philosophy of right-第61章

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save　himself　from　these　theories；　Herr　von　Haller　has　gone　to　the　other　extreme　by　dispensing　with　thought
altogether　and　consequently　it　cannot　be　said　that　there　is　anything　of　intrinsic　value　in　his　virulent　hatred　of
all　laws　and　legislation；　of　all　expressly　and　legally　determinate　rights。　The　hatred　of　law；　of　right　made
determinate　in　law；　is　the　shibboleth　whereby　fanaticism；　flabby…mindedness；　and　the　hypocrisy　of　good
intentions　are　clearly　and　infallibly　recognised　for　what　they　are；　disguise　themselves　as　they　may。　

Originality　like　Herr　von　Haller's　is　always　a　curious　phenomenon；　and　for　those　of　my　readers　who　are　not　yet
acquainted　with　his　book　I　will　quote　a　few　specimen　passages。　This　is　how　he　lays　down　his　most　important
basic　proposition：　'Just　as；　in　the　inorganic　world；　the　greater　dislodges　the　less　and　the　mighty　the　weak　。。。。　so
in　the　animal　kingdom；　and　then　amongst　human　beings；　the　same　law　appears　in　nobler'　（often；　too；　surely　in
ignobler？）　'forms'；　and　'this；　therefore；　is　the　eternal；　unalterable；　ordinance　of　God；　that　the　mightier　rules；　must
rule；　and　will　always　rule'。　It　is　clear　enough　from　this；　let　alone　from　what　follows；　in　what　sense　'might'　is　taken
here。　It　is　not　the　might　of　justice　and　ethics；　but　only　the　irrational　power　of　brute　force。　Herr　von　Haller　then
goes　on　to　support　this　doctrine　on　various　grounds；　amongst　them　that　'nature　with　amazing　wisdom　has　so
ordered　it　that　the　mere　sense　of　personal　superiority　irresistibly　ennobles　the　character　and　encourages　the
development　of　just　those　virtues　which　are　most　necessary　for　dealing　with　subordinates'。　He　asks　with　a
great　elaboration　of　undergraduate　rhetoric　＇ibid。＇　'whether　it　is　the　strong　or　the　weak　in　the　kingdom　of
science　who　more　misuse　their　trust　and　their　authority　in　order　to　achieve　their　petty　selfish　ends　and　the　ruin
of　the　credulous；　whether　to　be　a　past　master　in　legal　learning　is　not　to　be　a　pettifogger；　a　leguleius；　one　who
cheats　the　hopes　of　unsuspecting　clients；　who　makes　white　black　and　black　white；　who　misapplies　the　law　and
makes　it　a　vehicle　for　wrongdoing；　who　brings　to　beggary　those　who　need　his　assistance　and　tends　them　as
the　hungry　vulture　tends　the　innocent　lamb'；　&c。；　&c。　Herr　von　Haller　forgets　here　that　the　point　of　this　rhetoric
is　to　support　his　proposition　that　the　rule　of　the　mightier　is　an　everlasting　ordnance　of　God；　so　presumably　it　is
by　the　same　ordinance　that　the　vulture　rends　the　innocent　lamb；　and　that　hence　the　mighty　are　quite　right　to
treat　their　unsuspecting　clients　as　the　weak　and　to　make　use　of　knowledge　of　the　law　to　empty　their　pockets。　It
would　be　too　much；　however；　to　ask　that　two　thoughts　should　be　put　together　where　there　is　really　not　a　single
one。　

It　goes　without　saying　that　Herr　von　Haller　is　an　enemy　of　codes　of　law。　In　his　view；　the　laws　of　the　land；　are
on　the　one　hand；　in　principle　'unnecessary；　because　they　spring　self…explanatory　from　the　laws　of　nature'。　If
men　had　remained　satisfied　with　'self…explanatory'　as　the　basis　of　their　thinking；　then　they　would　have　been
spared　the　endless　labour　devoted；　since　ever　there　were　states；　to　legislation　and　legal　codes；　and　which　is
still　devoted　thereto　and　to　the　study　of　positive　law。　'On　the　other　hand；　laws　are　not　exactly　promulgated　for
private　individuals；　but　as　instructions　to　puisne　judges；　acquainting　them　with　the　will　of　the　high　court'。
Apart　from　that；　the　provision　of　law…courts　is　and　all　over　the　place）　not　a　state　duty；　but　a　favour；　help
rendered　by　the　authorities；　and　'quite　supererogatory'；　it　is　not　the　most　perfect　method　of　guaranteeing　men's
rights；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　an　insecure　and　uncertain　method；　'the　only　one　left　to　us　by　our　modern　lawyers。
They　have　reft　us　of　the　other　three　methods；　of　just　those　which　lead　most　swiftly　and　surely　to　the　goal；
those　which；　unlike　law…courts；；　friendly　nature　has　given　to　man　for　the　safeguarding　of　his　rightful　freedom'。
And　these　three　methods　are　…　what　do　you　suppose？　…　（1）　Personal　acceptance　and　inculcation　of　the　law　of
nature；　（2）　Resistance　to　wrong；　（3）　Flight；　when　there　is　no　other　remedy'。　Lawyers　are　unfriendly　indeed；　it
appears；　in　comparison　with　the　friendliness　of　nature！　'But　the　natural；　divine；　law；　given　to　everyone　by
nature　the　all…bountiful；　is：　Honour　everyone　as　thine　equal'　（on　the　author's　principles　this　should　read
'Honour　not　the　man　who　is　thine　equal；　but　the　one　who　is　mightier'）；　'hurt　no　man　who　hurts　thee　not；
demand　from　him　nothing　but　what　he　owes'　（but　what　does　he　owe？）；　'nay　more；　love　thy　neighbour　and　serve
him　when　thou　canst'。　The　'implanting　of　this　law'　is　to　make　a　legislator　and　a　constitution　superfluous。　It
would　be　curious　to　see　how　Herr　von　Haller　makes　it　intelligible　why　legislators　and　constitutions　have
appeared　in　the　world　despite　this　'implanting'。　

In　vol。　iii；　the　author　comes　to　the　'so…called　national　liberties'；　by　which　he　means　the　laws　and　constitutions　of
nation　states。　Every　legally　constituted　right　is　in　this　wide　sense　of　the　word　a　'liberty'。　Of　these　laws　he　says；
inter　alia；　that　'their　content　is　usually　very　insignificant；　although　in　books　a　high　value　may　be　placed　on
documentary　liberties　of　that　kind'。　When　we　then　realise　that　the　author　is　speaking　here　of　the　national
liberties　of　the　German　Estates；　of　the　English　people　（e。g。　Magna　Carta　which　is　little　read；　and　on　account　of
its　archaic　phraseology　still　less　understood'；　the　Bill　of　Rights；　and　so　forth）；　of　the　people　of　Hungary；　&c。；
we　are　surprised　to　find　that　these　Possessions；　formerly　so　highly　prized；　are　only　insignificant；　and　no　less
Surprised　to　learn　that　it　is　only　in　books　that　these　nations　place　a　value　on　laws　whose　co…operation　has
entered　into　every　coat　that　is　worn　Ind　every　crust　that　is　eaten；　and　still　enters　into　every　day　and　hour　of　the
lives　of　everyone。　

To　carry　quotation　further；　Herr　von　Haller　speaks　particularly；　ill　of　the　Prussian　General　Legal　Code；　because
of　the　'incredible'　influence　on　it　of　the　errors　of　false　philosophy　（though　in　this　instance　at　any　rate　the　fault
cannot　be　ascribed　to　Kant's　philosophy；　a　topic　on　which　Herr　von　Haller　is　at　his　angriest）；　especially　where
it　speaks　of　the　state；　the　resources　of　the　state；　the　end　of　the　state；　the　head　of　the　state；　his　duties；　and
those　of　civil　servants；　and　so　forth。　Herr　von　Haller　finds　particularly　mischievous　'the　right　of　defraying　the
expenses　of　the　state　by　levying　taxes　on　the　private　wealth　of　individuals；　on　their　businesses；　on　goods
produced　or　consumed。　Under　those　circumstances；　neither　the　king　himself　（since　the　resources　of　the　state
belong　to　the　state　and　are　not　the　private　property　of　the　king）；　nor　the　Prussian　citizens　can　call　anything
their　own；　neither　their　person　nor　their　property；　and　all　subjects　are　bondslaves　to　the　law；　since　they　may
not　withdraw　themselves　from　the　service　of　the　state。'　

In　this　welter　of　incredible　crudity；　what　is　perhaps　most　comical　of　all　is　the　emotion　with　which　Herr　von
Haller　describes　his　unspeakable　pleasure　in　his　discoveries　…　'a　joy　such　as　only　the　friend　of　truth　can　feel
when　after　honest　search　he　has　become　confident　that　he　has　found　as　it　were'　（yes　indeed？　'is　it　were'　is
right！）　'the　voice　of　nature；　the　very　word　of　God'。　（The　truth　is　that　the　word　of　God　very　clearly　distinguishes
its　revelations　from　the　voices　of　nature　and　unregenerate　man。）　'The　author　could　have　sunk　to　the　ground　in
open　amazement；　a　stream　of　joyful　tears　burst　from　his　eyes；　and　living　religious　feeling　sprang　up　in　him　there
and　then。；　Herr　von　Haller　might　have　discovered　by　his　'religious　feeling'　that　he　should　rather　bewail　his
condition　as　the　hardest　chastisement　of　God。　For　the　hardest　thing　which　man　can　experience　is　to　be　so　far
excluded　from　thought　and　reason；　from　respect　for　the　laws；　and　from　knowing　how　infinitely　important　and
divine　it　is　that　the　duties　of　the　state　and　the　rights　of　the　citizens；　as　well　as　the　rights　of　the　state　and　the
duties　of　the　citizens；　should　be　defined　by　law　…　to　be　so　far　excluded　from　all　this　that　absurdit