The Socialism of to-day

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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COLLECTIVISM AND LAND NATIONALIZATION 25 I selves, society should take care of them. In the intellectual world there should be a social distribution of knowledge to all, and in the material world a social appropriation of the land and of a large portion of the wealth acquired by past generations, and transformed into capital. Society should give, at the expense of all, a thorough theore tical and practical education to the young, who would thus be enabled to learn, by means of the physical sciences, how to act upon matter, so as to turn it to the best advantage, and, by lueans of the moral sciences, how to behave towards their fellow-men. When they leave the establishments of public education, on coming of age, the youths should go through a sort of probation or apprenticeship for active life, by passing a certain period in the service of the State, thus repaying for the protection accorded to them during their minorities. When those of full age enter into society as active members, each of them should receive as a portion a sum of money taken from the State surplus. At this time three different careers would open before the worker : he could either work on his own account, or in association with others, or, if he should wish to avoid all risks, he could hire himself to another worker who Would direct the enterprise. If he should choose either of the first two careers, society should give him either land or capital to turn to account. For this purpose, the land would be divided into farms of greater or less dimensions according to the locality, the wants of the inhabitants, and the requirements of agriculture. The farms, with the plant necessary to work them, should be let to the highest bidder, who should be for- hidden to sublet Society should also lend capital, so as to oblige private capitalists not to exact a higher rate of interest than that fixed by law. Colins further designed certain other measures intended oither to assure the predominance of labour over capital—in other words, to raise wages as high as possible—or to stimulate the activity of each individual member of society to the highest degree. Measures of the former kind were, the abolition of perpetual interest, and the substitution of annuities during the life of the creditor as a means of repaying debts ; the prohibi-

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