what is property-第7章

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the　Academy　of　Inscriptions；　May　4；　1839。　　Out　of　print。




〃Since　that　time；　metaphysics　and　moral　science　have　been　my　only　studies；　my　perception　of　the　fact　that　these　sciences；　though　badly　defined　as　to　their　object　and　not　confined　to　their　sphere；　are；　like　the　natural　sciences；　susceptible　of　demonstration　and　certainty；　has　already　rewarded　my　efforts。

〃But；　gentlemen；　of　all　the　masters　whom　I　have　followed；　to　none　do　I　owe　so　much　as　to　you。　　Your　co…operation；　your　programmes；　your　instructions；　in　agreement　with　my　secret　wishes　and　most　cherished　hopes；　have　at　no　time　failed　to　enlighten　me　and　to　point　out　my　road；　this　memoir　on　property　is　the　child　of　your　thought。

〃In　1838；　the　Academy　of　Besancon　proposed　the　following　question：　　TO　WHAT　CAUSES　MUST　WE　ATTRIBUTE　THE　CONTINUALLY　INCREASING　NUMBER　OF　SUICIDES；　AND　WHAT　ARE　THE　PROPER　MEANS　FOR　ARRESTING　THE　EFFECTS　OF　THIS　MORAL　CONTAGION？

〃Thereby　it　asked；　in　less　general　terms；　what　was　the　cause　of　the　social　evil；　and　what　was　its　remedy？　　You　admitted　that　yourselves；　gentlemen　when　your　committee　reported　that　the　competitors　had　enumerated　with　exactness　the　immediate　and　particular　causes　of　suicide；　as　well　as　the　means　of　preventing　each　of　them；　but　that　from　this　enumeration；　chronicled　with　more　or　less　skill；　no　positive　information　had　been　gained；　either　as　to　the　primary　cause　of　the　evil；　or　as　to　its　remedy。

〃In　1839；　your　programme；　always　original　and　varied　in　its　academical　expression；　became　more　exact。　　The　investigations　of　1838　had　pointed　out；　as　the　causes　or　rather　as　the　symptoms　of　the　social　malady；　the　neglect　of　the　principles　of　religion　and　morality；　the　desire　for　wealth；　the　passion　for　enjoyment；　and　political　disturbances。　　All　these　data　were　embodied　by　you　in　a　single　proposition：　　THE　UTILITY　OF　THE　CELEBRATION　OF　SUNDAY　AS　REGARDS　HYGIENE；　MORALITY；　AND　SOCIAL　AND　POLITICAL　RELATION_。

〃In　a　Christian　tongue　you　asked；　gentlemen；　what　was　the　true　system　of　society。　　A　competitor＇1＇　dared　to　maintain；　and　believed　that　he　had　proved；　that　the　institution　of　a　day　of　rest　at　weekly　intervals　is　inseparably　bound　up　with　a　political　system　based　on　the　equality　of　conditions；　that　without　equality　this　institution　is　an　anomaly　and　an　impossibility：　that　equality　alone　can　revive　this　ancient　and　mysterious　keeping　of　the　seventh　day。　　This　argument　did　not　meet　with　your　approbation；　since；　without　denying　the　relation　pointed　out　by　the　competitor；　you　judged；　and　rightly　gentlemen；　that　the　principle　of　equality　of　conditions　not　being　demonstrated；　the　ideas　of　the　author　were　nothing　more　than　hypotheses。

＇1＇　〃The　Utility　of　the　Celebration　of　Sunday；〃　&c。　　By　P。　J。　Proudhon。　　Besancon；　1839；　12mo；　2d　edition；　Paris；　1841；　18mo。




〃Finally；　gentlemen；　this　fundamental　principle　of　equality　you　presented　for　competition　in　the　following　terms：　　THE　ECONOMICAL　AND　MORAL　CONSEQUENCES　IN　FRANCE　UP　TO　THE　PRESENT　TIME；　AND　THOSE　WHICH　SEEM　LIKELY　TO　APPEAR　IN　FUTURE；　OF　THE　LAW　CONCERNING　THE　EQUAL　DIVISION　OF　HEREDITARY　PROPERTY　BETWEEN　THE　CHILDREN。

〃Instead　of　confining　one　to　common　places　without　breadth　or　significance；　it　seems　to　me　that　your　question　should　be　developed　as　follows：

〃If　the　law　has　been　able　to　render　the　right　of　heredity　common　to　all　the　children　of　one　father；　can　it　not　render　it　equal　for　all　his　grandchildren　and　great…grandchildren？

〃If　the　law　no　longer　heeds　the　age　of　any　member　of　the　family；　can　it　not；　by　the　right　of　heredity；　cease　to　heed　it　in　the　race；　in　the　tribe；　in　the　nation？

〃Can　equality；　by　the　right　of　succession；　be　preserved　between　citizens；　as　well　as　between　cousins　and　brothers？　　In　a　word；　can　the　principle　of　succession　become　a　principle　of　equality？

〃To　sum　up　all　these　ideas　in　one　inclusive　question：　　What　is　the　principle　of　heredity？　　What　are　the　foundations　of　inequality？　　What　is　property？

〃Such；　gentlemen；　is　the　object　of　the　memoir　that　I　offer　you　to　day。

〃If　I　have　rightly　grasped　the　object　of　your　thought；　if　I　succeed　in　bringing　to　light　a　truth　which　is　indisputable；　but；　from　causes　which　I　am　bold　enough　to　claim　to　have　explained；　has　always　been　misunderstood；　if　by　an　infallible　method　of　investigation；　I　establish　the　dogma　of　equality　of　conditions；　if　I　determine　the　principle　of　civil　law；　the　essence　of　justice；　and　the　form　of　society；　if　I　annihilate　property　forever；to　you；　gentlemen；　will　redound　all　the　glory；　for　it　is　to　your　aid　and　your　inspiration　that　I　owe　it。

〃My　purpose　in　this　work　is　the　application　of　method　to　the　problems　of　philosophy；　every　other　intention　is　foreign　to　and　even　abusive　of　it。

〃I　have　spoken　lightly　of　jurisprudence：　　I　had　the　right；　but　I　should　be　unjust　did　I　not　distinguish　between　this　pretended　science　and　the　men　who　practise　it。　　Devoted　to　studies　both　laborious　and　severe；　entitled　in　all　respects　to　the　esteem　of　their　fellow…citizens　by　their　knowledge　and　eloquence　our　legists　deserve　but　one　reproach；　that　of　an　excessive　deference　to　arbitrary　laws。

〃I　have　been　pitiless　in　my　criticism　of　the　economists：　for　them　I　confess　that；　in　general；　I　have　no　liking。　　The　arrogance　and　the　emptiness　of　their　writings；　their　impertinent　pride　and　their　unwarranted　blunders；　have　disgusted　me。　　Whoever；　knowing　them；　pardons　them；　may　read　them。

〃I　have　severely　blamed　the　learned　Christian　Church：　it　was　my　duty。　　This　blame　results　from　the　facts　which　I　call　attention　to：　why　has　the　Church　decreed　concerning　things　which　it　does　not　understand？　　The　Church　has　erred　in　dogma　and　in　morals；　physics　and　mathematics　testify　against　her。　　It　may　be　wrong　for　me　to　say　it；　but　surely　it　is　unfortunate　for　Christianity　that　it　is　true。　　To　restore　religion；　gentlemen；　it　is　necessary　to　condemn　the　Church。

〃Perhaps　you　will　regret；　gentlemen；　that；　in　giving　all　my　attention　to　method　and　evidence；　I　have　too　much　neglected　form　and　style：　in　vain　should　I　have　tried　to　do　better。　　Literary　hope　and　faith　I　have　none。　　The　nineteenth　century　is；　in　my　eyes；　a　genesic　era；　in　which　new　principles　are　elaborated；　but　in　which　nothing　that　is　written　shall　endure。　　That　is　the　reason；　in　my　opinion；　why；　among　so　many　men　of　talent；　France　to…day　counts　not　one　great　writer。　　In　a　society　like　ours；　to　seek　for　literary　glory　seems　to　me　an　anachronism。　　Of　what　use　is　it　to　invoke　an　ancient　sibyl　when　a　muse　is　on　the　eve　of　birth？　　Pitiable　actors　in　a　tragedy　nearing　its　end；　that　which　it　behooves　us　to　do　is　to　precipitate　the　catastrophe。　　The　most　deserving　among　us　is　he　who　plays　best　this　part。　　Well；　I　no　longer　aspire　to　this　sad　success！

〃Why　should　I　not　confess　it；　gentlemen？　　I　have　aspired　to　your　suffrages　and　sought　the　title　of　your　pensioner；　hating　all　which　exists　and　full　of　projects　for　its　destruction；　I　shall　finish　this　investigation　in　a　spirit　of　calm　and　philosophical　resignation。　　I　have　derived　more　peace　from　the　knowledge　of　the　truth；　than　anger　from　the　feeling　of　oppression；　and　the　most　precious　fruit　that　I　could　wish　to　gather　from　this　memoir　would　be　the　inspiration　of　my　readers　with　that　tranquillity　of　soul　which　arises　from　the　clear　perception　of　evil　and　its　cause；　and　which　is　much　more　powerful　than　passion　and　enthusiasm。　　My　hatred　of　privilege　and　human　authority　was　unbounded；　perhaps　at　times　I　have　been　guilty；　in　my　indignation；　of　confounding　persons　and　things；　at　present　I　can　only　despise　and　complain；　to　cease　to　hate　I　only　needed　to　know。

〃It　is　for　you　now；　gentlemen；　whose　mission　and　character　are　the　proclamation　of　the　truth；　it　is　for　you　to　instruct　the　people；　and　to　tell　them　for　what　they　ought　to　hope　and　what　they　ought　to　fear。　　The　people；　incapable　as　yet　of　sound　judgment　as　to　what　is　best　for　them；　applaud　indiscriminately　the　most　opposite　ideas；　provided　that　in　them　they　get　a　taste　of　flattery：　to　them　the　laws　of　thought　are　like　the　confines　of　the　possible；　to…day　they　can　no　more　distinguish　between　a　savant　and　a　sophist；　than　formerly　they　could　tell　a　physician　from　a　sorcerer。　　‘Inconsiderately　accepting；　gathering　together；　and　accumulating　everything　that　is　new；　regarding　all　reports　as　true　and　indubitable；　at　the　breath　or　ring　of　novelty　they　assemble　like　bees　at　the　sound　of　a　basin。'＇1＇

＇1＇　Charron；　on　〃Wisdom；〃　Chapter　xviii。




〃May　you；　gentlemen；　desire　equality　as　I　myself　desire　it；　may　you；　for　the　eternal　happiness　of　our　country；　become　its　propagators　and　its　heralds；　may　I　be　the　last　of　your　pensioners！　　Of　all　the　wishes　that　I　can　frame；　that；　gentlemen；　is　the　most　worthy　of　you　and　the　most　honorable　for　me。

〃I　am；　with　the　profoundest　respect　and　the　most　earnest　gratitude；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Your　pensioner；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃P。　J。　PROUDHON。〃


Two　months　after　the　receipt　of　this　letter；　the　Academy；　in　its　debate　of　August　24th；　replied　to　the　address　of　its　pensioner　by　a　note；　the　text　of　which　I　give　below：


〃A　member　calls　the　attention　of　the　Academy　to　a　pamphlet；　published　last　June　by　the　titulary　of　the　Suard　pension；　entitled；　〃What　is　property？〃　and　dedicated　by　the　author　to　the　Academy。　　He　is　of　the　opinion　that　the　society　owes　it　to　justice；　to　example；　and　to　its　own　dignity；　to　publicly　disavow　all　responsibility　for　the　anti…social　doctrines　contained　in　this　publication。　　In　consequence　he　demands：

〃1。　　That　the　Academy　disavow　and　condemn；　in　the　most　formal　manner；　the　work　of　the　Suard　pensioner；　as　having　been　published　without　its　assent；　and　as　attributing　to　it　opinions　diametrically　opposed　to　the　principles　of　each　of　its　members；


〃2。　　That　the　pensioner　be　charged；　in　case　he　should　publish　a　second　edition　of　his　book；　to　omit　the　dedication；

〃3。　　That　this　judgment　of　the　Academy　be　placed　upon　the　records。

〃These　three　propositions；　put　to　vote；　are　adopted。〃


After　this　ludicrous　decree；　which　its　authors　thought　to　render　powerful　by　giving　it　the　form　of　a　contradiction；　I　can　only　beg　the　reader　not　to　measure　the　intelligence　of　my　compatriots　by　that　of　our　Academy。

While　my　patrons　in　the　social　and　political　sciences　were　fulminating　anathemas　against　my　brochure；　a　man；　who　was　a　stranger　to　Franche…Comte；　who　did　not　know　me；　who　might　even　have　regarded　himself　as　personally　attacked　by　the　too　sharp　judgment　which　I　had　passed　upon　the　economists；　a　publicist　as　learned　as　he　was　modest；　loved　by　the　people　whose　sorrows　he　felt；　honored　by　the　power　which　he　sought　to　enlighten　without　flattering　or　disgracing　it；　M。　Blanquimember　of　the　Institute；　professor　of　political　economy；　defender　of　propertytook　up　my　defence　before　his　associates　and　before　the　ministry；　and　saved　me　from　the　blows　of　a　justice　which　is　always　blind；　because　it　is　always　ignorant。

It　seems　to　me　that　the　reader　will　peruse　with　pleasure　the　letter　which　M。　Blanqui　did　me　the　honor　to　write　to　me　upon　the　publication　of　my　second　memoir；　a　letter　as　honorable　to　its　author　as　it　is　flattering　to　him　to　whom　it　is　addressed。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃PARIS；　May　1；　1841。

〃MONSIEUR；I　haste