The Law of Nations Treated According to the Scientific Method. Christian von Wolff
48. Of the fame of a nation
§ 47.
§ 551, part 1, Jus Nat.
§ 43.
Since fame is the unanimous praise of the good and wise, consequently since it depends upon the significance of the judgement concerning the perfection of some one, or the enumeration of his intellectual and moral virtues and the deeds arising therefrom, and since the reputation of those who belong to a nation passes to the nation itself, the fame of a nation consists in the praise which by the consensus of the good and wise is assigned to it, both on account of its own perfection and deeds, and on account of the deeds arising from the intellectual and moral virtues of those who belong to the nation.
Of course fame is primarily and of itself attributed to the nation, because it is considered as a single person, which has its own actions dependent upon intellectual and moral virtues; but even more is it attributed to it, because the renown of individuals is passed over to it on account of acts or deeds which are considered as those of the individuals. So, for example, the good reputation of government is a part of its fame, likewise the customary keeping of faith in agreements with other nations; but it is no less a part of its fame if it should have learned men pre-eminent in the republic of letters, skilled artisans, industrious merchants and other things of this sort. The former of themselves point to the nation, and are not thought of without it, but the latter pass only from the individuals to the nation, and moreover of themselves belong to individuals and are thought of concerning them without regard to the nation. The condition is just the same as in man, or even in the human body, in which there are certain things which are referred to the entire man as such, or are predicated of him as such; and certain things, which come to him from definite organs or faculties of the soul, are predicated of them as such. So health is predicated of the whole body as such; but a man is said to have strong
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vision on account of the structure of the eye, from which keenness of vision comes to him. Since certain things are to be predicated of the nation, there is need of discrimination, lest those things which are of and belong to the individuals should be confused with those things which peculiarly belong to the nation as such, or rightfully come from the individuals to it. And although the discrimination may be aided, if you compare the nation with the human body, or with man as a whole, nevertheless there is need of caution here too, because a certain entire class of men, or a group leading the same kind of life, is compared with one organ of the body, inasmuch, of course, as the greater part represents the whole, because the things to be attributed to the group cannot under human conditions be discerned otherwise than from those belonging to the great majority.
§ 49. Of the desire for fame
§ 48.
§ 35.
Since the true and enduring fame of a nation depends upon its own perfection, since moreover a nation ought to perfect itself, it ought to strive to deserve fame.
§ 47.
§ 543, part 1, Jus Nat.
§ 542, part 1, Jus Nat.
Fame consists in praise. But although no one can bring it about that he be praised by others, it is at least within our power to deserve fame. Moreover we speak of true and enduring fame, which cannot be acquired except from the intelligent. There are indeed those who praise themselves under an assumed name, or even conspire for mutual compliments, so that they attain fame by deceiving others, who do not judge for themselves. Still this is not true and enduring fame, but false and empty, nor in the case of a nation does this come with the same ease. And, even if the pursuit of this especially empty sort of fame caused no difficulty, nevertheless we, who are devoted to truth, not to falsehood, and who do not teach how to deceive others by wicked devices, should not strive for it in the least.
§ 50. How far this applies to individuals
§ 48.
§ 44.
Likewise since the fame even of a nation depends upon the deeds of individuals which arise from intellectual and moral virtues, since moreover individuals owe this to their nation, that so far as possible they perfect themselves and excel in that kind of life which they follow, the
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individuals, too, who belong to a nation, ought to strive to deserve fame and direct their actions to the glory of the nation.
§ 570, part 1, Jus Nat.
§ 566, part 1, Jus Nat.
§ 583, part 1, Jus Nat.
§ 563, part 1, Jus Nat.
Of course individuals ought to perfect themselves and do noble deeds with the purpose that through those things which pass from them to the nation, it may gain fame. If that is done with that idea, one seeks not his own interest, but that of his nation, which he is desirous of serving well; consequently he does nothing which can be counted as evil, since he does not strive for his own fame as the ultimate object of his actions, which is characteristic of the ambitious man, much less does he aim at honours of which he is unworthy, which is characteristic of the arrogant, nor does he wish more perfection attributed to himself than in very truth he has, which is characteristic of the haughty, nor forsooth does he indulge too much his desire for honour, which is opposed to modesty.
§ 51. How far this applies to the ruler of the state
§ 48.
§ 38.
§ 722, part 1, Jus Nat.
Because the fame of a state depends upon its own perfection, moreover because the care of perfecting his nation and its form of government rests on the ruler of the state; the ruler of a state especially ought to strive that the nation over which he rules may deserve fame, and he ought to direct the royal acts to the glory of his nation, consequently to do nothing which can diminish or destroy it.
Note, § 50.
The desire for the fame of his nation is a part of the duty of the ruler of a state, who deserves well of it, if in that he allows his diligence to be in no respect lacking; but he deserves ill of it, if in that regard he shows himself remiss. But when he strives for the fame of his nation, he does nothing which can be blamed, and his acts remain untouched by any imputation of evil. The things which we have just noted upon the preceding proposition are to be applied likewise to the ruler of a state. Moreover, it is quite plain that the ruler of a state can contribute more to the glory of the nation than a private citizen can.
§ 52. Of barbarous nations
§ 547, part 1, Jus Nat.
§§ 895, 896, part 2, Phil. Pract. Univ.
§ 687, part 2, Phil. Pract. Univ.
We call a nation barbarous, or in our native vernacular, ein barbarisches Volck [a barbarian people], which cares but little for intellectual virtues,
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consequently neglects the perfecting of the intellect. Therefore, since barbarian nations do not develop their minds by training, in determining their actions they follow the leadership of their natural inclinations and aversions, and their uncivilized usages depend for the most part on these.
§ 162, Log.
Even from the beginning those were called barbarians by the Greeks who used a less cultivated language, that is, other than Greek, and then by the Romans those were so called who did not speak Greek or Latin; but afterward the term was transferred from the speech and language to the method of living also and to the character of the usages. The perfection of speech and language depends upon the perfection of the intellect, consequently above all upon intellectual virtues, although it may happen that those may retain a rough and harsh pronunciation of words and an uncultivated speech, who prize the intellectual virtues and have cultivated manners. Therefore in our definition we do not depart from the received significance of the term, although we have retained in it the terminology usual in philosophy, so that the concept of a barbarous nation is resolved into