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

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XXll INTRO D UCTION. sessions by virtue of an agreement only.” Elsewhere he thus sums up the conflict between the rich and the poor ; “ It is an obscure but terrible combat, in which the powerful, shielded by the law, oppress the feeble, and where property crushes labour by the weight of its prerogative. The capitalists have the power of giving only the minimum salary in exchange for labour. They always impose the law ; the labourers are obliged to receive it. ’ 1 he idea which Montesquieu borrowed from Aristotle, namely, that democracy should have for basis a grand equality of conditions, is reproduced on all sides. Rabaud Saint Etienne desires that equality of wealth should be established, not by force, but by law, and should be main tained by laws calculated to prevent future inequalities. “ In a well-ordered republic, no person would be without some property” (Report of Barrère, 22 Floréal, year IL). “ Wealth and opulence should both disappear before the reign of equality ” (Order of the Commune of Paris, 3 Frimaire, year III.). “A real equality is the ultimate aim of social science ” (Condorcet, Progrh de LEsprit Humain, II., 59). “ We wish to apply to politics the same equality that the Gospel grants to Christians” (Baudot, quoted by Quinet, Revolution Française, IL, 407). “Opulence is infamous” (Saint-Just). “The richest Frenchman should not have an income of more than 300 livres ” (Robespierre). “ Ut redeat miseris, abeat fortuna superbis," is the motto of Marat’s paper, d he idea of the French Revolution, freed from the extrava gances of the contest, is exactly summed up by the philosopher Joubert, when he says, “ Men are born unequal. It is the great benefit of society to diminish this inequality as much as possible, by granting to all security, a competency, education, and help” {Pensées, XIV., Du Gouvernement et des Consti tutions, XXXVIIL). At the very time that equal rights were granted to all men, a change in the methods of production brought about a pro found alteration in the condition of the workers. By losing their ancient guarantees they became more dependent ; and while raised to the rank of sovereign in the political régime, in the economic order they fell to the condition of hirelings.

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