what is property-第53章

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％　3。Determination　of　the　third　form　of　Society。　　Conclusion。


Then；　no　government；　no　public　economy；　no　administration；　is　possible；　which　is　based　upon　property。

Communism　seeks　EQUALITY　and　LAW。　　Property；　born　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　reason；　and　the　sense　of　personal　merit；　wishes　above　all　things　INDEPENDENCE　and　PROPORTIONALITY。

But　communism；　mistaking　uniformity　for　law；　and　levelism　for　equality；　becomes　tyrannical　and　unjust。　　Property；　by　its　despotism　and　encroachments；　soon　proves　itself　oppressive　and　anti…social。

The　objects　of　communism　and　property　are　goodtheir　results　are　bad。　　And　why？　　Because　both　are　exclusive；　and　each　disregards　two　elements　of　society。　　Communism　rejects　independence　and　proportionality；　property　does　not　satisfy　equality　and　law。

Now；　if　we　imagine　a　society　based　upon　these　four　principles；　equality；　law；　independence；　and　proportionality；we　find：

1。　That　EQUALITY；　consisting　only　in　EQUALITY　OF　CONDITIONS；　that　is；　OF　MEANS；　and　not　in　EQUALITY　OF　COMFORT；　which　it　is　the　business　of　the　laborers　to　achieve　for　themselves；　when　provided　with　equal　means；in　no　way　violates　justice　and　equite。

2。　That　LAW；　resulting　from　the　knowledge　of　facts；　and　consequently　based　upon　necessity　itself；　never　clashes　with　independence。

3。　That　individual　INDEPENDENCE；　or　the　autonomy　of　the　private　reason；　originating　in　the　difference　in　talents　and　capacities；　can　exist　without　danger　within　the　limits　of　the　law。

4。　That　PROPORTIONALITY；　being　admitted　only　in　the　sphere　of　intelligence　and　sentiment；　and　not　as　regards　material　objects；　may　be　observed　without　violating　justice　or　social　equality。

This　third　form　of　society；　the　synthesis　of　communism　and　property；　we　will　call　LIBERTY。＇1＇

＇1＇　　_libertas；　librare；　libratio；　libra_；liberty；　to　liberate；　libration；　balance　（pound）；words　which　have　a　common　derivation。　　Liberty　is　the　balance　of　rights　and　duties。　　To　make　a　man　free　is　to　balance　him　with　others；that　is；　to　put　him　or　their　level。




In　determining　the　nature　of　liberty；　we　do　not　unite　communism　and　property　indiscriminately；　such　a　process　would　be　absurd　eclecticism。　　We　search　by　analysis　for　those　elements　in　each　which　are　true；　and　in　harmony　with　the　laws　of　Nature　and　society；　disregarding　the　rest　altogether；　and　the　result　gives　us　an　adequate　expression　of　the　natural　form　of　human　society；　in　one　word；　liberty。

Liberty　is　equality；　because　liberty　exists　only　in　society；　and　in　the　absence　of　equality　there　is　no　society。

Liberty　is　anarchy；　because　it　does　not　admit　the　government　of　the　will；　but　only　the　authority　of　the　law；　that　is；　of　necessity。

Liberty　is　infinite　variety；　because　it　respects　all　wills　within　the　limits　of　the　law。

Liberty　is　proportionality；　because　it　allows　the　utmost　latitude　to　the　ambition　for　merit；　and　the　emulation　of　glory。

We　can　now　say；　in　the　words　of　M。　Cousin：　　〃Our　principle　is　true；　it　is　good；　it　is　social；　let　us　not　fear　to　push　it　to　its　ultimate。〃

Man's　social　nature　becoming　JUSTICE　through　reflection；　EQUITE　through　the　classification　of　capacities；　and　having　LIBERTY　for　its　formula；　is　the　true　basis　of　morality；the　principle　and　regulator　of　all　our　actions。　　This　is　the　universal　motor；　which　philosophy　is　searching　for；　which　religion　strengthens；　which　egotism　supplants；　and　whose　place　pure　reason　never　can　fill。　　DUTY　and　RIGHT　are　born　of　NEED；　which；　when　considered　in　connection　with　others；　is　a　RIGHT；　and　when　considered　in　connection　with　ourselves；　a　DUTY。

We　need　to　eat　and　sleep。　　It　is　our　right　to　procure　those　things　which　are　necessary　to　rest　and　nourishment。　　It　is　our　duty　to　use　them　when　Nature　requires　it。

We　need　to　labor　in　order　to　live。　　To　do　so　is　both　our　right　and　our　duty。

We　need　to　love　our　wives　and　children。　　It　is　our　duty　to　protect　and　support　them。　　It　is　our　right　to　be　loved　in　preference　to　all　others。　　Conjugal　fidelity　is　justice。　　Adultery　is　high　treason　against　society。

We　need　to　exchange　our　products　for　other　products。　　It　is　our　right　that　this　exchange　should　be　one　of　equivalents；　and　since　we　consume　before　we　produce；　it　would　be　our　duty；　if　we　could　control　the　matter；　to　see　to　it　that　our　last　product　shall　follow　our　last　consumption。　　Suicide　is　fraudulent　bankruptcy。

We　need　to　live　our　lives　according　to　the　dictates　of　our　reason。　　It　is　our　right　to　maintain　our　freedom。　　It　is　our　duty　to　respect　that　of　others。

We　need　to　be　appreciated　by　our　fellows。　　It　is　our　duty　to　deserve　their　praise。　　It　is　our　right　to　be　judged　by　our　works。

Liberty　is　not　opposed　to　the　rights　of　succession　and　bequest。　　It　contents　itself　with　preventing　violations　of　equality。　　〃Choose；〃　it　tells　us；　〃between　two　legacies；　but　do　not　take　them　both。〃　　All　our　legislation　concerning　transmissions；　entailments；　adoptions；　and；　if　I　may　venture　to　use　such　a　word；　COADJUTORERIES；　requires　remodelling。

Liberty　favors　emulation；　instead　of　destroying　it。　　In　social　equality；　emulation　consists　in　accomplishing　under　like　conditions；　it　is　its　own　reward。　　No　one　suffers　by　the　victory。

Liberty　applauds　self…sacrifice；　and　honors　it　with　its　votes；　but　it　can　dispense　with　it。　　Justice　alone　suffices　to　maintain　the　social　equilibrium。　　Self…sacrifice　is　an　act　of　supererogation。　　Happy；　however；　the　man　who　can　say；　〃I　sacrifice　myself。〃＇1＇

＇1＇　　In　a　monthly　publication；　the　first　number　of　which　has　just　appeared　under　the　name　of　〃L'Egalitaire；〃　self…sacrifice　is　laid　down　as　a　principle　of　equality。　　This　is　a　confusion　of　ideas。　　Self…sacrifice；　taken　alone；　is　the　last　degree　of　inequality。　　To　seek　equality　in　self…sacrifice　is　to　confess　that　equality　is　against　nature。　　Equality　must　be　based　upon　justice；　upon　strict　right；　upon　the　principles　invoked　by　the　proprietor　himself；　otherwise　it　will　never　exist。　　Self…sacrifice　is　superior　to　justice；　but　it　cannot　be　imposed　as　law；　because　it　is　of　such　a　nature　as　to　admit　of　no　reward。　　It　is；　indeed；　desirable　that　everybody　shall　recognize　the　necessity　of　self…sacrifice；　and　the　idea　of　〃L'Egalitaire〃　is　an　excellent　example。　　Unfortunately；　it　can　have　no　effect。　　What　would　you　reply；　indeed；　to　a　man　who　should　say　to　you；　〃I　do　not　want　to　sacrifice　myself〃？　　Is　he　to　be　compelled　to　do　so？　　When　self…　sacrifice　is　forced；　it　becomes　oppression；　slavery；　the　exploitation　of　man　by　man。　　Thus　have　the　proletaires　sacrificed　themselves　to　property。




Liberty　is　essentially　an　organizing　force。　　To　insure　equality　between　men　and　peace　among　nations；　agriculture　and　industry；　and　the　centres　of　education；　business；　and　storage；　must　be　distributed　according　to　the　climate　and　the　geographical　position　of　the　country；　the　nature　of　the　products；　the　character　and　natural　talents　of　the　inhabitants；　&c。；　in　proportions　so　just；　so　wise；　so　harmonious；　that　in　no　place　shall　there　ever　be　either　an　excess　or　a　lack　of　population；　consumption；　and　products。　　There　commences　the　science　of　public　and　private　right；　the　true　political　economy。　　It　is　for　the　writers　on　jurisprudence；　henceforth　unembarrassed　by　the　false　principle　of　property；　to　describe　the　new　laws；　and　bring　peace　upon　earth。　　Knowledge　and　genius　they　do　not　lack；　the　foundation　is　now　laid　for　them。＇1＇

＇1＇　The　disciples　of　Fourier　have　long　seemed　to　me　the　most　advanced　of　all　modern　socialists；　and　almost　the　only　ones　worthy　of　the　name。　　If　they　had　understood　the　nature　of　their　task；　spoken　to　the　people；　awakened　their　sympathies；　and　kept　silence　when　they　did　not　understand；　if　they　had　made　less　extravagant　pretensions；　and　had　shown　more　respect　for　public　intelligence；perhaps　the　reform　would　now；　thanks　to　them；　be　in　progress。　　But　why　are　these　earnest　reformers　continually　bowing　to　power　and　wealth；that　is；　to　all　that　is　anti…　reformatory？　　How；　in　a　thinking　age；　can　they　fail　to　see　that　the　world　must　be　converted　by　DEMONSTRATION；　not　by　myths　and　allegories？　　Why　do　they；　the　deadly　enemies　of　civilization；　borrow　from　it；　nevertheless；　its　most　pernicious　fruits；　property；　inequality　of　fortune　and　rank；　gluttony；　concubinage；　prostitution；　what　do　I　know？　theurgy；　magic；　and　sorcery？　　Why　these　endless　denunciations　of　morality；　metaphysics；　and　psychology；　when　the　abuse　of　these　sciences；　which　they　do　not　understand；　constitutes　their　whole　system？　　Why　this　mania　for　deifying　a　man　whose　principal　merit　consisted　in　talking　nonsense　about　things　whose　names；　even；　he　did　not　know；　in　the　strongest　language　ever　put　upon　paper？　　Whoever　admits　the　infallibility　of　a　man　becomes　thereby　incapable　of　instructing　others。　　Whoever　denies　his　own　reason　will　soon　proscribe　free　thought。　　The　phalansterians　would　not　fail　to　do　it　if　they　had　the　power。　　Let　them　condescend　to　reason；　let　them　proceed　systematically；　let　them　give　us　demonstrations　instead　of　revelations；　and　we　will　listen　willingly。　　Then　let　them　organize　manufactures；　agriculture；　and　commerce；　let　them　make　labor　attractive；　and　the　most　humble　functions　honorable；　and　our　praise　shall　be　theirs。　　Above　all；　let　them　throw　off　that　Illuminism　which　gives　them　the　appearance　of　impostors　or　dupes；　rather　than　believers　and　apostles。





I　have　accomplished　my　task；　property　is　conquered；　never　again　to　arise。　　Wherever　this　work　is　read　and　discussed；　there　will　be　deposited　the　germ　of　death　to　property；　there；　sooner　or　later；　privilege　and　servitude　will　disappear；　and　the　despotism　of　will　will　give　place　to　the　reign　of　reason。　　What　sophisms；　indeed；　what　prejudices　（however　obstinate）　can　stand　before　the　simplicity　of　the　following　propositions：

I。　Individual　POSSESSION＇1＇　is　the　condition　of　social　life；　five　thousand　years　of　property　demonstrate　it。　　PROPERTY　is　the　suicide　of　society。　　Possession　is　a　right；　property　is　against　right。　　Suppress　property　while　maintaining　possession；　and；　by　this　simple　modification　of　the　principle；　you　will　revolutionize　law；　government；　economy；　and　institutions；　you　will　drive　evil　from　the　face　of　the　earth。

＇1＇　　Individual　possession　is　no　obstacle　to　extensive　cultivation　and　unity　of　exploitation。　　If　I　have　not　spoken　of　the　drawbacks　arising　from　small　estates；　it　is　because　I　thought　it　useless　to　repeat　what　so　many　others　have　said；　and　what　by　this　time　all　the　world　must　know。　　But　I　am　surprised　that　the　economists；　who　have　so　clearly　shown　the　disadvantages　of　spade…　husbandry；　have　failed　to　see　that　it　is　caused　entirely　by　property；　above　all；　that　they　have　not　perceived　that　their　plan　for　mobilizing　the　soil　is　a　first　step　towards　the　abolition　of　property。




II。　All　having　an　equal　right　of　occupancy；　possession　varies　with　the　number　of　possessors；　property　cannot　establish　itself。

III。　The　effect　of　labor　being　the　same　for　all；　property　is　lost　in　the　common　prosperity。

IV。　All　human　labor　being　the　result　of　collective　force；　all　property　becomes；　in　consequence；　collective　and　unitary。　　To　speak　more　exactly；　labor　destroys　property。

V。　Every　capacity　for　labor　being；　like　every　instrument　of　labor；　an　accumulated　capital；　and　a　collective　property；　inequality　of　w