Page:A history of Hungarian literature.djvu/191

 THE NOVEL 177 The social problem which engaged the thoughts of E6tvős while writing this novel, occupied his mind as a philosopher too. His best scientific treatise is, 41 The in­ fluence of the leading ideas of the nineteenth century upon the State. "• It is perhaps the most significant theoretical work in Hungarian . Aceording to Eötvös th e nineteenth century was characterised by three dominating ideas : liberty, e quality and nationality, which became powerful instincts in the natio ns. We accept them· as mental guides which demand our a llegiance, but when they seek to lead us in opposing directions they come into conflict with one another, and we see that we were wrong to trust in them. Eötvös pointed out that these three ideas were really incorilpatible, that they would destroy every edsting form of state life, and if either o f them could be entirely realised, the result wo uld not give satisfaction. For instance, equality is incansistent with liberty, for complete equality becomes communism, and communism is a form of despotism exercised in the name of th.e people, and consequently opposed to liberty. Th e idea of nationality again does not agree with that of equality, for the spirit of nationality aims at the supremacy of one nation over another, a spirit which is an tagonistic to the notion of perfect equality. There is an impassable gulf between these ideas and their realisation. Wh at then can be done ? Only his coneiuding ideas can be mentioned. Th e state, he th inks, merely ren ders secure to each individual his material or írnmaterial possessions, but is not concerned with providing for his needs. The state is, in short, the individual's safeguard.
 * I851. Tran&lated into German.