Third

source.

257.

In the third place, the philosophy of politics must, through the study of history, seek to obtain. a knowledge of the laws according to which civil societies move. This thought is due to Giambattista Vico,* who merely indicated it, without being able sufficiently to develop it, being unable to devote to it that profound study of the transformations undergone by all the peoples of the earth, which is necessary in order to give it colour and form. Hence arise political rules which may be reduced to this formula: The political means which harmonize with the laws of the natural movement of civil society are good; the others, as being contrary to nature, are bad.

Fourth source,

258.

In the fourth place, the philosophy of politics must estimate the forces by which civil society is impelled towards the good. To make this estimate requires a good deal of sagacity and a great power of abstraction, for the reason that there are direct forces and indirect forces, and the latter, though they produce the greatest effects, are just those that escape attention. The rules deducible from this source may be summed up in this formula: The political means which, with the account of Vico, see The Philological Museum, vol. ii.

*For an pp. 626-644.

smallest outlay of property and action, produce the greatest amount of social good are the best.

259.

Catholic

the most

political

of means, the

the tem

one which tempers and har

Having discovered the fundamental rules of The politics, which form the ultimate grounds of this religion is art and constitute Civil Philosophy, we must next powerful apply them, that is, we must seek, by means them, to estimate the respective values of all political means supplied by the special political monizes sciences. By doing so we arrive at this result: Religion, and especially Catholicism, is the most valuable of political means, the one which tempers and harmonizes all the rest.

Many will, doubtless, dissent, as the writer does, from this last conclusion; but it must be remembered that Rosmini was, above all other things, a Christian and a sincere Catholic. It must ever be a matter of regret that so powerful a thinker never had a fair opportunity of studying the action and effects of governments not influenced by Catholicism.

all the

rest.

260.

Cosmopolitics is the theory of the government (Cosmoof theocratic society, that society in which alone the unity and organization of the human race attain completeness.

End and fruit of philosophy.

261.

Philosophy continues all these investigations until the human mind finds complete satisfaction and repose. The mind finds repose when it has succeeded in discovering the ultimate grounds accessible to it and is fully persuaded that these are really and truly the last, and that it cannot go beyond them. These ultimate grounds, then, when found, satisfy the utmost needs of the human soul.

The true philo. sopher's self-surrender to God.

262.

Such is the outcome of philosophy. If the end of philosophy is to find rest and repose for the curiosity of the mind, its still more precious fruit is, that it assures the human soul that all its desires may yet be satisfied, removes from it all uncertainty, and points out to it the safe way by which it may reach the heights to which it tends. This way leads it to God, to whom the consummate philosopher yields himself up, to be instructed as a pupil and perfected as a creature.

Philosophy a

school of humanity.

263.

Such is the end of philosophy; such are its fruits. But if, instead of considering philosophy as a science, we look upon it as a school, then it becomes the true education of the human

spirit of the mind, which it conducts to a more complete science, and of the heart, to whose affections it reveals the perfect good. It was as a school of humanity that philosophy was conceived by Plato.