philosophy of right-第6章

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endless　iteration　is　by　them　accused；　despised；　condemned。　Free　expression；　also；　is　given　by　a
large　number　of　those；　who　are　supposed　to　be　cultivating　scientific　research；　to　their　annoyance　at
the　unassailable　claims　of　the　conception。　When　we；　I　say；　are　confronted　with　such　phenomena
as　these；　we　are　tempted　to　harbour　the　thought　that　old　traditions　of　tolerance　have　fallen　out　of
use；　and　no　longer　assure　to　philosophy　a；　place　and　public　recognition。'　

Footnote：　The　same　finds　expression　in　a　letter　of　Joh。　v。　Müller　（Works；　Part　VIII。；　p。　56）；
who；　speaking　of　the　condition　of　Rome　in　the　year　1803；　when　the　city　was　under　French　rule；
writes；　〃A　professor；　asked　how　the　public　academies　were　doing；　answered；　'On　les　tolère
comme　les　bordels！'　Similarly　the　so…called　theory　of　reason　or　logic　we　may　still　hear
commended；　perhaps　under　the　belief　that　it　is　too　dry　and　unfruitful　a　science　to　claim　any　one's
attention；　or；　if　it　be　pursued　here　and　there；　that　its　formulae　are　without　content；　and；　though　not
of　much　good；　can　be　of　no　great　harm。　Hence　the　recommendation；　so　it　is　thought；　if　useless；
can　do　no　injury。　

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

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

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

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

Through　this　varied　husk　the　conception　first　of　all　penetrates；　in　order　to　touch
the　pulse；　and　then　feel　it　throbbing　in　its　external　manifestations。　To　bring　to
order　the　endlessly　varied　relations；　which　constitute　the　outer　appearance　of　the
rational　essence　is　not　the　task　of　philosophy。　Such　material　is　not　suitable　for　it；
and　it　can　well　abstain　from　giving　good　advice　about　these　things。　Plato　could
refrain　from　recommending　to　the　nurses　not　to　stand　still　with　children；　but
always　to　dandle　them　in　their　arms。　So　could　Fichte　forbear　to　construe；　as　they
say；　the　supervision　of　passports　to　such　a　point　as　to　demand　of　all　suspects　that
not　only　a　description　of　them　but　also　their　photograph；　should　be　inserted　in　the
pass。　Philosophy　now　exhibits　no　trace　of　such　details。　These　superfine　concerns
it　may　neglect　all　the　more　safely；　since　it　shows　itself　of　the　most　liberal　spirit　in
its　attitude　towards　the　endless　mass　of　objects　and　circumstances。　By　such　a
course　science　will　escape　the　hate　which　is　visited　upon　a　multitude　of
circumstances　and　institutions　by　the　vanity　of　a　better　knowledge。　In　this　hate
bitterness　of　mind　finds　the　greatest　pleasure；　as　it　can　in　no　other　way　attain　to　a
feeling　of　self…esteem。　

This　treatise；　in　so　far　as　it　contains　a　political　science；　is　nothing　more　than　an
attempt　to　conceive　of　and　present　the　state　as　in　itself　rational。　As　a　philosophic
writing；　it　must　be　on　its　guard　against　constructing　a　state　as　it　ought　to　be。
Philosophy　cannot　teach　the　state　what　it　should　be；　but　only　how　it；　the　ethical
universe；　is　to　be　known。　

　　　　　Idou　Podos；　idou　kai　to　pidima
　　　　　Hic　Rhodus；　hic　saltus。　

To　apprehend　what　is　is　the　task　of　philosophy；　because　what　is　is　reason。　As　for
the　individual；　every　one　is　a　son　of　his　time；　so　philosophy　also　is　its　time
apprehended　in　thoughts。　It　is　just　as　foolish　to　fancy　that　any　philosophy　can
transcend　its　present　world；　as　that　an　individual　could　leap　out　of　his　time　or
jump　over　Rhodes。　If　a　theory　transgresses　its　time；　and　builds　up　a　world　as　it
ought　to　be；　it　has　an　existence　merely　in　the　unstable　element　of　opinion；　which
gives　room　to　every　wandering　fancy。　

With　little　change　the　above；　saying　would　read：　

　　　　　Here　is　the　rose；　here　dance　

The；　barrier　which　stands　between　reason；　as　self…conscious　Spirit；　and　reason　as
present　reality；　and　does　not　permit　spirit　to　find　satisfaction　in　reality；　is　some
abstraction；　which　is　not　free　to　be　conceived。　To　recognise　reason　as　the　rose　in
the　cross　of　the　present；　and　to　find　delight　in　it；　is　a　rational　insight　which　implies
reconciliation　with　reality。　This　reconciliation　philosophy　grants　to　those　who　have
felt　the　inward　demand　to　conceive　clearly；　to　preserve　subjective　freedom　while
present　in　substantive　reality；　and　yet　thought　possessing　this　freedom　to　stand
not　upon　the　particular　and　contingent；　but　upon　what　is　and　self…completed　

This　also　is　the　more　concrete　meaning　of　what　was　a　moment　ago　more
abstractly　called　the　unity　of　form　and　content。　Form　in　its　most　concrete
significance　is　reason；　as　an　intellectual　apprehension　which　conceives　its　object。
Content；　again；　is　reason　as　the　substantive　essence　of　social　order　and　nature。
The　conscious　identity　of　form　and　content　is　the　philosophical　idea。　

It　is　a　self…assertion；　which　does　honour　to　man；　to　recognise　nothing　in　sentiment
which　is　not　justified　by　thought。　This　self…will　is　a　feature　of　modern　times；　being
indeed　the　peculiar　principle　of　Protestantism。　What　was　initiated　by　Luther　as
faith　in　feeling　and　the　witness　of　the　spirit；　the　more　mature　mind　strives　to
apprehend　in　conception。　In　that　way　it　seeks　to　free　itself　in　the　present；　and　so
find　there　itself。　It　is　a　celebrated　saying　that　a　half　philosophy　leads　away　from
God；　while　a　true　philosophy　leads　to　God。　（It　is　the　same　halfness；　I　may　say　in
passing　which　regards　knowledge　as　an　approximation　to　truth。）　This　saying　is
applicable　to　the　science　of　the　state。　Reason　cannot　content　itself　with　a　mere
approximation；　something　which　is　neither　cold　not　hot；　and　must　be　spewed　out
of　the　mouth。　As　little　can　it　be　contented　with　the　cold　scepticism　that　in　this
world　of　time　things　go　badly；　or　at　best　only　moderately　well；　and　that　we　must
keep　the　peace　with　reality；　merely　because　there　is　nothing　better　to　be　had。
Knowledge　creates　a　much　more　vital　peace。　

Only　one　word　more　concerning　the　desire　to　teach　the　world　what　it　ought　to　be。
For　such　a　purpose　philosophy　at　least　always　comes　too　late。　Philosophy；　as　the
thought　of　the　world；　does　not　appear　until　reality　has　completed　its　formative
process；　and　made　itself　ready。　History　thus　corroborates　the　teaching　of　the
conception　that　only　in　the　maturity　of　reality　does　the　ideal　appear　as　counterpart
to　the　real；　apprehends　the　real　world　in　its　substance；　and　shapes　it　into　an
intellectual　kingdom。　When　philosophy　paints　its　grey　in　grey；　one　form　of　life　has
become　old；　and　by　means　of　grey　it　cannot　be　rejuvenated；　but　only　known。　The
owl　of　Minerva；　takes　its　flight　only　when　the　shades　of　night　are　gathering。　

But　it　is　time　to　close　this　preface。　As　a　preface　it　is　its　place　to　speak　only
externally　and　subjectively　of　the　standpoint　of　the　work　which　it　introduces。　A
philosophical　account　of　the　essential　content　needs　a　scientific　and　objective
treatment。　So；　too；　criticisms；　other　than　those　which　proceed　from　such　a
treatment；　must　be　viewed　by　the　author　as　unreflective　convictions。　Such
subjective　criticisms　must　be　for　him　a　matter　of　indifference。　

　　　　　BERLIN；　June　25th；　1820。
　　　　　Translated　by　S　W　Dyde；　1896　




Introduction

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　1。

THE　philosophic　science　of　right　has　as　its　object　the　idea　of　right；　i。e。；　the
conception　of　right　and　the　realisation　of　the　conception。　

Remark：　Philosophy　has　to　do　with　ideas　or　realised　thoughts；　and　hence　not　with　what　we　have
been　accustomed　to　call　mere　conceptions。　It　has　indeed　to　exhibit　the　one…sidedness　and　untruth
of　these　mere　conceptions；　and　to　show　that；　while　that