GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

THEORY OF DEMOCRACY 777
assigning to the State, lies in the facts that its foresight is
greater than that of any purely economic association and
its purpose more comprehensive. The greater foresight
belongs to it by virtue of its greater knowledge, the more
comprehensive purpose by virtue of its concern with the
welfare not of any section of society, but of society as a
whole, a concern wliich places ixpon it the necessity of
safeguarding the interests of all its members from
"
blind" effects of the activities of some of them.
the
It follows that the need for political activity is not
diminished, but intensified by the increased scope and
frequency of economic activity on the part of individuals
and groups of individuals. The fact that the forces which
now determine the occurrence ofeconomic events are worldwide
in their incidence1 does not lessen the need for
political organization to regulate their effects. It does,
however, suggest that the political organization best
fitted for the purpose may be one which transcends the
bounds of the nation State; it may even, in the last resort,
be one which has become world-wide. The expression
"the State 11
in the foregoing should, then, be taken to
denote some form of political organization, and not
necessarily that particular form which we know as the
sovereign nation State.
The State and Ethical Associations. In Chapter
XVIII, I emphasized the growth of voluntary associations
for ethical and religious purposes. The question must now
be considered, " What should be the function of the State
in relation to these associations "? Both Fascism and Communism
concur in holding that ethical and religious
ciations must take their colour and direction from the
State. In Germany religion must submit to the domination
of National Socialist ideals and Christianity, in so far as
it claims to be an international religion, placing allegiance
to God before -allegiance
to the State, is persecuted. In
Russia religion of any kind is regarded
* See Chapter' XVIII, pp. 743-74-
with disfavour