第 24 节
作者:一意孤行      更新:2021-10-16 18:41      字数:9311
  line   of   thought   would   be   banned;   unless   by   influence   or   corruption   the
  thinker could crawl into the good graces of the pundits。 These results are
  not   foreseen   by   Socialists;   because   they   imagine   that   the   Socialist   State
  will be governed by men like those who now advocate it。 This is; of course;
  a delusion。 The rulers of the State then will bear as little resemblance to
  the pres… ent Socialists as the dignitaries of the Church after the time of
  Constantine   bore   to   the Apostles。   The   men   who   advocate   an   unpopular
  reform are exceptional in disinterestedness and zeal for the public good;
  but those who hold power after the reform has been carried out are likely
  to belong;  in the   main;  to the   ambitious   executive   type   which   has   in   all
  ages possessed itself of the government of nations。 And this type has never
  shown itself tolerant of opposition or friendly to freedom。
  '45'   ‘‘While      holding      this   synthetic     view     on    production;      the
  Anarchists       cannot    consider;    like   the   Collectivists;    that   a  remuneration
  which would be proportionate to the hours of labor spent by each person
  in   the   production   of   riches   may   be   an   ideal;   or   even   an   approach   to   an
  ideal; society。'' Kropotkin; ‘‘Anarchist Communism;'' p。 20。
  It   would   seem;   then;   that   if   the Anarchist   plan   has   its   dangers;   the
  Socialist plan has at least equal dangers。 It is true that the evils we have
  been     foreseeing     under    Socialism      exist   at  present;    but   the  purpose     of
  Socialists is to cure the evils of the world as it is; they cannot be content
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  with the argument that they would make things no worse。
  Anarchism has the advantage as regards liberty; Socialism as regards
  the inducements to work。 Can we not find a method of combining these
  two advantages? It seems to me that we can。
  We   saw   that;   provided   most   people   work   in   moderation;   and   their
  work is rendered   as productive as science and organization   can make   it;
  there is no good reason why the necessaries of life should not be supplied
  freely  to   all。   Our  only  serious   doubt   was   as   to   whether;   in   an Anarchist
  regime; the motives for work would be sufficiently powerful to prevent a
  dan… gerously large amount of idleness。 But it would be easy to decree that;
  though      necessaries      should    be    free   to   all;  whatever      went    beyond
  necessaries should only be given to those who were willing to worknot;
  as is usual at present; only to those in work at any moment; but also to all
  those who; when they happened not to be working; were idle through no
  fault of their own。 We find at present that a man who has a small income
  from   investments;   just   sufficient   to   keep   him   from   actual   want;   almost
  always     prefers    to  find  some    paid   work    in  order    to  be  able   to  afford
  luxuries。   So   it   would   be;   presumably;   in   such   a   community   as   we   are
  imagining。      At   the  same    time;   the   man    who    felt  a  vocation    for  some
  unrecognized work of art or science or thought would be free to follow his
  desire;   provided   he   were   willing   to   ‘‘scorn   delights   and   live   laborious
  days。''   And   the   comparatively   small   number   of   men   with   an   invincible
  horror of workthe sort of men who now become tramps might lead a
  harmless       existence;    without     any    grave     danger     of   their   becoming
  sufficiently numerous to be a serious burden upon the more industrious。 In
  this ways the claims of freedom could be combined with the need of some
  economic stimulus to work。 Such a system; it seems to me; would have a
  far greater chance of success than either pure Anarchism or pure orthodox
  Socialism。
  Stated   in   more   familiar   terms;   the   plan   we   are   advocating   amounts
  essentially to this: that a certain small income; sufficient for necessaries;
  should   be   secured   to   all;   whether   they   work   or   not;   and   that   a   larger
  income;   as   much   larger   as   might   be   warranted   by   the   total   amount   of
  commodities produced; should be given to those who are willing to engage
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  in some work which the community recognizes as useful。 On this basis we
  may build further。 I do not think it is always necessary to pay more highly
  work which is more skilled or regarded as socially more useful; since such
  work is more interesting and more respected than ordinary work; and will
  therefore often be preferred by those who are able to do it。 But we might;
  for instance; give an intermediate income to those who are only willing to
  work half the usual number of hours; and an income above that of most
  workers to those who choose a specially disagreeable trade。 Such a system
  is   perfectly    compatible     with   Socialism;     though    perhaps    hardly    with
  Anarchism。 Of its advantages we shall have more to say at a later stage。
  For the present I am content to urge that it combines freedom with justice;
  and avoids those dangers to the community which we have found to lurk
  both in the proposals of the Anarchists and in those of orthodox Socialists。
  CHAPTER V
  GOVERNMENT AND LAW
  GOVERNMENT             and    Law;    in   their   very   essence;     consist   of
  restrictions on freedom; and freedom is the greatest of political goods。'46'
  A    hasty   reasoner    might    conclude    without    further   ado   that  Law     and
  government are evils which must be abolished if freedom is our goal。 But
  this consequence; true or false; cannot be proved so simply。 In this chapter
  we shall examine the arguments of Anarchists against law and the State。
  We shall proceed on the assumption that freedom is the supreme aim of a
  good   social   system;   but   on   this   very   basis   we   shall   find   the   Anarchist
  contentions very questionable。
  '46'   I   do   not   say   freedom   is   the   greatest   of   ALL   goods:   the   best
  things   come   from  withinthey  are   such   things   as   creative   art;   and   love;
  and thought。 Such things can be helped or hindered by political conditions;
  but not actually produced by them; and freedom is; both in itself and in its
  relation   to   these   other   goods   the   best   thing   that   political   and   economic
  conditions can secure。
  Respect for the liberty of others   is not a   natural impulse with   most
  men: envy and love of power lead ordinary human nature to find pleasure
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  in interferences with the lives of others。 If all men's actions were wholly
  unchecked by external authority; we should not obtain a world in which all
  men would be free。 The strong would oppress the weak; or the majority
  would oppress the minority; or the lovers of violence would oppress   the
  more peaceable people。 I fear it cannot be said that these bad impulses are
  WHOLLY due to a bad social system; though it must be conceded that the
  present competitive organization of society does a great deal to foster the
  worst elements in human nature。 The love of power is an impulse which;
  though innate in very ambitious men; is chiefly promoted as a rule by the
  actual   experience   of   power。   In   a   world   where   none   could   acquire   much
  power;   the   desire   to   tyrannize   would   be   much   less   strong   than   it   is   at
  present。 Nevertheless; I cannot think that it would be wholly absent; and
  those in whom it would exist would often be men of unusual energy and
  executive capacity。 Such men; if they are not restrained by the organized
  will of the community; may either succeed in establishing a despotism; or;
  at any rate; make such a vigorous attempt as can only be defeated through
  a   period   of   prolonged   disturbance。 And   apart   from   the   love   or   political
  power; there is the love of power over individuals。 If threats and terrorism
  were not prevented by law; it can hardly be doubted that cruelty would be
  rife in the relations of men and women; and of parents and children。 It is
  true that the habits of a community can make such cruelty rare; but these
  habits; I fear; are only to be produced through the prolonged reign of law。
  Experience   of   backwoods   communities;