Governance

On Governance

 

 

1.        To fight for a crown is great. To get rid of it is divine.

 

2.        It is, however, impossible that the agreement to a whole does not cost any sacrifice on the part of the individuals, as collision of freedom is inevitable.

 

3.        The human being can err, the ruler never recognize a mistake.

 

4.        Confidence is the source of all great acts.

 

5.        It is, hence, the absolute greatness what reflects itself in grace and beauty and finds itself satisfied in morality; it is the legislator itself, the God in us, who plays with his own image in morality.

 

6.        In the aesthetic world, each creature of Nature exists as a free citizen who has the same right as the noblest of them and for the sake of the whole, may not even once be forced but rather must simply consent to everything.

 

7.        Through practical laws, but not through artificial derivations of the theoretical reason, should the human being be led into his moral actions.

 

8.        Beauty is a self mastering force; it is a restriction coming from force itself.

 

9.         Give the world in which you are active a direction towards the good, and the peaceful regularity of time will bring it a further development.

 

10.         Live with your century, but be not its creature; lead your contemporaries, however, to what they need, not to what they praise.

Author's Note

Which ones do you like?

Reviews

[Tony]

#2 I like it but I am not sure your translation is sound. I may be wrong and if so, please enlighten me.
Do you suppose it should read:
It is, however, impossible, for an agreement of the whole, to come without sacrifice on the part of the individual. As a collision of freedoms is inevitable.

#4 This is a powerful fact.

#6 Oh, if the world were only more aesthetic. (crap, now I am going to have to look up THAT word. Your vocabulary is formidable, sir)

Finally, #10 This is my intention, my direction, my life.

These were all really good, J. I just don't have time to review them all right now.
Thank you for posting this treasure. Really. I cannot stress enough the importance of reading and understanding philosophy and history. The sound future of our world depends upon those who have these things well in hand. Not those who have our world in their hands.