310 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

mean to deny reason and purpose in history generally, and to abandon faith in the rational direction of the world. But in our circles this is the acknowledged and common ground on which we all move ; for we believe in the reason in things, and we therefore believe that this reason shows itself in history in the evolution of various self-conscious nationalities. We do not know the final goal of human development, and we cannot know it because we are ourselves only a part of the way toward that goal. But this we believe, that every nation has the duty to pour into the stream of human development as much of its own, its peculiar spiritual possession, as it possibly can. Exactly in this value for humanity which each nation has, and in which we believe, without being able to prove it by experience to the skeptic, lies the moral basis and the moral right of our political aims. Precisely on moral grounds we say : The supreme law for a people (not for an individual ! ) is self-preservation and the deepening and diffusion of our national culture. This applies to every people which has a future before it. For every national policy faith in its own people is the natural moral foundation, and not the ideal of a work for humanity which overlooks these differences of nationality. If the requirements of self-preserva- tion in two peoples are antagonistic, then it is the moral duty of each people to battle for its independence and self-preservation. There is then no ideal of humanity which should overcome faith in one's own people, which could demand renunciation of its own self-preservation ; although that might be unconditionally the duty of an individual. There are only two ideals which are con- trasted, both of which are justified in the consciousness of their holders. The solution of this contradiction lies in the realm of religion, that in history, after all conflicts, that will triumph which is best for all. But this faith in the rational unity of history should hinder no nation from pushing forward its own interests with all its might.

If the requirement of self-preservation is the supreme moral norm for a nation, then we cannot introduce any other standard for judgment. If we require for our political and economic

independence expansion, then we must struggle for it with all