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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THE FORERUNNERS—FICHTE AND MARZO. II tributed ? Must the cause be sought for in the vices of indi viduals, or in the imperfections of the social system ? It was to the elucidation of this problem that Mario dedicated fifteen years of his life, and the three big volumes of his unfinished work. It cannot be said that he was altogether successful but his book contains some original views. He draws a sound comparison between what he calls the pagan and the Christian principle in political economy. The pagan principle sacrifices the masses in order to insure the pleasures and the splendour of a restricted aristocracy, as in the ancient cities. The Christian principle knows only equals, and demands that each should have a share of the produce in proportion to his useful work. The pagan method of making a profit out of the labourer has taken several forms: at first slavery, then serfdom, forced labour, the rights of the feudal lord. To-day there are practical monopolies, “ cornerings,” privileges, and gambling speculations. The Christian principle, on the contrary, according as it per meates our customs and laws, will inaugurate the reign of equity upon earth, and will raise up the down trodden classes, sacrificed of old under the ancient régime. The theory of property laid down by Mario is remarkable. According to him, this right should be so established as to insure the most profitable working of the forces of nature, and at the same time to enable each individual to enjoy the fruits of his own labour. Property based upon slavery is, therefore objectionable; in the first place, because, while withholding from the labourer the incentive of personal interest, it offers no other inducement to him to extort from Nature all she can give; and secondly, because it does not insure to the slave the enjoy ment of the fruits of his labour. Large feudal estates, fettered by the bonds of primogeniture and entail, may in certain respects be favourable to the progress of agriculture, as asserted by the English; but they have the great defect of excluding the majority from all ownership in the soil, and, consequently, from the enjoyment of the total produce of their labour. The ancient collective ownership of the Germans, which was indivisible and inalienable, had the advantage of assuring to each the possession of the means of labour, but it was little favourable to produc-

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