The love of nation, such as, is a sleeping hypocritical pretense; towards the national bond is a religious bond, and this entirely factitious
For some time, inside be concerned and you will strain and you may scary of the conflict, there was clearly a re-knitting of your own links you to bind men and you will regions to each other; but it was only seeming. It had been the power of fear and you will force, not the efficacy of faith. Exactly how unreal, exactly how phony it actually was try revealed by the rapidity in which one to incredible solidarity are demobilized, become with a resurgence off class rancor, sectarian ardor, and you can a slim, myopic nationalism. A world and this, with sent young guys so you’re able to perish by the many to have generous ideals, has 50 % of shed all of them since it coolly and you can quickly resumes team during the dated remain – like a world is generally grieved, it mustn’t be astonished, during the revolt out-of both the thoughts and you will souls of men. Not too the fresh new immediate future can find a triumph of subversive plans and revolutionary info. If we go after an almost common precedent we will ticket first thanks to a period of luxury and you can luxury, so there commonly the guy a fleeting urge on dated public and you can spiritual requests, as in the years adopting the Napoleonic Battles. But this isn’t high. It’s just the first impulse regarding the emotional filters and you can afraid stress of war.
As opposed to a religious renewal, without a re-knitting of the “ethical solidarity,” at which Eucken speaks therefore eloquently, – without having any Mystic Wrap – we may perhaps not hope for safeguards and you may real improvements. The fact is that the audience is trying to build good person civilization to your a materialistic base, and it can’t be complete.