What　is　Property？
  P。　J。　Proudhon
  AN　INQUIRY　INTO　THE　PRINCIPLE　OF
  RIGHT　AND　OF　GOVERNMENT
  P。　J。　Proudhon
  CONTENTS。
  P。　J。　PROUDHON：　　HIS　LIFE　AND　HIS　WORKS
  PREFACE
  FIRST　MEMOIR
  CHAPTER　I。
  METHOD　PURSUED　IN　THIS　WORK。THE　IDEA　OF　A　REVOLUTION
  CHAPTER　II。
  PROPERTY　CONSIDERED　AS　A　NATURAL　RIGHT。OCCUPATION　AND　CIVIL　LAW　AS　EFFICIENT　BASES　OF　PROPERTY。DEFINITIONS　％　1。　　Property　as　a　Natural　Right。　％　2。　　Occupation　as　the　Title　to　Property。　％　3。　　Civil　Law　as　the　Foundation　and　Sanction　of　Property。
  CHAPTER　III。
  LABOR　AS　THE　EFFICIENT　CAUSE　OF　THE　DOMAIN　OF　PROPERTY　％　1。　　The　Land　cannot　be　appropriated。　％　2。　　Universal　Consent　no　Justification　of　Property。　％　3。　　Prescription　gives　no　Title　to　Property。　％　4。　　Labor。That　Labor　has　no　Inherent　Power　to　appropriate　　　　　　　　　　Natural　Wealth。　％　5。　　That　Labor　leads　to　Equality　of　Property。　％　6。　　That　in　Society　all　Wages　are　Equal。　％　7。　　That　Inequality　of　Powers　is　the　Necessary　Condition　of　　　　　　　　　　Equality　of　Fortunes。　％　8。　　That；　from　the　stand…point　of　Justice；　Labor　destroys　　　　　　　　　　Property。
  CHAPTER　IV。
  THAT　PROPERTY　IS　IMPOSSIBLE
  DEMONSTRATION。　　AXIOM。
  Property　is　the　Right　of　Increase　claimed　by　the　Proprietor　over　any　thing　which　he　has　stamped　as　his　own。
  FIRST　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because　it　demands　Something　for　Nothing。
  SECOND　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because；　wherever　it　exists；　Production　costs　more　than　it　is　worth。
  THIRD　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because；　with　a　given　Capital；　Production　is　proportional　to　Labor；　not　to　Property。
  FOURTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because　it　is　Homicide。
  FIFTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because；　if　it　exists；　Society　devours　itself。
  Appendix　to　the　Fifth　Proposition。
  SIXTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because　it　is　the　Mother　of　Tyranny。
  SEVENTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because；　in　consuming　its　Receipts；　it　loses　them；　in　hoarding　them；　it　nullifies　them；　and；　in　using　them　as　Capital；　it　turns　them　against　Production。
  EIGHTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because　its　Power　of　Accumulation　is　infinite；　and　is　exercised　only　over　Finite　Quantities。
  NINTH　PROPOSITION　Property　is　Impossible；　because　it　is　powerless　against　Property。
  TENTH　PROPOSITION。　Property　is　Impossible；　because　it　is　the　Negation　of　Equality。
  CHAPTER　V。　PSYCHOLOGICAL　EXPOSITION　OF　THE　IDEA　OF　JUSTICE　AND　IN　JUSTICE；　AND　A　DETERMINATION　OF　THE　PRINCIPLE　OF　GOVERNMENT　AND　OF　RIGHT。
  PART　1。
  ％　1。　　Of　the　Moral　Sense　in　Man　and　the　Animals。　％　2。　　Of　the　First　and　Second　Degrees　of　Sociability。　％　3。　　Of　the　Third　Degree　of　Sociability。
  PART　I　1。　％　1。　　Of　the　Causes　of　our　Mistakes。　　The　Origin　of　Property。　％　2。　　Characteristics　of　Communism　and　of　Property。　％　3。　　Determination　of　the　Third　Form　of　Society。　　Conclusion。
  SECOND　MEMOIR　LETTER　TO　M。　BLANQUI　ON　PROPERTY
  P。　J。　PROUDHON：
  HIS　LIFE　AND　HIS　WORKS。
  The　correspondence＇1＇　of　P。　J。　Proudhon；　the　first　volumes　of　which　we　publish　to…day；　has　been　collected　since　his　death　by　the　faithful　and　intelligent　labors　of　his　daughter；　aided　by　a　few　friends。　　It　was　incomplete　when　submitted　to　Sainte　Beuve；　but　the　portion　with　which　the　illustrious　academician　became　acquainted　was　sufficient　to　allow　him　to　estimate　it　as　a　whole　with　that　soundness　of　judgment　which　characterized　him　as　a　literary　critic。
  ＇1＇　In　the　French　edition　of　Proudhon's　works；　the　above　sketch　of　his　life　is　prefixed　to　the　first　volume　of　his　correspondence；　but　the　translator　prefers　to　insert　it　here　as　the　best　method　of　introducing　the　author　to　the　American　public。
  He　would；　however；　caution　readers　against　accepting　the　biographer's　interpretation　of　the　author's　views　as　in　any　sense　authoritative；　advising　them；　rather；　to　await　the　publication　of　the　remainder　of　Proudhon's　writings；　that　they　may　form　an　opinion　for　themselves。Translator。
  In　an　important　work；　which　his　habitual　readers　certainly　have　not　forgotten；　although　death　did　not　allow　him　to　finish　it；　Sainte　Beuve　thus　judges　the　correspondence　of　the　great　publicist：
  〃The　letters　of　Proudhon；　even　outside　the　circle　of　his　particular　friends；　will　always　be　of　value；　we　can　always　learn　something　from　them；　and　here　is　the　proper　place　to　determine　the　general　character　of　his　correspondence。
  〃It　has　always　been　large；　especially　since　he　became　so　celebrated；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　am　persuaded　that；　in　the　future；　the　correspondence　of　Proudhon　will　be　his　principal；　vital　work；　and　that　most　of　his　books　will　be　only　accessory　to　and　corroborative　of　this。　　At　any　rate；　his　books　can　be　well　understood　only　by　the　aid　of　his　letters　and　the　continual　explanations　which　he　makes　to　those　who　consult　him　in　their　doubt；　and　request　him　to　define　more　clearly　his　position。
  〃There　are；　among　celebrated　people；　many　methods　of　correspondence。　　There　are　those　to　whom　letter…writing　is　a　bore；　and　who；　assailed　with　questions　and　compliments；　reply　in　the　greatest　haste；　solely　that　the　job　may　be　over　with；　and　who　return　politeness　for　politeness；　mingling　it　with　more　or　less　wit。　　This　kind　of　correspondence；　though　coming　from　celebrated　people；　is　insignificant　and　unworthy　of　collection　and　classification。
  〃After　those　who　write　letters　in　performance　of　a　disagreeable　duty；　and　almost　side　by　side　with　them　in　point　of　insignificance；　I　should　put　those　who　write　in　a　manner　wholly　external；　wholly　superficial；　devoted　only　to　flattery；　lavishing　praise　like　gold；　without　counting　it；　and　those　also　who　weigh　every　word；　who　reply　formally　and　pompously；　with　a　view　to　fine　phrases　and　effects。　　They　exchange　words　only；　and　choose　them　solely　for　their　brilliancy　and　show。　　You　think　it　is　you；　individually；　to　whom　they　speak；　but　they　are　addressing　themselves　in　your　person　to　the　four　corners　of　Europe。　　Such　letters　are　empty；　and　teach　as　nothing　but　theatrical　execution　and　the　favorite　pose　of　their　writers。
  〃I　will　not　class　among　the　latter　the　more　prudent　and　sagacious　authors　who；　when　writing　to　individuals；　keep　one　eye　on　posterity。　　We　know　that　many　who　pursue　this　method　have　written　long；　finished；　charming；　flattering；　and　tolerably　natural　letters。　　Beranger　furnishes　us　with　the　best　example　of　this　class。
  〃Proudhon；　however；　is　a　man　of　entirely　different　nature　and　habits。　　In　writing；　he　thinks　of　nothing　but　his　idea　and　the　person　whom　he　addresses：　ad　rem　et　ad　hominem。　　A　man　of　conviction　and　doctrine；　to　write　does　not　weary　him；　to　be　questioned　does　not　annoy　him。　　When　approached；　he　cares　only　to　know　that　your　motive　is　not　one　of　futile　curiosity；　but　the　love　of　truth；　he　assumes　you　to　be　serious；　he　replies；　he　examines　your　objections；　sometimes　verbally；　sometimes　in　writing；　for；　as　he　remarks；　‘if　there　be　some　points　which　correspondence　can　never　settle；　but　which　can　be　made　clear　by　conversation　in　two　minutes；　at　other　times　just　the　opposite　is　the　case：　an　objection　clearly　stated　in　writing；　a　doubt　well　expressed；　which　elicits　a　direct　and　positive　reply；　helps　things　along　more　than　ten　hours　of　oral　intercourse！'　　In　writing　to　you　he　does　not　hesitate　to　treat　the　subject　anew；　he　unfolds　to　you　the　foundation　and　superstructure　of　his　thought：　rarely　does　he　confess　himself　defeatedit　is　not　his　way；　he　holds　to　his　position；　but　admits　the　breaks；　the　variations；　in　short；　the　EVOLUTION　of　his　mind。　　The　history　of　his　mind　is　in　his　letters；　there　it　must　be　sought。
  〃Proudhon；　whoever　addresses　him；　is　always　ready；　he　quits　the　page　of　the　book　on　which　he　is　at　work　to　answer　you　with　the　same　pen；　and　that　without　losing　patience；　without　getting　confused；　without　sparing　or　complaining　of　his　ink；　he　is　a　public　man；　devoted　to　the　propagation　of　his　idea　by　all　methods；　and　the　best　method；　with　him；　is　always　the　present　one；　the　latest　one。　　His　very　handwriting；　bold；　uniform；　legible；　even　in　the　most　tiresome　passages；　betrays　no　haste；　no　hurry　to　finish。　　Each　line　is　accurate：　nothing　is　left　to　chance；　the　punctuation；　very　correct　and　a　little　emphatic　and　decided；　indicates　with　precision　and　delicate　distinction　all　the　links　in　the　chain　of　his　argument。　　He　is　devoted　entirely　to　you；　to　his　business　and　yours；　while　writing　to　you；　and　never　to　anything　else。　　All　the　letters　of　his　which　I　have　seen　are　serious：　not　one　is　commonplace。
  〃But　at　the　same　time　he　is　not　at　all　artistic　or　affected；　he　does　not　CONSTRUCT　his　letters；　he　does　not　revise　them；　he　spends　no　time　in　reading　them　over；　we　have　a　first　draught；　excellent　and　clear；　a　jet　from　the　fountain…head；　but　that　is　all。　　The　new　arguments；　which　he　discovers　in　support　of　his　ideas　and　which　opposition　suggests　to　him；　are　an　agreeable　surprise；　and　shed　a　light　which　we　should　vainly　search　for　even　in　his　works。　　His　correspondence　differs　essentially　from　his　books；　in　that　it　gives　you　no　uneasiness；　it　places　you　in　the　very　heart　of　the　man；　explains　him　to　you；　and　leaves　you　with　an　impression　of　moral　esteem　and　almost　of　intellectual　security。　　We　feel　his　sincerity。　　I　k