e　itself；　I　confess　that　I　know　nothing　more　than　its　principle；　and　I　know　of　no　one　at　present　who　can　boast　of　having　penetrated　deeper。　　Many　people　cry；　〃Come　to　me；　and　I　will　teach　you　the　truth！〃　　These　people　mistake　for　the　truth　their　cherished　opinion　and　ardent　conviction；　which　is　usually　any　thing　but　the　truth。　　The　science　of　societylike　all　human　scienceswill　be　for　ever　incomplete。　　The　depth　and　variety　of　the　questions　which　it　embraces　are　infinite。　　We　hardly　know　the　A　B　C　of　this　science；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　we　have　not　yet　emerged　from　the　period　of　systems；　and　have　not　ceased　to　put　the　authority　of　the　majority　in　the　place　of　facts。　　A　certain　philological　society　decided　linguistic　questions　by　a　plurality　of　votes。　　Our　parliamentary　debateswere　their　results　less　pernicious　would　be　even　more　ridiculous。　　The　task　of　the　true　publicist；　in　the　age　in　which　we　live；　is　to　close　the　mouths　of　quacks　and　charlatans；　and　to　teach　the　public　to　demand　demonstrations；　instead　of　being　contented　with　symbols　and　programmes。　　Before　talking　of　the　science　itself；　it　is　necessary　to　ascertain　its　object；　and　discover　its　method　and　principle。　　The　ground　must　be　cleared　of　the　prejudices　which　encumber　it。　　Such　is　the　mission　of　the　nineteenth　century。
  For　my　part；　I　have　sworn　fidelity　to　my　work　of　demolition；　and　I　will　not　cease　to　pursue　the　truth　through　the　ruins　and　rubbish。　　I　hate　to　see　a　thing　half　done；　and　it　will　be　believed　without　any　assurance　of　mine；　that；　having　dared　to　raise　my　hand　against　the　Holy　Ark；　I　shall　not　rest　contented　with　the　removal　of　the　cover。　　The　mysteries　of　the　sanctuary　of　iniquity　must　be　unveiled；　the　tables　of　the　old　alliance　broken；　and　all　the　objects　of　the　ancient　faith　thrown　in　a　heap　to　the　swine。　　A　charter　has　been　given　to　us；a　resume　of　political　science；　the　monument　of　twenty　legislatures。　　A　code　has　been　written；the　pride　of　a　conqueror；　and　the　summary　of　ancient　wisdom。　　Well！　of　this　charter　and　this　code　not　one　article　shall　be　left　standing　upon　another！　　The　time　has　come　for　the　wise　to　choose　their　course；　and　prepare　for　reconstruction。　　　But；　since　a　destroyed　error　necessarily　implies　a　counter…truth；　I　will　not　finish　this　treatise　without　solving　the　first　problem　of　political　science；that　which　receives　the　attention　of　all　minds。
  WHEN　PROPERTY　IS　ABOLISHED；　WHAT　WILL　BE　THE　FORM　OF　SOCIETY！　　WILL　IT　BE　COMMUNISM？
  PART　SECOND。
  ％　1。Of　the　Causes　of　our　Mistakes。　　The　Origin　of　Property。
  The　true　form　of　human　society　cannot　be　determined　until　the　following　question　has　been　solved：
  Property　not　being　our　natural　condition；　how　did　it　gain　a　foothold？　　Why　has　the　social　instinct；　so　trustworthy　among　the　animals；　erred　in　the　case　of　man？　　Why　is　man；　who　was　born　for　society；　not　yet　associated？
  I　have　said　that　human　society　is　COMPLEX　in　its　nature。　　Though　this　expression　is　inaccurate；　the　fact　to　which　it　refers　is　none　the　less　true；　namely；　the　classification　of　talents　and　capacities。　　But　who　does　not　see　that　these　talents　and　capacities；　owing　to　their　infinite　variety；　give　rise　to　an　infinite　variety　of　wills；　and　that　the　character；　the　inclinations；　andif　I　may　venture　to　use　the　expressionthe　form　of　the　ego；　are　necessarily　changed；　so　that　in　the　order　of　liberty；　as　in　the　order　of　intelligence；　there　are　as　many　types　as　individuals；　as　many　characters　as　heads；　whose　tastes；　fancies；　and　propensities；　being　modified　by　dissimilar　ideas；　must　necessarily　conflict？　　Man；　by　his　nature　and　his　instinct；　is　predestined　to　society；　but　his　personality；　ever　varying；　is　adverse　to　it。
  In　societies　of　animals；　all　the　members　do　exactly　the　same　things。　　The　same　genius　directs　them；　the　same　will　animates　them。　　A　society　of　beasts　is　a　collection　of　atoms；　round；　hooked；　cubical；　or　triangular；　but　always　perfectly　identical。　　These　personalities　do　not　vary；　and　we　might　say　that　a　single　ego　governs　them　all。　　The　labors　which　animals　perform；　whether　alone　or　in　society；　are　exact　reproductions　of　their　character。　　Just　as　the　swarm　of　bees　is　composed　of　individual　bees；　alike　in　nature　and　equal　in　value；　so　the　honeycomb　is　formed　of　individual　cells；　constantly　and　invariably　repeated。
  But　man's　intelligence；　fitted　for　his　social　destiny　and　his　personal　needs；　is　of　a　very　different　composition；　and　therefore　gives　rise　to　a　wonderful　variety　of　human　wills。　　In　the　bee；　the　will　is　constant　and　uniform；　because　the　instinct　which　guides　it　is　invariable；　and　constitutes　the　animal's　whole　life　and　nature。　　In　man；　talent　varies；　and　the　mind　wavers；　consequently；　his　will　is　multiform　and　vague。　　He　seeks　society；　but　dislikes　constraint　and　monotony；　he　is　an　imitator；　but　fond　of　his　own　ideas；　and　passionately　in　love　with　his　works。
  If；　like　the　bees；　every　man　were　born　possessed　of　talent；　perfect　knowledge　of　certain　kinds；　and；　in　a　word；　an　innate　acquaintance　with　the　functions　he　has　to　perform；　but　destitute　of　reflective　and　reasoning　faculties；　society　would　organize　itself。　　We　should　see　one　man　plowing　a　field；　another　building　houses；　this　one　forging　metals；　that　one　cutting　clothes；　and　still　others　storing　the　products；　and　superintending　their　distribution。　　Each　one；　without　inquiring　as　to　the　object　of　his　labor；　and　without　troubling　himself　about　the　extent　of　his　task；　would　obey　orders；　bring　his　product；　receive　his　salary；　and　would　then　rest　for　a　time；　keeping　meanwhile　no　accounts；　envious　of　nobody；　and　satisfied　with　the　distributor；　who　never　would　be　unjust　to　any　one。　　Kings　would　govern；　but　would　not　reign；　for　to　reign　is　to　be　a　_proprietor　a　l'engrais_；　as　Bonaparte　said：　and　having　no　commands　to　give；　since　all　would　be　at　their　posts；　they　would　serve　rather　as　rallying　centres　than　as　authorities　or　counsellors。　　It　would　be　a　state　of　ordered　communism；　but　not　a　society　entered　into　deliberately　and　freely。
  But　man　acquires　skill　only　by　observation　and　experiment。　　He　reflects；　then；　since　to　observe　and　experiment　is　to　reflect；　he　reasons；　since　he　cannot　help　reasoning。　　In　reflecting；　he　becomes　deluded；　in　reasoning；　he　makes　mistakes；　and；　thinking　himself　right；　persists　in　them。　　He　is　wedded　to　his　opinions；　he　esteems　himself；　and　despises　others。　　Consequently；　he　isolates　himself；　for　he　could　not　submit　to　the　majority　without　renouncing　his　will　and　his　reason；that　is；　without　disowning　himself；　which　is　impossible。　　And　this　isolation；　this　intellectual　egotism；　this　individuality　of　opinion；　lasts　until　the　truth　is　demonstrated　to　him　by　observation　and　experience。　A　final　illustration　will　make　these　facts　still　clearer。
  If　to　the　blind　but　convergent　and　harmonious　instincts　of　a　swarm　of　bees　should　be　suddenly　added　reflection　and　judgment；　the　little　society　could　not　long　exist。　　In　the　first　place；　the　bees　would　not　fail　to　try　some　new　industrial　process；　for　instance；　that　of　making　their　cells　round　or　square。　　All　sorts　of　systems　and　inventions　would　be　tried；　until　long　experience；　aided　by　geometry；　should　show　them　that　the　hexagonal　shape　is　the　best。　　Then　insurrections　would　occur。　　The　drones　would　be　told　to　provide　for　themselves；　and　the　queens　to　labor；　jealousy　would　spread　among　the　laborers；　discords　would　burst　forth；　soon　each　one　would　want　to　produce　on　his　own　account；　and　finally　the　hive　would　be　abandoned；　and　the　bees　would　perish。　　Evil　would　be　introduced　into　the　honey…producing　republic　by　the　power　of　reflection；the　very　faculty　which　ought　to　constitute　its　glory。
  Thus；　moral　evil；　or；　in　this　case；　disorder　in　society；　is　naturally　explained　by　our　power　of　reflection。　　The　mother　of　poverty；　crime；　insurrection；　and　war　was　inequality　of　conditions；　which　was　the　daughter　of　property；　which　was　born　of　selfishness；　which　was　engendered　by　private　opinion；　which　descended　in　a　direct　line　from　the　autocracy　of　reason。　　Man；　in　his　infancy；　is　neither　criminal　nor　barbarous；　but　ignorant　and　inexperienced。　　Endowed　with　imperious　instincts　which　are　under　the　control　of　his　reasoning　faculty；　at　first　he　reflects　but　little；　and　reasons　inaccurately；　then；　benefiting　by　his　mistakes；　he　rectifies　his　ideas；　and　perfects　his　reason。　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　the　savage　sacrificing　all　his　possessions　for　a　trinket；　and　then　repenting　and　weeping；　it　is　Esau　selling　his　birthright　for　a　mess　of　pottage；　and　afterwards　wishing　to　cancel　the　bargain；　it　is　the　civilized　workman　laboring　in　insecurity；　and　continually　demanding　that　his　wages　be　increased；　neither　he　nor　his　employer　understanding　that；　in　the　absence　of　equality；　any　salary；　however　large；　is　always　insufficient。　　Then　it　is　Naboth　dying　to　defend　his　inheritance；　Cato　tearing　out　his　entrails　that　he　might　not　be　enslaved；　Socrates　drinking　the　fatal　cup　in　defence　of　liberty　of　thought；　it　is　the　third　estate　of　'89　reclaiming　its　liberty：　soon　it　will　be　the　people　demanding　equality　of　wages　and　an　equal　division　of　the　means　of　production。
  Man　is　born　a　social　being；that　is；　he　seeks　equality　and　justice　in　all　his　relations；　but　he　loves　independence　and　praise。　　The　difficult