50 Social Environment 



able geographical position and from the coming 

 of machinery, thrust aside feudalism, with all its 

 disciplining qualities. In Germany, however, the 

 feudal classes continued in power, modified by 

 and yet subordinating commercialism as it came 

 in with the industrial revolution, and furnish- 

 ing that strong core of national organization 

 which England so decidedly lacked. Hence the 

 emphasis on freedom which the English mer- 

 chant and factory lord inspired is paralleled 

 in Germany by the emphasis on duty to the 

 state which the feudal lord directs. Such in 

 very general terms is the contrast between the 

 two countries. 



The tendency in German life which makes 

 it so uncongenial a home for the laissez-faire 

 philosophy goes back to medieval roots. In 

 the later Middle Ages, when the struggle for 

 survival still took the form of open aggression 

 with the sword, some of the titled leaders of 

 that aggression condescended to call into coun- 

 cil certain men of the schools, the so-called 

 Cameralists. With their aid was worked out a 

 policy founded on the idea that the best way 

 to mold serfs into worthy supporters of the 

 glory and power of a prince was to make them 

 prosperous and happy. Thus began in a most 



