what is property-第8节

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ns　on　Italian　Unity。〃　　He　hoped　to　publish　during　the　same　year　his　work　on　〃The　Political　Capacity　of　the　Working　Classes；〃　but　was　unable　to　write　the　last　chapter。　。　。　。　　He　grew　weaker　continually。　　His　doctor　prescribed　rest。　　In　the　month　of　August　he　went　to　Franche…Comte；　where　he　spent　a　month。　　Having　returned　to　Paris；　he　resumed　his　labor　with　difficulty。　。　。　。　　From　the　month　of　December　onwards；　the　heart　disease　made　rapid　progress；　the　oppression　became　insupportable；　his　legs　were　swollen；　and　he　could　not　sleep。　。　。　。

On　the　19th　of　January；　1865；　he　died；　towards　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　in　the　arms　of　his　wife；　his　sister…in…law；　and　the　friend　who　writes　these　lines。　。　。　。

The　publication　of　his　correspondence；　to　which　his　daughter　Catherine　is　faithfully　devoted；　will　tend；　no　doubt；　to　increase　his　reputation　as　a　thinker；　as　a　writer；　and　as　an　honest　man。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　J。　A。　LANGLOIS。


PREFACE。

The　following　letter　served　as　a　preface　to　the　first　edition　of　this　memoir：


〃To　the　Members　of　the　Academy　of　Besancon　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃PARIS；　June　30；　1840。


〃GENTLEMEN；In　the　course　of　your　debate　of　the　9th　of　May；　1833；　in　regard　to　the　triennial　pension　established　by　Madame　Suard；　you　expressed　the　following　wish：

〃‘The　Academy　requests　the　titulary　to　present　it　annually；　during　the　first　fortnight　in　July；　with　a　succinct　and　logical　statement　of　the　various　studies　which　he　has　pursued　during　the　year　which　has　just　expired。'

〃I　now　propose；　gentlemen；　to　discharge　this　duty。

〃When　I　solicited　your　votes；　I　boldly　avowed　my　intention　to　bend　my　efforts　to　the　discovery　of　some　means　of　AMELIORATING　　THE　PHYSICAL；　MORAL；　AND　INTELLECTUAL　CONDITION　OF　THE　MERE　NUMEROUS　AND　POORER　CLASSES。　　This　idea；　foreign　as　it　may　have　seemed　to　the　object　of　my　candidacy；　you　received　favorably；　and；　by　the　precious　distinction　with　which　it　has　been　your　pleasure　to　honor　me；　you　changed　this　formal　offer　into　an　inviolable　and　sacred　obligation。　　Thenceforth　I　understood　with　how　worthy　and　honorable　a　society　I　had　to　deal：　my　regard　for　its　enlightenment；　my　recognition　of　its　benefits；　my　enthusiasm　for　its　glory；　were　unbounded。

〃Convinced　at　once　that；　in　order　to　break　loose　from　the　beaten　paths　of　opinions　and　systems；　it　was　necessary　to　proceed　in　my　study　of　man　and　society　by　scientific　methods；　and　in　a　rigorous　manner；　I　devoted　one　year　to　philology　and　grammar；　linguistics；　or　the　natural　history　of　speech；　being；　of　all　the　sciences；　that　which　was　best　suited　to　the　character　of　my　mind；　seemed　to　bear　the　closest　relation　to　the　researches　which　I　was　about　to　commence。　　A　treatise；　written　at　this　period　upon　one　of　the　most　interesting　questions　of　comparative　grammar；＇1＇　if　it　did　not　reveal　the　astonishing　success；　at　least　bore　witness　to　the　thoroughness；　of　my　labors。

＇1＇　〃An　Inquiry　into　Grammatical　Classifications。〃　　By　P。　J。　Proudhon。　　A　treatise　which　received　honorable　mention　from　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