The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to EuropeVarious
Philosophy
The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to Europe
Various
World War, 1914-1918
"Cataloguing and the near-sightedness which may arise from intense study
of the atom, to the exclusion of the collective organism, whether that
collective organism be the human individual or the social mass, may
render immense service to the world, but it never will be the only
service necessary, and, if pursued to the exclusion of all other
investigations, such study is likely to produce an aggravated narrowness
of vision. Narrow vision is certain to eventuate in selfishness.
"The Germans became selfish after this fashion. The present struggle is
the war of selfishness against world advance.
"Innumerable, or at least many, individuals have furnished smaller
parallels to the course which Germany has taken as a nation. The
individual with the truly and exclusively scientific mind is likely to
go too far into abstractions, built from a possible misinterpretation of
minutiae.
"The ideal national intellectual development will combine both fact and
theory, will join rationalism to idealism, and will be far more like
that of certain nations which I shall not name than it will be like that
of Germany. These nations which I shall not name have both.
"In other words, it seems to be the fixed idea of the German that the
German civilization is the only civilization; but it is not the thought
of France or England that their civilizations are the only ones.
"This very lack of what may be defined as national egotism in France and
England enables these nations to work, as Germany does not, for world
science and world development--the growth of civilization as a whole.
"Germany's scientific work is for German science, she thinks
of civilization only as German civilization. The world's other
great nations--and may I say the world's great Latin nations
especially?--internationalize their science and their civilization."
Why the Philosopher Is Important.
"One must be struck by the fact that Germany's critical philosophy
formed the basis of her educational system and, therefore, the basis of
her social system, and that it had in it the basis of the war.
"It cannot be denied, I think, that her education, as well as her
politics and militarism, directly pointed to this great conflict.
Indeed, the industrialism, the politics, the philosophy of Germany all
find their logical expression in present events.
"Hegel was the first, in the beginning of the last century, to insist
upon the ideas which, already being paramount in him, quickly became
paramount in his followers, serving as the basis for the development of
Prussia. To him this represented all and everything; to him divinity on
earth was incarcerated in the State, and, therefore, the development of
the State, not justice, was, in his mind, the object of all law.
"Since this beginning that has been the consistent German viewpoint, and
increasingly so. The glorification of the State has included, of
necessity, the sacrifice of the individual, and this has been conducted
ruthlessly in Germany itself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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