story is thorough, and passes through many phases when it bears an
old figure to the grave. The last phase of a world historical figure
is its comedy. The gods of Greece, once tragically wounded to death in
the chained Prometheus of AEschylus, were fated to die a comic death in
Lucian's dialogues. Why does history take this course? In order that
mankind may break away in a jolly mood from its past.

In the light of this historical foresight, the political powers of
Germany are vindicated. As soon then as the modern politico-social
reality is itself subjected to criticism, as soon, therefore, as
criticism raises itself to the height of truly human problems, it
either finds itself outside the German _status quo_, or it would delve
beneath the latter to find its object.

To take an example! The relation of industry, and of the world of
wealth generally, to the political world is one of the chief problems
of modern times. Under what form is this problem beginning to engage
the attention of Germans? Under the form of protective tariffs, of the
system of prohibition, of political economy. Teutomania has passed out
of men and gone into matter, and thus one fine day we saw our cotton
knights and iron heroes transformed into patriots. Thus in Germany we
are beginning to recognize the sovereignty of monopoly at home, in
order that it may be invested with sovereignty abroad. We are now
beginning in Germany at the point where they are leaving off in France
and England.

The old rotten condition, against which these countries are
theoretically in revolt, and which they only tolerate as chains are
borne, is greeted in Germany as the dawning of a splendid future,
which as yet scarcely dares to translate itself from cunning[3] theory
into the most ruthless practice. Whereas the problem in France and
England reads: Political economy or the rule of society over wealth,
it reads in Germany: national economy or the rule of private property
over nationality. Thus England and France are faced with the question
of abolishing monopoly which has been carried to its highest point; in
Germany the question is to carry monopoly to its highest point.

If, therefore, the total German development were not in advance of the
political German development, a German could at the most take part in
present-day problems only in the same way as a Russian can do so.

But if the individual is not bound by the ties of a nation, the entire
nation is even less