The Socialism of to-day

Bibliographic data

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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

J52 THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. principle was applied to mines and quarries, to forests, and even to arable land. The grounds of this resolution were stated as follows:—“Considering that the necessities of pro duction and the application of agricultural science call for cultivation conducted on a large scale, and require the intro duction of machines and the organization of combined labour in agriculture, and that, moreover, economic evolution itself tends in the same direction,—that, therefore, property in the j soil and agricultural labour ought to be treated on the same footing as mining labour and property in the subsoil; that, ; moreover, the productive quality of the soil is the original ^ material of all products, the primitive source of all wealth, without being itself the product of anybody's labour ; that the alienation to individuals of this indispensable original material | makes all society pay tribute to those to whom it is alienated ;— i the congress thinks that the course of economic evolution will ¿ make the collective ownership of arable land a social necessity, and that the land will be granted out to companies of labourers, ¡ under conditions of guaranty for society and for the cultivator, ç analogous to those necessary in the case of mines and railways.” á Observe how this language differs from that of revolutionaries 1 of Jacobin traditions. The influence of the positivist school, ■ which prides itself on preaching respect for natural laws, is ; plainly felt. It is not revolution, but “ evolution ” which will j lead society to “ collectivism ; ” not the decrees of a conven- tion, but “ social necessities ” that will bring about the trans- | fornlation. The congress, moreover, retains the reserve of / philosophic doubt ; it does not affirm, it “ thinks ” that matters , will thus come to pass. The declarations of the congress, ’ although reduced to a mere expression of opinion, were not carried without vigorous opposition. M. Tolain urgently defended private property in land, at the risk of seeming reactionary. The idea of the collective ownership of arable land had been readily adopted by many Englishmen, under the name of “nationalization of the land. As a few aristocratic families own almost the whole extent o j the British Isles, to assign property in land, there, to the State seems to be a measure which does not offer insurmountab e

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: The Socialism of to-day

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation