Preface.

many into great misfortune and ruin. Truly! I am astonished at what an ugly image they present to me when they are meant to administer law and justice, or to provide counsel for the proper arrangement of the commonwealth. The "commonwealth" (German: gemeine Wesen) refers to the state or society as a collective body. Since I have felt within myself a great inclination toward the human race from my youth onward—so much so that I would wish to make everyone happy The word glückseelig implies both earthly happiness and spiritual blessedness, a central goal in Enlightenment philosophy. if it were within my power—I have never allowed anything to be more urgent to me than to apply all my strength toward the end that understanding and virtue might increase among men. And after I have come to know these "excellent" examples of our degenerate race Wolff is being ironic here; he refers to those who lack virtue as "excellent examples" of how far humanity has fallen from its potential. not without sensitive pain, I have been even more fired up in this zeal; indeed, I shall not cease from it as long as