the idea of justice in political economy-第8章

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administrator　of　the　greatest　undertakings。　Above　all　it
exercises　as　legislator　and　administrator　the　greatest　indirect
influence　on　law　and　custom；　on　all　social　institutions；　and　this
is　the　decisive　point。
　　　　The　right　man　in　the　right　place；　the　great　statesman　and
reformer；　the　far…seeing　party　chief　and　legislator　can　here
accomplish　extraordinary　things；　not　directly；　not　immediately；
but　through　a　wise　and　just　transformation　of　the　economic
institutions　they　can　greatly　influence　the　administration　of
incomes　and　property。　Of　course；　the　theory　which　sees　only
natural　processes　in　all　economic　life　admits　this　as　little　as
those　who　from　the　standpoint　of　certain　class　interests；　from
conviction　of　principle；　or　even　from　mere　shortsightedness
constantly　recur　to　the　impotency　of　the　State。　Statesmen　of　a
lower　order　also　talk　with　eunuchs'　voices　of　the　inability　of
the　State　to　interfere　anywhere；　they　mistake　their　own　impotency
for　that　of　the　State。　All　these　adverse　opinions　forget　that　the
State　is　and　must　be　the　leading　intelligence；　the　responsible
centre　of　public　sentiment；　the　acme　of　existing　moral　and
intellectual　powers；　and　therefore　can　attain　great　results　in
this　direction。
　　　　We　do　not　demand　that　any　leading　personalities；　like　a　human
omnipotence；　should　control；　compare；　examine　and　estimate　the
qualities　and　achievements　of　millions；　and　accordingly
distribute　incomes　justly。　This　is　a　conception　of　folly　which
reasonable　socialists　now　abandon。　The　State　can　at　all　times
chiefly　influence　a　juster　distribution　of　income　by　means　of
improved　social　institutions。　Only　in　this　way　is　it　guaranteed
against　having　its　best　intentions　destroyed　by　a　thousandfold
formal　injustice。　The　total　of　economic　institutions　will　always
be　more　important　than　the　insight　and　intention　of　those　who　for
the　time　being　govern　in　the　central　administration；　be　they　the
greatest　of　men。　Their　wisdom　and　justice　can　promote　and　reform
the　institutions；　but　cannot　take　their　place。　They　will　prove
themselves　true　benefactors　of　humanity　only　by　fixing　the　net
result　of　their　labors　in　lasting　institutions；　in　increasing　for
posterity　the　great　capital　of　traditional　justice　by　reforms；
and　this　will　secure　immortality　to　their　genius　and　their　will。
　　　　We　are　at　the　end　of　our　inquiry。　What　is　the　result？　It　is
the　fact　that　the　conception　of　justice　grows　out　of　necessary
processes　in　our　soul　and　necessarily　influences　economic　life。
The　idea　of　justice　is；　like　other　moral　ideas；　not　imparted　to
men　by　some　revelation；　and　just　as　little　is　it　an　arbitrary
invention；　it　is　the　necessary　product　of　our　moral　intuition　and
our　logical　thinking；　and　in　so　far　it　is　an　eternal　truth；
manifesting　itself　ever　new　yet　ever　similar　metamorphoses。　In
many　it　works　only　as　a　vague　feeling。　In　the　course　of　history
it　develops；　for　the　majority；　into　clear　conceptions；　standards
and　conclusions。　According　to　the　laws　of　his　thought　man　must
unify　the　manifold　and　then　subject　it　to　uniform　standards。　The
supposition　of　moral　communities　in　society　creates　the
conception　of　an　earthly　justice；　the　supposition　of　the　unity　of
all　things；　that　of　divine　justice。　It　is　the　same　chain　of
judgments　and　conclusions　which；　dissatisfied　with　the
imperfections　of　earthly　things；　transfers　the　last　compensation
into　a　higher　and　better　world。　The　idea　of　justice　is　thus
connected　with　the　highest　and　best　that　we　think；　imagine　and
believe。
　　　　But　as　this　highest　and　last　never　reveals　itself　to　mankind
in　its　full　splendor；　as　we　eternally　seek　it；　eternally　battle
for　it；　and　though　ever　progressing；　never　reach　it；　so　the　idea
of　justice　has　no　resting；　determined　existence　on　earth。　As　no
penal　law；　no　judge　is　absolutely　just；　so　no　established
distribution　of　property　and　incomes　is　altogether　just。　But
every　consecutive　epoch　of　mankind　has　won　a　higher　measure　of
justice　in　this　field。　In　custom；　law　and　existing　institutions
which　rule　economic　life　we　have　the　outcome　of　all　the　struggles
for　justice　which　history　has　seen　for　many　thousand　years。
　　　　The　value　of　our　own　life；　of　our　own　time；　does　not　lie　so
much　in　what　was　attained　before　us；　as　in　the　amount　of　strength
and　moral　energy　with　which　we　press　forward　in　the　path　of
progress。　Great　civilized　nations；　great　epochs　and　great　men　are
not　those　who　comfortably　enjoy　their　ancestral　inheritances；　who
eat；　drink　and　increase　production；　but　those　who　with　greater
energy　than　others　devote　their　services　to　the　great　moral　ideas
of　humanity；　they　are　those　who　succeed　in　propagating　moral
ideas　and　in　introducing　them　more　deeply　than　hitherto　into　the
sphere　of　egoistic　struggles　for　existence；　they　are　those　who　on
the　field　of　economics　succeed　in　securing　and　carrying　through
juster　institutions。







The　End