverisetofactorswhichareacommoninterest,andwhenonemanoccupieshimselfwiththesehislabourisatthesametimedoneforall。Thesituationisproductivetooofcontrivancesandorganisationswhichmaybeofusetothecommunityasawhole。Theseuniversalactivitiesandorganisationsofgeneralutilitycallfortheoversightandcareofthepublicauthority。
§236。
Thedifferinginterestsofproducersandconsumersmaycomeintocollisionwitheachother;andalthoughafairbalancebetweenthemonthewholemaybebroughtaboutautomatically,stilltheiradjustmentalsorequiresacontrolwhichstandsabovebothandisconsciouslyundertaken。Therighttotheexerciseofsuchcontrolinasinglecasee。g。inthefixingofthepricesofthecommonestnecessariesoflifedependsonthefactthat,bybeingpubliclyexposedforsale,goodsinabsolutelyuniversaldailydemandareofferednotsomuchtoanindividualassuchbutrathertoauniversalpurchaser,thepublic;andthusboththedefenceofthepublic”srightnottobedefrauded,andalsothemanagementofgoodsinspection,maylie,asacommonconcern,withapublicauthority。Butpubliccareanddirectionaremostofallnecessaryinthecaseofthelargerbranchesofindustry,becausethesearedependentonconditionsabroadandoncombinationsofdistantcircumstanceswhichcannotbegraspedasawholebytheindividualstiedtotheseindustriesfortheirliving。
Remark:Attheotherextremetofreedomoftradeandcommerceincivilsocietyispublicorganisationtoprovideforeverythinganddetermineeveryone”slabour—takeforexampleinancienttimesthelabouronthepyramidsandtheotherhugemonumentsinEgyptandAsiawhichwereconstructedforpublicends,andtheworker”staskwasnotmediatedthroughhisprivatechoiceandparticularinterest。Thisinterestinvokesfreedomoftradeandcommerceagainstcontrolfromabove;butthemoreblindlyitsinksintoself-seekingaims,themoreitrequiressuchcontroltobringitbacktotheuniversal。Controlisalsonecessarytodiminishthedangerofupheavalsarisingfromclashinginterestsandtoabbreviatetheperiodinwhichtheirtensionshouldbeeasedthroughtheworkingofanecessityofwhichtheythemselvesknownothing。
Addition:Theoversightandcareexercisedbythepublicauthorityaimsatbeingamiddletermbetweenanindividualandtheuniversalpossibility,affordedbysociety,ofattainingindividualends。
Ithastoundertakestreet-lighting,bridge-building,thepricingofdailynecessaries,andthecareofpublichealth。Inthisconnection,twomainviewspredominateatthepresenttime。Oneassertsthatthesuperintendenceofeverythingproperlybelongstothepublicauthority,theotherthatthepublicauthorityhasnothingatalltosettleherebecauseeveryonewilldirecthisconductaccordingtotheneedsofothers。Theindividualmusthavearighttoworkforhisbreadashepleases,butthepublicalsohasarighttoinsistthatessentialtasksshallbeproperlydone。Bothpointsofviewmustbesatisfied,andfreedomoftradeshouldnotbesuchastojeopardisethegeneralgood。
§237。
Nowwhilethepossibilityofsharinginthegeneralwealthisopentoindividualsandisassuredtothembythepublicauthority,stillitissubjecttocontingenciesonthesubjectivesidequiteapartfromthefactthatthisassurancemustremainincomplete,andthemoreitpresupposesskill,health,capital,andsoforthasitsconditions,themoreisitsosubject。
§238。
Originallythefamilyisthesubstantivewholewhosefunctionitistoprovidefortheindividualonhisparticularsidebygivinghimeitherthemeansandtheskillnecessarytoenablehimtoearnhislivingoutoftheresourcesofsociety,orelsesubsistenceandmaintenanceintheeventofhissufferingadisability。Butcivilsocietytearstheindividualfromhisfamilyties,estrangesthemembersofthefamilyfromoneanother,andrecognisesthemasself-subsistentpersons。Further,forthepaternalsoilandtheexternalinorganicresourcesofnaturefromwhichtheindividualformerlyderivedhislivelihood,itsubstitutesitsownsoilandsubjectsthepermanentexistenceofeventheentirefamilytodependenceonitselfandtocontingency。Thustheindividualbecomesasonofcivilsocietywhichhasasmanyclaimsuponhimashehasrightsagainstit。
Addition:Tobesure,thefamilyhastoprovidebreadforitsmembers,butincivilsocietythefamily”issomethingsubordinateandonlylaysthefoundations;itseffectiverangeisnolongersocomprehensive。Civilsocietyisratherthetremendouspowerwhichdrawsmenintoitselfandclaimsfromthemthattheyworkforit,oweeverythingtoit,anddoeverythingbyitsmeans。Ifmanistobeamemberofcivilsocietyinthissense,hehasrightsandclaimsagainstitjustashehadrightsandclaimsinthefamily。Civilsocietymustprotectitsmembersanddefendtheirrights,whileitsrightsimposedutiesoneveryoneofitsmembers。
§239。
Initscharacterasauniversalfamily,civilsocietyhastherightanddutyofsuperintendingandinfluencingeducation,inasmuchaseducationbearsuponthechild”scapacitytobecomeamemberofsociety。Society”srighthereisparamountoverthearbitraryandcontingentpreferencesofparents,particularlyincaseswhereeducationistobecompletednotbytheparentsbutbyothers。Tothesameend,societymustprovidepubliceducationalfacilitiessofarasispracticable。
Addition:Thelinewhichdemarcatestherightsofparentsfromthoseofcivilsocietyisveryhardtodrawhere。Parentsusuallysupposethatinthematterofeducationtheyhavecompletefreedomandmayarrangeeverythingastheylike。Thechiefoppositiontoanyformofpubliceducationusuallycomesfromparentsanditistheywhotalkandmakeanoutcryaboutteachersandschoolsbecausetheyhaveafaddishdislikeofthem。Nonetheless,societyhasarighttoactonprinciplestestedbyitsexperienceandtocompelparentstosendtheirchildrentoschool,tohavethemvaccinated,andsoforth。ThedisputesthathaveariseninFrancebetweentheadvocatesofstatesupervisionandthosewhodemandthateducationshallbefree,i。e。attheoptionoftheparents,arerelevanthere。
§240。
Similarly,societyhastherightanddutyofactingastrusteetothosewhoseextravagancedestroysthesecurityoftheirownsubsistenceortheirfamilies。Itmustsubstituteforextravagancethepursuitoftheendsofsocietyandtheindividualsconcerned。
Addition:TherewasanAthenianlawcompellingeverycitizentogiveanaccountofhissourceoflivelihoodsNowadayswetaketheviewthatthisisnobody”sbusinessbuthisown。Ofcourseeveryindividualisfromonepointofviewindependent,buthealsoplayshispartinthesystemofcivilsociety,andwhileeverymanhastherighttodemandsubsistencefromit,itmustatthesametimeprotecthimfromhimself。Itisnotsimplystarvationwhichisatissue;thefurtherendinviewistopreventtheformationofapauperisedrabble。Sincecivilsocietyisresponsibleforfeedingitsmembers,italsohastherighttopressthemtoprovidefortheirownlivelihood。
§241。
Notonlycaprice,however,butalsocontingencies,physicalconditions,andfactorsgroundedinexternalcircumstancessee§200mayreducementopoverty。Thepoorstillhavetheneedscommontocivilsociety,andyetsincesocietyhaswithdrawnfromthemthenaturalmeansofacquisitionsee§217
andbrokenthebondofthefamily—inthewidersenseoftheclansee§181
—theirpovertyleavesthemmoreorlessdeprivedofalltheadvantagesofsociety,oftheopportunityofacquiringskilloreducationofanykind,aswellasoftheadministrationofjustice,thepublichealthservices,andoftenevenoftheconsolationsofreligion,andsoforth。Thepublicauthoritytakestheplaceofthefamilywherethepoorareconcernedinrespectnotonlyoftheirimmediatewantbutalsooflazinessofdisposition,malignity,andtheotherviceswhichariseoutoftheirplightandtheirsenseofwrong。
§242。
Povertyand,ingeneral,thedistressofeverykindtowhicheveryindividualisexposedfromthestartinthecycleofhisnaturallifehasasubjectivesidewhichdemandssimilarlysubjectiveaid,arisingbothfromthespecialcircumstancesofaparticularcaseandalsofromloveandsympathy。Thisistheplacewheremoralityfindsplentytododespiteallpublicorganisation。Subjectiveaid,however,bothinitselfandinitsoperation,isdependentoncontingencyandconsequentlysocietystrugglestomakeitlessnecessary,bydiscoveringthegeneralcausesofpenuryandgeneralmeansofitsrelief,andbyorganisingreliefaccordingly。
Remark:Casualalmsgivingandcasualendowments,e。g。fortheburningoflampsbeforeholyimages,&c。,aresupplementedbypublicalmshouses,hospitals,street-lighting,andsoforth。Thereisstillquiteenoughleftoverandabovethesethingsforcharitytodoonitsownaccount。Afalseviewisimpliedbothwhencharityinsistsonhavingthispoor-reliefreservedsolelytoprivatesympathyandtheaccidentaloccurrenceofknowledgeandacharitabledisposition,andalsowhenitfeelsinjuredormortifiedbyuniversalregulationsandordinanceswhichareobligatory。Publicsocialconditionsareonthecontrarytoberegardedasallthemoreperfectthelessincomparisonwithwhatisarrangedpubliclyisleftforanindividualtodobyhimselfashisprivateinclinationdirects。
§243。
Whencivilsocietyisinastateofunimpededactivity,itisengagedinexpandinginternallyinpopulationandindustry。Theamassingofwealthisintensifiedbygeneralisingathelinkageofmenbytheirneeds,andbthemethodsofpreparinganddistributingthemeanstosatisfytheseneeds,becauseitisfromthisdoubleprocessofgeneralisationthatthelargestprofitsarederived。Thatisonesideofthepicture。Theothersideisthesubdivisionandrestrictionofparticularjobs。Thisresultsinthedependenceanddistressoftheclasstiedtoworkofthatsort,andtheseagainentailinabilitytofeelandenjoythebroaderfreedomsandespeciallytheintellectualbenefitsofcivilsociety。
§244。
Whenthestandardoflivingofalargemassofpeoplefallsbelowacertainsubsistencelevel—alevelregulatedautomaticallyastheonenecessaryforamemberofthesociety—andwhenthereisaconsequentlossofthesenseofrightandwrong,ofhonestyandtheself-respectwhichmakesamaninsistonmaintaininghimselfbyhisownworkandeffort,theresultisthecreationofarabbleofpaupers。Atthesametimethisbringswithit,attheotherendofthesocialscale,conditionswhichgreatlyfacilitatetheconcentrationofdisproportionatewealthinafewhands。
Addition:Thelowestsubsistencelevel,thatofarabbleofpaupers,isfixedautomatically,buttheminimumvariesconsiderablyindifferentcountries。InEngland,eventheverypoorestbelievethattheyhaverights;thisisdifferentfromwhatsatisfiesthepoorinothercountries。Povertyinitselfdoesnotmakemenintoarabble;arabbleiscreatedonlywhenthereisjoinedtopovertyadispositionofmind,aninnerindignationagainsttherich,againstsociety,againstthegovernment,&c。Afurtherconsequenceofthisattitudeisthatthroughtheirdependenceonchancemenbecomefrivolousandidle,liketheNeapolitanlazzaroniforexample。Inthiswaythereisbornintherabbletheeviloflackingself-respectenoughtosecuresubsistencebyitsownlabourandyetatthesametimeofclaimingtoreceivesubsistenceasitsright。Againstnaturemancanclaimnoright,butoncesocietyisestablished,povertyimmediatelytakestheformofawrongdonetooneclassbyanother。Theimportantquestionofhowpovertyistobeabolishedisoneofthemostdisturbingproblemswhichagitatemodemsociety。
§245。
Whenthemassesbegintodeclineintopoverty,atheburdenofmaintainingthemattheirordinarystandardoflivingmightbedirectlylaidonthewealthierclasses,ortheymightreceivethemeansoflivelihooddirectlyfromotherpublicsourcesofwealthe。g。fromtheendowmentsofrichhospitals,monasteries,andotherfoundations。Ineithercase,however,theneedywouldreceivesubsistencedirectly,notbymeansoftheirwork,andthiswouldviolatetheprincipleofcivilsocietyandthefeelingofindividualindependenceandself-respectinitsindividualmembers。bAsanalternative,theymightbegivensubsistenceindirectlythroughbeinggivenwork,i。e。theopportunitytowork。Inthiseventthevolumeofproductionwouldbeincreased,buttheevilconsistspreciselyinanexcessofproductionandinthelackofaproportionatenumberofconsumerswhoarethemselvesalsoproducers,andthusitissimplyintensifiedbybothofthemethodsaandbbywhichitissoughttoalleviateit。Ithencebecomesapparentthatdespiteanexcessofwealthcivilsocietyisnotrichenough,i。e。itsownresourcesareinsufficienttocheckexcessivepovertyandthecreationofapenuriousrabble。
Remark:IntheexampleofEnglandwemaystudythesephenomenaonalargescaleandalsoinparticulartheresultsofpoor-rates,immensefoundations,unlimitedprivatebeneficence,andabovealltheabolitionoftheGuildCorporations。InBritain,particularlyinScotland,themostdirectmeasureagainstpovertyandespeciallyagainstthelossofshameandself-respect—thesubjectivebasesofsociety—aswellasagainstlazinessandextravagance,&c。,thebegettersoftherabble,hasturnedouttobetoleavethepoortotheirfateandinstructthemtobeginthestreets。
§246。
Thisinnerdialecticofcivilsocietythusdrivesit—oratanyratedrivesaspecificcivilsociety—topushbeyonditsownlimitsandseekmarkets,andsoitsnecessarymeansofsubsistence,inotherlandswhichareeitherdeficientinthegoodsithasover-produced,orelsegenerallybackwardinindustry,&c。
§247。
Theprincipleoffamilylifeisdependenceonthesoil,onland,terrafirma。
Similarly,thenaturalelementforindustry,animatingitsoutwardmovement,isthesea。Sincethepassionforgaininvolvesrisk,industrythoughbentongainyetliftsitselfaboveit;insteadofremainingrootedtothesoilandthelimitedcircleofcivillifewithitspleasuresanddesires,itembracestheelementofflux,danger,anddestruction。Further,theseaisthegreatestmeansofcommunication,andtradebyseacreatescommercialconnectionsbetweendistantcountriesandsorelationsinvolvingcontractualrights。Atthesametime,commerceofthiskindisthemostpotentinstrumentofculture,andthroughittradeacquiresitssignificanceinthehistoryoftheworld。
Riversarenotnaturalboundariesofseparation,whichiswhatthey。havebeenaccountedtobeinmodemtimes。Onthecontrary,itistruertosaythatthey,andthesealikewise,linkmentogether。Horaceiswrongwhenhesays:
deusabsciditprudensOceanodissociabilitetras。
Remark:TheproofofthisliesnotmerelyinthefactthatthebasinsofriversareInhabitedbyasingleclanortribe,butalso,forexample,intheancientbondsbetweenGreece,Ionia,andMagnaGraecia,betweenBrittanyandBritain,betweenDenmarkandNorway,Sweden,Finland,Livonia,&c。,bonds,further,whichareespeciallystrikingincontrastwiththecomparativelyslightintercoursebetweentheinhabitantsofthelittoralandthoseofthehinterland。Torealisewhataninstrumentofcultureliesinthelinkwiththesea,considercountrieswhereindustryflourishesandcontrasttheirrelationtotheseawiththatofcountrieswhichhaveeschewedsea-faringandwhich,likeEgyptandIndia,havebecomestagnantandinthemostfrightfulandscandaloussuperstition。
Noticealsohow,allgreatprogressivepeoplespressonwardtothesea。
§248。
Thisfar-flungconnectinglinkaffordsthemeansforthecolonisingactivity—
sporadicorsystematic—towhichmaturecivilsocietyisdrivenandbywhichitsuppliestoapartofitspopulationareturntolifeonthefamilybasisinanewlandandsoalsosuppliesitselfwithanewdemandandfieldforitsindustryAddition:Civilsocietyisthusdriventofoundcolonies。Increaseofpopulationalonehasthiseffect,butitisdueinparticulartotheappearanceofanumberofpeoplewhocannotsecurethesatisfactionoftheirneedsbytheirownlabouronceproductionrisesabovetherequirementsofconsumers。SporadiccolonisationisparticularlycharacteristicofGermany。TheemigrantswithdrawtoAmericaorRussiaandremaintherewithnohometies,andsoproveuselesstotheirnativeland。Thesecondandentirelydifferenttypeofcolonisationisthesystematic;thestateundertakesit,isawareofthepropermethodofcarryingitoutandregulatesitaccordingly。Thistypewascommonamongsttheancients,particularlytheGreeks。HardworkwasnotthebusinessofthecitizensinGreece,sincetheirenergywasdirectedrathertopublicaffairs。Soifthepopulationincreasedtosuchanextentthattheremightbedifficultyinfeedingit,theyoungpeoplewouldbesentawaytoanewdistrict,sometimesspecificallychosen,sometimeslefttochancediscovery。Inmoderntimes,colonistshavenotbeenallowedthesamerightsasthoseleftathome,andtheresultofthissituationhasbeenwarsandfinallyindependence,asmaybeseeninthehistoryoftheEnglishandSpanishcolonies。Colonialindependenceprovestobeofthegreatestadvantagetothemothercountry,justastheemancipationofslavesturnsouttothegreatestadvantageoftheowners。
§249。
Whilethepublicauthoritymustalsoundertakethehigherdirectivefunctionofprovidingfortheinterestswhichleadbeyondthebordersofitssocietysee§
246,itsprimarypurposeistoactualiseandmaintaintheuniversalcontainedwithintheparticularityofcivilsociety,anditscontroltakestheformofanexternalsystemandorganisationfortheprotectionandsecurityofparticularendsandinterestsenmasse,inasmuchastheseinterestssubsistonlyinthisuniversal。
Thisuniversalisimmanentintheinterestsofparticularityitselfand,inaccordancewiththeIdea,particularitymakesittheendandobjectofitsownwillingandactivity。Inthiswayethicalprinciplescirclebackandappearincivilsocietyasafactorimmanentinit;thisconstitutesthespecificcharacteroftheCorporation。
bTheCorporation§250。
Invirtueofthesubstantialityofitsnaturalandfamilylife,theagriculturalclasshasdirectlywithinitselftheconcreteuniversalinwhichitlives。Theclassofcivilservantsisuniversalincharacterandsohastheuniversalexplicitlyasitsgroundandastheaimofitsactivity。Theclassbetweenthem,thebusinessclass,isessentiallyconcentratedontheparticular,andhenceitistoitthatCorporationsarespeciallyappropriate。
§251。
Thelabourorganisationofcivilsocietyissplit,inaccordancewiththenatureofitsparticulars,intodifferentbranches。Theimplicitlikenessofsuchparticularstooneanotherbecomesreallyexistentinanassociation,assomethingcommontoitsmembers。Henceaselfishpurpose,directedtowardsitsparticularself-interest,apprehendsandevincesitselfatthesametimeasuniversal;andamemberofcivilsocietyisinvirtueofhisownparticularskillamemberofaCorporation,whoseuniversalpurposeisthuswhollyconcreteandnowiderinscopethanthepurposeinvolvedinbusiness,itspropertaskandinterest。
§252。
Inaccordancewiththisdefinitionofitsfunctions,aCorporationhastheright,underthesurveillanceofthepublicauthority,atolookafteritsowninterestswithinitsownsphere,btoco-optmembers,qualifiedobjectivelybytherequisiteskillandrectitude,toanumberfixedbythegeneralstructureofsociety,ctoprotectitsmembersagainstparticularcontingencies,dtoprovidetheeducationrequisitetofitotherstobecomemembers。Inshort,itsrightistocomeonthescenelikeasecondfamilyforitsmembers,whilecivilsocietycanonlybeanindeterminatesortoffamilybecauseitcompriseseveryoneandsoisfartherremovedfromindividualsandtheirspecialexigencies。
Remark:TheCorporationmemberistobedistinguishedfromadaylabourerorfromamanwhoispreparedtoundertakecasualemploymentonasingleoccasion。Theformerwhois,orwillbecome,masterofhiscraft,isamemberoftheassociationnotforcasualgainonsingleoccasionsbutforthewholerange,theuniversality,ofhispersonallivelihood。
Privileges,inthesenseoftherightsofabranchofcivilsocietyorganisedintoaCorporation,aredistinctinmeaningfromprivileges-proper,intheetymologicalsense。Thelatterarecasualexceptionstoreversalrules;theformer,however,areonlythecrystallisation,asregulations,ofcharacteristicsinherentinanessentialbranchofsocietyitselfowingtoitsnatureasparticular。
§253。
IntheCorporation,thefamilyhasitsstablebasisinthesensethatitslivelihoodisassuredthere,conditionallyuponcapability,i。e。ithasastablecapitalsee§170
—Inaddition,hisnexusofcapabilityandlivelihoodisarecognisedfact,withheresultthattheCorporationmemberneedsnoexternalmarksbeyondhisownmembershipasevidenceofhisskillandhisregularincomeandsubsistence,i。e。asevidencethatheisasomebody。Itisalsorecognisedthathebelongstoawholewhichisitselfanorganoftheentiresociety,andthatheisactivelyconcernedinpromotingthecomparativelydisinterestedendofthiswhole。Thushecommandstherespectduetooneinhissocialposition。
Remark:TheinstitutionofCorporationscorresponds,onaccountofitsassuranceofcapital,totheintroductionofagricultureandprivatepropertyinanothersphereseeRemarkto§203。
Whencomplaintsaremadeabouttheluxuryofthebusinessclassestheirpassionforextravagance—whichhaveastheirconcomitantcreationofarabbleofpauperssee§244—wemustnotforgetthatbesidesitsothercausese。g。increasingmechanisationoflabourthisphenomenonhasanethicalground,aswasindicatedabove。UnlessheisamemberofanauthorisedCorporationanditisonlybybeingauthorisedthatanassociationbecomesaCorporation,anindividualiswithoutrankordignity,hisisolationreduceshisbusinesstoreself-seeking,andhislivelihoodandsatisfactionbecomeinsecure。Consequently,hehastotrytogainrecognitionforhimselfbygivingexternalproofsofsuccessinhisbusiness,andtotheseproofsnolimitscanbeset。Hecannotliveinthemannerofhisclass,fornoclassreallyexistsforhim,sinceincivilsocietyitisonlysomethingcommontoparticularpersonswhichreallyexists,i。e。somethinglegallyconstitutedandrecognised。
Hencehecannotachieveforhimselfawayoflifepropertohisclassandlessidiosyncratic。
WithintheCorporationthehelpwhichpovertyreceiveslosesitsaccidentalcharacterandthehumiliationwrongfullyassociatedwithit。Thewealthyperformtheirdutiestotheirfellowassociatesandthusrichesceasetoinspireeitherprideorenvy,prideintheirowners,envyinothers。Intheseconditionsrectitudeobtainsitsproperrecognitionandrespect。
§254。
Theso-called‘natural”rightofexercisingone”sskillandtherebyearningwhatthereistobeearnedisrestrictedwithintheCorporationonlyinsofarasitisthereinmaderationalinsteadofnatural。Thatistosay,itbecomesfreedfrompersonalopinionandcontingency,savedfromendangeringeithertheindividualworkmanorothers,recognised,guaranteed,andatthesametimeelevatedtoconsciouseffortforacommonend。
§255。
Asthefamilywasthefirst,sotheCorporationisthesecondethicalrootofthestate,theoneplantedincivilsociety。Theformercontainsthemomentsofsubjectiveparticularityandobjectiveuniversalityinasubstantialunity。Butthesemomentsaresunderedincivilsocietytobeginwith;ontheonesidethereistheparticularityofneedandsatisfaction,reflectedintoitself,andontheothersidetheuniversalityofabstractrights。IntheCorporationthesemomentsareunitedinaninwardfashion,sothatinthisunionparticularwelfareispresentasarightandisactualised。
Remark:ThesanctityofmarriageandthedignityofCorporationmembershiparethetwofixedpointsroundwhichtheunorganisedatomsofcivilsocietyrevolve。
Addition:TheconsiderationbehindtheabolitionofCorporationsinrecenttimesisthattheindividualshouldfendforhimself。Butwemaygrantthisandstillholdthatcorporationmembershipdoesnotalteraman”sobligationtoearnhisliving。Undermodempoliticalconditions,thecitizenshaveonlyarestrictedshareinthepublicbusinessofthestate,yetitisessentialtoprovidemen—
ethicalentities—withworkofapubliccharacteroverandabovetheirprivatebusiness。Thisworkofapubliccharacter,whichthemodernstatedoesnotalwaysprovide,isfoundintheCorporation。Wesawearlier[Additionto§184]thatinfendingforhimselfamemberofcivilsocietyisalsoworkingforothers。Butthisunconsciouscompulsionisnotenough;itisintheCorporationthatitfirstchangesintoaknownandthoughtfulethicalmodeoflife。OfcourseCorporationsmustfallunderthehighersurveillanceofthestate,becauseotherwisetheywouldossify,buildthemselvesin,anddeclineintoamiserablesystemofcastes。Inandbyitself,however,aCorporationisnotaclosedcaste;itspurposeisrathertobringanisolatedtradeintothesocialorderandelevateittoasphereinwhichitgainsstrengthandrespect。
§256。
TheendoftheCorporationisrestrictedandfinite,whilethepublicauthoritywasanexternalorganisationinvolvingaseparationandamerelyrelativeidentityofcontrollerandcontrolledTheendoftheformerandtheexternalityandrelativeidentityofthelatterfindtheirtruthintheabsolutelyuniversalendanditsabsoluteactuality。Hencethesphereofcivilsocietypassesoverintothestate。
Remark:Thetownistheseatofthecivillifeofbusiness。Therereflectionarises,turnsinuponitself,andpursuesitsatomisingtask;eachmanmaintainshimselfinandthroughhisrelationtootherswho,likehimself,arepersonspossessedofrights。Thecountry,ontheotherhand,istheseatofanethicalliferestingonnatureandthefamily。Townandcountrythusconstitutethetwomoments,stillidealmoments,whosetruegroundisthestate,althoughitisfromthemthatthestatesprings。
Thephilosophicproofoftheconceptofthestateisthisdevelopmentofethicallifefromitsimmediatephasethroughcivilsociety,thephaseofdivision,tothestate,whichthenrevealsitselfasthetruegroundofthesephases。Aproofinphilosophicsciencecanonlybeadevelopmentofthiskind。
Sincethestateappearsasaresultintheadvanceofthephilosophicconceptthroughdisplayingitselfasthetrueground[oftheearlierphases],thatshowofmediationisnowcancelledandthestatehasbecomedirectlypresentbeforeus。Actually,therefore,thestateassuchisnotsomuchtheresultasthebeginning。Itiswithinthestatethatthefamilyisfirstdevelopedintocivilsociety,anditistheIdeaofthestateitselfwhichdisruptsitselfintothesetwomoments。Throughthedevelopmentofcivilsociety,thesubstanceofethicallifeacquiresitsinfiniteform,whichcontainsinitselfthesetwomoments:1infinitedifferentiationdowntotheinwardexperienceofindependentself-consciousness,and2theformofuniversalityinvolvedineducation,theformofthoughtwherebymindisobjectiveandactualtoitselfasanorganictotalityinlawsandinstitutionswhichareitswillintermsofthought。
ThirdPart:EthicalLifeiii。TheStateA:ConstitutionalLawB:InternationalLawC:WorldHistory§257。
ThestateistheactualityoftheethicalIdea。Itisethicalmindquathesubstantialwillmanifestandrevealedtoitself,knowingandthinkingitself,accomplishingwhatitknowsandinsofarasitknowsit。Thestateexistsimmediatelyincustom,mediatelyinindividualself-consciousness,knowledge,andactivity,whileself-consciousnessinvirtueofitssentimenttowardsthestate,findsinthestate,asitsessenceandtheend-productofitsactivity,itssubstantivefreedom。
Remark:ThePenatesareinwardgods,godsoftheunderworld;themindofanationAtheneforinstanceisthedivine,knowingandwillingitself。Familypietyisfeeling,ethicalbehaviourdirectedbyfeeling;politicalvirtueisthewillingoftheabsoluteendintermsofthought。
§258。
Thestateisabsolutelyrationalinasmuchasitistheactualityofthesubstantialwillwhichitpossessesintheparticularself-consciousnessoncethatconsciousnesshasbeenraisedtoconsciousnessofitsuniversality。Thissubstantialunityisanabsoluteunmovedendinitself,inwhichfreedomcomesintoitssupremeright。
Ontheotherhandthisfinalendhassupremerightagainsttheindividual,whosesupremedutyistobeamemberofthestate。
Remark:Ifthestateisconfusedwithcivilsociety,andifitsspecificendislaiddownasthesecurityandprotectionofpropertyandpersonalfreedom,thentheinterestoftheindividualsassuchbecomestheultimateendoftheirassociation,anditfollowsthatmembershipofthestateissomethingoptional。Butthestate\'srelationtotheindividualisquitedifferentfromthis。Sincethestateismindobjectified,itisonlyasoneofitsmembersthattheindividualhimselfhasobjectivity,genuineindividuality,andanethicallife。Unificationpureandsimpleisthetruecontentandaimoftheindividual,andtheindividual\'sdestinyisthelivingofauniversallife。Hisfurtherparticularsatisfaction,activityandmodeofconducthavethissubstantiveanduniversallyvalidlifeastheirstartingpointandtheirresult。
Rationality,takengenerallyandintheabstract,consistsinthethorough-goingunityoftheuniversalandthesingle。Rationality,concreteinthestate,consistsasofarasitscontentisconcerned,intheunityofobjectivefreedomi。e。freedomoftheuniversalorsubstantialwillandsubjectivefreedomi。e。freedomofeveryoneinhisknowingandinhisvolitionofparticularends;andconsequently,bsofarasitsformisconcerned,inself-determiningactiononlawsandprincipleswhicharethoughtsandsouniversal。ThisIdeaistheabsolutelyeternalandnecessarybeingofmind。
Butifweaskwhatisorhasbeenthehistoricaloriginofthestateingeneral,stillmoreifweaskabouttheoriginofanyparticularstate,ofitsrightsandinstitutions,oragainifweinquirewhetherthestateoriginallyaroseoutofpatriarchalconditionsoroutoffearortrust,oroutofCorporations,&c。,orfinallyifweaskinwhatlightthebasisofthestate\'srightshasbeenconceivedandconsciouslyestablished,whetherthisbasishasbeensupposedtobepositivedivineright,orcontract,custom,&c-allthesequestionsarenoconcernoftheIdeaofthestate。Weareheredealingexclusivelywiththephilosophicscienceofthestate,andfromthatpointofviewallthesethingsaremereappearanceandthereforemattersforhistory。Sofarastheauthorityofanyexistingstatehasanythingtodowithreasons,thesereasonsareculledfromtheformsofthelawauthoritativewithinit。
Thephilosophicaltreatmentofthesetopicsisconcernedonlywiththeirinwardside,withthethoughtoftheirconcept。ThemeritofRousseau\'scontributiontothesearchforthisconceptisthat,byadducingthewillastheprincipleofthestate,heisadducingaprinciplewhichhasthoughtbothforitsformanditscontent,aprincipleindeedwhichisthinkingitself,notaprinciple,likegregariousinstinct,forinstance,ordivineauthority,whichhasthoughtasitsformonly。
Unfortunately,however,asFichtedidlater,hetakesthewillonlyinadeterminateformastheindividualwill,andheregardstheuniversalwillnotastheabsolutelyrationalelementinthewill,butonlyasa\'general\'willwhichproceedsoutofthisindividualwillasoutofaconsciouswill。Theresultisthathereducestheunionofindividualsinthestatetoacontractandthereforetosomethingbasedontheirarbitrarywills,theiropinion,andtheircapriciouslygivenexpressconsent;
andabstractreasoningproceedstodrawthelogicalinferenceswhichdestroytheabsolutelydivineprincipleofthestate,togetherwithitsmajestyandabsoluteauthority。Forthisreason,whentheseabstractconclusionscameintopower,theyaffordedforthefirsttimeinhumanhistorytheprodigiousspectacleoftheoverthrowoftheconstitutionofagreatactualstateanditscompletereconstructionabinitioonthebasisofpurethoughtalone,afterthedestructionofallexistingandgivenmaterial。Thewillofitsre-founderswastogiveitwhattheyallegedwasapurelyrationalbasis,butitwasonlyabstractionsthatwerebeingused;theIdeawaslacking;andtheexperimentendedinthemaximumoffrightfulnessandterror。
Confrontedwiththeclaimsmadefortheindividualwill,wemustrememberthefundamentalconceptionthattheobjectivewillisrationalityimplicitorinconception,whetheritberecognisedornotbyindividuals,whethertheirwhimsbedeliberatelyforitornot。Wemustrememberthatitsopposite,i。e。knowingandwilling,orsubjectivefreedomtheonlythingcontainedintheprincipleoftheindividualwillcomprisesonlyonemoment,andthereforeaone-sidedmoment,oftheIdeaoftherationalwill,i。e。ofthewillwhichisrationalsolelybecausewhatitisimplicitly,thatitalsoisexplicitly。