Nationality and the Economy of the NationThe system of the school suffers, as we have already shown inthe preceding chapters, from three main defects: firstly, fromboundless cosmopolitanism, which neither recognises the principleof nationality, nor takes into consideration the satisfaction ofits interests; secondly, from a dead materialism, which everywhereregards chiefly the mere exchangeable value of things withouttaking into consideration the mental and political, the present andthe future interests, and the productive powers of the nation;thirdly, from a disorganising particularism and individualism,which, ignoring the nature and character of social labour and theoperation of the union of powers in their higher consequences,considers private industry only as it would develop itself under astate of free interchange with society (i.e.with the whole humanrace) were that race not divided into separate national societies.
Between each individual and entire humanity, however, standsTHE NATION, with its special language and literature, with itspeculiar origin and history, with its special manners and customs,laws and institutions, with the claims of all these for existence,independence, perfection, and continuance for the future, and withits separate territory; a society which, united by a thousand tiesof mind and of interests, combines itself into one independentwhole, which recognises the law of right for and within itself, andin its united character is still opposed to other societies of asimilar kind in their national liberty, and consequently can onlyunder the existing conditions of the world maintain self-existenceand independence by its own power and resources.As the individualchiefly obtains by means of the nation and in the nation mentalculture, power of production, security, and prosperity, so is thecivilisation of the human race only conceivable and possible bymeans of the civilisation and development of the individualnations.
Meanwhile, however, an infinite difference exists in thecondition and circumstances of the various nations: we observeamong them giants and dwarfs, well-formed bodies and cripples,civilised, half-civilised, and barbarous nations; but in all ofthem, as in the individual human being, exists the impulse ofself-preservation, the striving for improvement which is implantedby nature.It is the task of politics to civilise the barbarousnationalities, to make the small and weak ones great and strong,but, above all, to secure to them existence and continuance.It isthe task of national economy to accomplish the economicaldevelopment of the nation, and to prepare it for admission into theuniversal society of the future.
A nation in its normal state possesses one common language andliterature, a territory endowed with manifold natural resources,extensive, and with convenient frontiers and a numerous population.
Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and navigation must be alldeveloped in it proportionately.arts and sciences, educationalestablishments, and universal, cultivation must stand in it on anequal footing with material production.Its constitution, laws, andinstitutions must afford to those who belong to it a high degree ofsecurity and liberty, and must promote religion, morality, andprosperity; in a word, must have the well-being of its citizens astheir object.It must possess sufficient power on land and at seato defend its independence and to protect its foreign commerce.Itwill possess the power of beneficially affecting the civilisationof less advanced nations, and by means of its own surpluspopulation and of their mental and material capital to foundcolonies and beget new nations.
A large population, and an extensive territory endowed withmanifold national resources, are essential requirements of thenormal nationality; they are the fundamental conditions of mentalcultivation as well as of material development and political power.
A nation restricted in the number of its population and interritory, especially if it has a separate language, can onlypossess a crippled literature, crippled institutions for promotingart and science.A small State can never bring to completeperfection within its territory the various branches of production.
In it all protection becomes mere private monopoly.Only throughalliances with more powerful nations, by partly sacrificing theadvantages of nationality, and by excessive energy, can it maintainwith difficulty its independence.
A nation which possesses no coasts, mercantile marine, or navalpower, or has not under its dominion and control the mouths of itsrivers, is in its foreign commerce dependent on other countries; itcan neither establish colonies of its own nor form new nations; allsurplus population, mental and material means, which flows fromsuch a nation to uncultivated countries, is lost to its ownliterature, civilisation and industry, and goes to the benefit ofother nationalities.
A nation not bounded by seas and chains of mountains lies opento the attacks of foreign nations, and can only by greatsacrifices, and in any case only very imperfectly, establish andmaintain a separate tariff system of its own.
Territorial deficiencies of the nation can be remedied eitherby means of hereditary succession, as in the case of England andScotland; or by purchase, as in the case of Florida and Louisiana;or by conquests, as in the case of Great Britain and Ireland.
In modern times a fourth means has been adopted, which leads tothis object in a manner much more in accordance with justice andwith the prosperity of nations than conquest, and which is not sodependent on accidents as hereditary succession, namely, the unionof the interests of various States by means of free conventions.