what is property-第47章

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es。　　God　can　be　regarded　as　just；　equitable；　and　good；　only　to　another　God。　　Now；　God　has　no　associate；　consequently；　he　cannot　experience　social　affections；such　as　goodness；　equite；　and　justice。　　Is　the　shepherd　said　to　be　just　to　his　sheep　and　his　dogs？　　No：　and　if　he　saw　fit　to　shear　as　much　wool　from　a　lamb　six　months　old；　as　from　a　ram　of　two　years；　or；　if　he　required　as　much　work　from　a　young　dog　as　from　an　old　one；they　would　say；　not　that　he　was　unjust；　but　that　he　was　foolish。　　Between　man　and　beast　there　is　no　society；　though　there　may　be　affection。　　Man　loves　the　animals　as　THINGS；as　SENTIENT　THINGS；　if　you　will；but　not　as　PERSONS。　　Philosophy；　after　having　eliminated　from　the　idea　of　God　the　passions　ascribed　to　him　by　superstition；　will　then　be　obliged　to　eliminate　also　the　virtues　which　our　liberal　piety　awards　to　him。＇1＇

＇1＇　　Between　woman　and　man　there　may　exist　love；　passion；　ties　of　custom；　and　the　like；　but　there　is　no　real　society。　　Man　and　woman　are　not　companions。　　The　difference　of　the　sexes　places　a　barrier　between　them；　like　that　placed　between　animals　by　a　difference　of　race。　　Consequently；　far　from　advocating　what　is　now　called　the　emancipation　of　woman；　I　should　incline；　rather；　if　there　were　no　other　alternative；　to　exclude　her　from　society。

The　rights　of　woman　and　her　relations　with　man　are　yet　to　be　determined　Matrimonial　legislation；　like　civil　legislation；　is　a　matter　for　the　future　to　settle。




If　God　should　come　down　to　earth；　and　dwell　among　us；　we　could　not　love　him　unless　he　became　like　us；　nor　give　him　any　thing　unless　he　produced　something；　nor　listen　to　him　unless　he　proved　us　mistaken；　nor　worship　him　unless　he　manifested　his　power。　　All　the　laws　of　our　nature；　affectional；　economical；　and　intellectual；　would　prevent　us　from　treating　him　as　we　treat　our　fellow…men；that　is；　according　to　reason；　justice；　and　equite。

I　infer　from　this　that；　if　God　should　wish　ever　to　put　himself　into　immediate　communication　with　man；　he　would　have　to　become　a　man。

Now；　if　kings　are　images　of　God；　and　executors　of　his　will；　they　cannot　receive　love；　wealth；　obedience；　and　glory　from　us；　unless　they　consent　to　labor　and　associate　with　usproduce　as　much　as　they　consume；　reason　with　their　subjects；　and　do　wonderful　things。　　Still　more；　if；　as　some　pretend；　kings　are　public　functionaries；　the　love　which　is　due　them　is　measured　by　their　personal　amiability；　our　obligation　to　obey　them；　by　the　wisdom　of　their　commands；　and　their　civil　list；　by　the　total　social　production　divided　by　the　number　of　citizens。

Thus；　jurisprudence；　political　economy；　and　psychology　agree　in　admitting　the　law　of　equality。　　Right　and　duty　the　due　reward　of　talent　and　laborthe　outbursts　of　love　and　enthusiasm；all　are　regulated　in　advance　by　an　invariable　standard；　all　depend　upon　number　and　balance。　　Equality　of　conditions　is　the　law　of　society；　and　universal　solidarity　is　the　ratification　of　this　law。

Equality　of　conditions　has　never　been　realized；　thanks　to　our　passions　and　our　ignorance；　but　our　opposition　to　this　law　has　made　it　all　the　more　a　necessity。　　To　that　fact　history　bears　perpetual　testimony；　and　the　course　of　events　reveals　it　to　us。　　Society　advances　from　equation　to　equation。　　To　the　eyes　of　the　economist；　the　revolutions　of　empires　seem　now　like　the　reduction　of　algebraical　quantities；　which　are　inter…deducible；　now　like　the　discovery　of　unknown　quantities；　induced　by　the　inevitable　influence　of　time。　　Figures　are　the　providence　of　history。　　Undoubtedly　there　are　other　elements　in　human　progress；　but　in　the　multitude　of　hidden　causes　which　agitate　nations；　there　is　none　more　powerful　or　constant；　none　less　obscure；　than　the　periodical　explosions　of　the　proletariat　against　property。　　Property；　acting　by　exclusion　and　encroachment；　while　population　was　increasing；　has　been　the　life…principle　and　definitive　cause　of　all　revolutions。　　Religious　wars；　and　wars　of　conquest；　when　they　have　stopped　short　of　the　extermination　of　races；　have　been　only　accidental　disturbances；　soon　repaired　by　the　mathematical　progression　of　the　life　of　nations。　　The　downfall　and　death　of　societies　are　due　to　the　power　of　accumulation　possessed　by　property。

In　the　middle　ages；　take　Florence；a　republic　of　merchants　and　brokers；　always　rent　by　its　well…known　factions；　the　Guelphs　and　Ghibellines；　who　were；　after　all；　only　the　people　and　the　proprietors　fighting　against　each　other；Florence；　ruled　by　bankers；　and　borne　down　at　last　by　the　weight　of　her　debts；＇1＇　in　ancient　times；　take　Rome；　preyed　upon　from　its　birth　by　usury；　flourishing；　nevertheless；　as　long　as　the　known　world　furnished　its　terrible　proletaires　with　LABOR　stained　with　blood　by　civil　war　at　every　interval　of　rest；　and　dying　of　exhaustion　when　the　people　lost；　together　with　their　former　energy；　their　last　spark　of　moral　sense；　Carthage；　a　commercial　and　financial　city；　continually　divided　by　internal　competition；　Tyre；　Sidon；　Jerusalem；　Nineveh；　Babylon；　ruined；　in　turn；　by　commercial　rivalry　and；　as　we　now　express　it；　by　panics　in　the　market；do　not　these　famous　examples　show　clearly　enough　the　fate　which　awaits　modern　nations；　unless　the　people；　unless　France；　with　a　sudden　burst　of　her　powerful　voice；　proclaims　in　thunder…tones　the　abolition　of　the　regime　of　property？

＇1＇　　〃The　strong…box　of　Cosmo　de　Medici　was　the　grave　of　Florentine　liberty；〃　said　M。　Michelet　to　the　College　of　France。




Here　my　task　should　end。　　I　have　proved　the　right　of　the　poor；　I　have　shown　the　usurpation　of　the　rich。　　I　demand　justice；　it　is　not　my　business　to　execute　the　sentence。　　If　it　should　be　arguedin　order　to　prolong　for　a　few　years　an　illegitimate　privilegethat　it　is　not　enough　to　demonstrate　equality；　that　it　is　necessary　also　to　organize　it；　and　above　all　to　establish　it　peacefully；　I　might　reply：　　The　welfare　of　the　oppressed　is　of　more　importance　than　official　composure。　　Equality　of　conditions　is　a　natural　law　upon　which　public　economy　and　jurisprudence　are　based。　　The　right　to　labor；　and　the　principle　of　equal　distribution　of　wealth；　cannot　give　way　to　the　anxieties　of　power。　　It　is　not　for　the　proletaire　to　reconcile　the　contradictions　of　the　codes；　still　less　to　suffer　for　the　errors　of　the　government。　　On　the　contrary；　it　is　the　duty　of　the　civil　and　administrative　power　to　reconstruct　itself　on　the　basis　of　political　equality。　　An　evil；　when　known；　should　be　condemned　and　destroyed。　　The　legislator　cannot　plead　ignorance　as　an　excuse　for　upholding　a　glaring　iniquity。　　Restitution　should　not　be　delayed。　　Justice；　justice！　recognition　of　right！　reinstatement　of　the　proletaire！when　these　results　are　accomplished；　then；　judges　and　consuls；　you　may　attend　to　your　police；　and　provide　a　government　for　the　Republic！

For　the　rest；　I　do　not　think　that　a　single　one　of　my　readers　accuses　me　of　knowing　how　to　destroy；　but　of　not　knowing　how　to　construct。　　In　demonstrating　the　principle　of　equality；　I　have　laid　the　foundation　of　the　social　structure　I　have　done　more。　　I　have　given　an　example　of　the　true　method　of　solving　political　and　legislative　problems。　　Of　the　science　itself；　I　confess　that　I　know　nothing　more　than　its　principle；　and　I　know　of　no　one　at　present　who　can　boast　of　having　penetrated　deeper。　　Many　people　cry；　〃Come　to　me；　and　I　will　teach　you　the　truth！〃　　These　people　mistake　for　the　truth　their　cherished　opinion　and　ardent　conviction；　which　is　usually　any　thing　but　the　truth。　　The　science　of　societylike　all　human　scienceswill　be　for　ever　incomplete。　　The　depth　and　variety　of　the　questions　which　it　embraces　are　infinite。　　We　hardly　know　the　A　B　C　of　this　science；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　we　have　not　yet　emerged　from　the　period　of　systems；　and　have　not　ceased　to　put　the　authority　of　the　majority　in　the　place　of　facts。　　A　certain　philological　society　decided　linguistic　questions　by　a　plurality　of　votes。　　Our　parliamentary　debateswere　their　results　less　pernicious　would　be　even　more　ridiculous。　　The　task　of　the　true　publicist；　in　the　age　in　which　we　live；　is　to　close　the　mouths　of　quacks　and　charlatans；　and　to　teach　the　public　to　demand　demonstrations；　instead　of　being　contented　with　symbols　and　programmes。　　Before　talking　of　the　science　itself；　it　is　necessary　to　ascertain　its　object；　and　discover　its　method　and　principle。　　The　ground　must　be　cleared　of　the　prejudices　which　encumber　it。　　Such　is　the　mission　of　the　nineteenth　century。

For　my　part；　I　have　sworn　fidelity　to　my　work　of　demolition；　and　I　will　not　cease　to　pursue　the　truth　through　the　ruins　and　rubbish。　　I　hate　to　see　a　thing　half　done；　and　it　will　be　believed　without　any　assurance　of　mine；　that；　having　dared　to　raise　my　hand　against　the　Holy　Ark；　I　shall　not　rest　contented　with　the　removal　of　the　cover。　　The　mysteries　of　the　sanctuary　of　iniquity　must　be　unveiled；　the　tables　of　the　old　alliance　broken；　and　all　the　objects　of　the　ancient　faith　thrown　in　a　heap　to　the　swine。　　A　charter　has　been　given　to　us；a　resume　of　political　science；　the　monument　of　twenty　legislatures。　　A　code　has　been　written；the　pride　of　a　conqueror；　and　the　summary　of　ancient　wisdom。　　Well！　of　this　charter　and　this　code　not　one　article　shall　be　left　standing　upon　another！　　The　time　has　come　for　the　wise　to　choose　their　course；　and　prepare　for　reconstruction。　　　But；　since　a　destroyed　error　necessarily　implies　a　counter…truth；　I　will　not　finish　this　treatise　without　solving　the　first　problem　of　political　science；that　which　receives　the　attention　of　all　minds。

WHEN　PROPERTY　IS　ABOLISHED；　WHAT　WILL　BE　THE　FORM　OF　SOCIETY！　　WILL　IT　BE　COMMUNISM？

PART　SECOND。


％　1。Of　the　Causes　of　our　Mistakes。　　The　Origin　of　Property。


The　true　form　of　human　society　cannot　be　determined　until　the　following　question　has　been　solved：

Property　not　being　our　natural　condition；　how　did　it　gain　a　foothold？　　Why　has　the　social　instinct；　so　trustworthy　among　the　animals；　erred　in　the　case　of　man？　　Why　is　man；　who　was　born　for　society；　not　yet　associated？

I　have　said　that　human　society　is　COMPLEX　in　its　nature。　　Though　this　expression　is　inaccurate；　the　fact　to　which　it　refers　is　none　the　less　true；　namely；　the　classification　of　talents　and　capacities。　　But　who　does　not　see　that　these　talents　and　capacities；　owing　to　their　infinite　variety；　give　rise　to　an　infinite　variety　of　wills；　and　that　the　character；　the　inclinations；　andif　I　may　venture　to　use　the　expressionthe　form　of　the　ego；　are　necessarily　changed；　so　that　in　the　order　of　liberty；　as　in　the　order　of　intelligence；　there　are　as　many　types　as　individuals；　as　many　characters　as　heads；　whose　tastes；　fancies；　and　propensities；　being　modified　by　dissimilar　ideas；　must　necessarily　conflict？　　Man；　by　his　nature　and　his　instinct；　is　predestined　to　society；　but　his　personality；　ever　varying；　is　adverse　to　it。

In　societies　of　animals；　all　the　members　do　exactly　the　same　things。　　The　same　genius　directs　them；　the　same　will　animates　them。　　A　society　of　beasts　is　a　collection　of　atoms；　round；　hooked；　cubical；　or　triangular；　but　always　perfectly　identical。　　These　personalities　do　not　vary；　and　we　might　say　that　a　single　ego　governs　them　all。　　The　labors　which　animals　perform；　whether　alone　or　in　society；　are　exact　reproductions　of　their　character。　　Just　as　the　swarm　of　bees　is　composed　of　ind