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LUDWIG STEIN, Die Sociale Frage im Lichte der Philosophic. 95 it is concerned with the reconciliation of liberty and equality must be approached from the standpoint of Rechtssocialismus. From this standpoint liberty is seen to be a relative term. Such a thing as absolute liberty never has existed and never can exist. The only liberty we know of worthy of the name is liberty within the law. In the same way there is not, and cannot be, such a thing as absolute equality. Equality before the law is the only feasible form of equality among civilised communities. Both liberty and equality in so far as they are realities are the creation of law, and are dependent upon law for their existence. Inasmuch as their conflicting principles are the creation of law it is only through the instrumentality of law that they can be harmonised. Law must develop with developing social requirements. The lines of its future development must be social lines, and the conscious aim of law working on socialised principles will be to secure a maximum of liberty with a minimum of inequality. One of the means by which this end shall be attained is what Dr. Stein describes as economic proportionality. Economic equality is plainly unattainable, but law can secure a large amount of economic proportionality. The fruits of labour are not distributed in their just proportions among the people who have co-operated in producing them. This evil and all the misery which it envolves is the result of the unbridled liberty allowed to individuals in the present industrial system. A socialised system of law would put an end to the evil, by introducing and enforcing the principle of proportionality in all industrial relationships. In this way the sentiment of liberty would be respected on the one hand and the sentiment of equality on the other. But neither would be allowed an undue dominance. For an exposition of the various practical developments which the socialisation of law would involve the reader must be referred to Dr. Stein's book. Among these developments the socialisation of law would guarantee the right to exist, and probably the right to labour. In fact all matters relating to the position of labour and the labourer, such as the national organisation of labour, the hours of labour, the protection of the labourer, the organisation of the labouring classes belong to the sphere of Rechtssocialismus. But Eechtssocialismus does not seek the solution of this and similar social problems on the lines of social democracy. Ac- cording to Dr. Stein the social democratic movement is in the main merely a class movement. It aims at representing the interests of the industrial proletariat only, and the accomplish- ment of its programme would necessitate the destruction of the modern state. But the programme of the socialism of law embraces the interests of all classes and sections of society and aims at conserving the modern state by bringing all institutions within it into closer agreement with the principles of science, humanity and justice. According to Dr. Stein religion requires to be socialised as well