what is property-第30部分

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LABOR　and　SKILL　remain；　or；　as　St。　Simon　puts　it；　RESULTS　and　CAPACITIES。　　I　will　examine　them　successively。

Should　wages　be　governed　by　labor？　　In　other　words；　is　it　just　that　he　who　does　the　most　should　get　the　most？　　I　beg　the　reader　to　pay　the　closest　attention　to　this　point。

To　solve　the　problem　with　one　stroke；　we　have　only　to　ask　ourselves　the　following　question：　　〃Is　labor　a　CONDITION　or　a　STRUGGLE？〃　　The　reply　seems　plain。

God　said　to　man；　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　face　shalt　thou　eat　bread；〃that　is；　thou　shalt　produce　thy　own　bread：　with　more　or　less　ease；　according　to　thy　skill　in　directing　and　combining　thy　efforts；　thou　shalt　labor。　　God　did　not　say；　〃Thou　shalt　quarrel　with　thy　neighbor　for　thy　bread；〃　but；　〃Thou　shalt　labor　by　the　side　of　thy　neighbor；　and　ye　shall　dwell　together　in　harmony。〃　　Let　us　develop　the　meaning　of　this　law；　the　extreme　simplicity　of　which　renders　it　liable　to　misconstruction。

In　labor；　two　things　must　be　noticed　and　distinguished：　ASSOCIATION　and　AVAILABLE　MATERIAL。

In　so　far　as　laborers　are　associated；　they　are　equal；　and　it　involves　a　contradiction　to　say　that　one　should　be　paid　more　than　another。　　For；　as　the　product　of　one　laborer　can　be　paid　for　only　in　the　product　of　another　laborer；　if　the　two　products　are　unequal；　the　remainderor　the　difference　between　the　greater　and　the　smallerwill　not　be　acquired　by　society；　and；　therefore；　not　being　exchanged；　will　not　affect　the　equality　of　wages。　　There　will　result；　it　is　true；　in　favor　of　the　stronger　laborer　a　natural　inequality；　but　not　a　social　inequality；　no　one　having　suffered　by　his　strength　and　productive　energy。　　In　a　word；　society　exchanges　only　equal　productsthat　is；　rewards　no　labor　save　that　performed　for　her　benefit；　consequently；　she　pays　all　laborers　equally：　with　what　they　produce　outside　of　her　sphere　she　has　no　more　to　do；　than　with　the　difference　in　their　voices　and　their　hair。

I　seem　to　be　positing　the　principle　of　inequality：　the　reverse　of　this　is　the　truth。　　The　total　amount　of　labor　which　can　be　performed　for　society　（that　is；　of　labor　susceptible　of　exchange）；　being；　within　a　given　space；　as　much　greater　as　the　laborers　are　more　numerous；　and　as　the　task　assigned　to　each　is　less　in　magnitude；it　follows　that　natural　inequality　neutralizes　itself　in　proportion　as　association　extends；　and　as　the　quantity　of　consumable　values　produced　thereby　increases。　　So　that　in　society　the　only　thing　which　could　bring　back　the　inequality　of　labor　would　be　the　right　of　occupancy；the　right　of　property。

Now；　suppose　that　this　daily　social　task　consists　in　the　ploughing；　hoeing；　or　reaping　of　two　square　decameters；　and　that　the　average　time　required　to　accomplish　it　is　seven　hours：　one　laborer　will　finish　it　in　six　hours；　another　will　require　eight；　the　majority；　however；　will　work　seven。　　But　provided　each　one　furnishes　the　quantity　of　labor　demanded　of　him；　whatever　be　the　time　he　employs；　they　are　entitled　to　equal　wages。

Shall　the　laborer　who　is　capable　of　finishing　his　task　in　six　hours　have　the　right；　on　the　ground　of　superior　strength　and　activity；　to　usurp　the　task　of　the　less　skilful　laborer；　and　thus　rob　him　of　his　labor　and　bread？　　Who　dares　maintain　such　a　proposition？　　He　who　finishes　before　the　others　may　rest；　if　he　chooses；　he　may　devote　himself　to　useful　exercise　and　labors　for　the　maintenance　of　his　strength；　and　the　culture　of　his　mind；　and　the　pleasure　of　his　life。　　This　he　can　do　without　injury　to　any　one：　but　let　him　confine　himself　to　services　which　affect　him　solely。　　Vigor；　genius；　diligence；　and　all　the　personal　advantages　which　result　therefrom；　are　the　work　of　Nature　and；　to　a　certain　extent；　of　the　individual；　society　awards　them　the　esteem　which　they　merit：　but　the　wages　which　it　pays　them　is　measured；　not　by　their　power；　but　by　their　production。　　Now；　the　product　of　each　is　limited　by　the　right　of　all。

If　the　soil　were　infinite　in　extent；　and　the　amount　of　available　material　were　exhaustless；　even　then　we　could　not　accept　this　maxim；TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　LABOR。　　And　why？　　Because　society；　I　repeat；　whatever　be　the　number　of　its　subjects；　is　forced　to　pay　them　all　the　same　wages；　since　she　pays　them　only　in　their　own　products。　　Only；　on　the　hypothesis　just　made；　inasmuch　as　the　strong　cannot　be　prevented　from　using　all　their　advantages；　the　inconveniences　of　natural　inequality　would　reappear　in　the　very　bosom　of　social　equality。　　But　the　land；　considering　the　productive　power　of　its　inhabitants　and　their　ability　to　multiply；　is　very　limited；　further；　by　the　immense　variety　of　products　and　the　extreme　division　of　labor；　the　social　task　is　made　easy　of　accomplishment。　　Now；　through　this　limitation　of　things　producible；　and　through　the　ease　of　producing　them；　the　law　of　absolute　equality　takes　effect。

Yes；　life　is　a　struggle。　　But　this　struggle　is　not　between　man　and　manit　is　between　man　and　Nature；　and　it　is　each　one's　duty　to　take　his　share　in　it。　　If；　in　the　struggle；　the　strong　come　to　the　aid　of　the　weak；　their　kindness　deserves　praise　and　love；　but　their　aid　must　be　accepted　as　a　free　gift；not　imposed　by　force；　nor　offered　at　a　price。　　All　have　the　same　career　before　them；　neither　too　long　nor　too　difficult；　whoever　finishes　it　finds　his　reward　at　the　end：　it　is　not　necessary　to　get　there　first。

In　printing…offices；　where　the　laborers　usually　work　by　the　job；　the　compositor　receives　so　much　per　thousand　letters　set；　the　pressman　so　much　per　thousand　sheets　printed。　　There；　as　elsewhere；　inequalities　of　talent　and　skill　are　to　be　found。　　When　there　is　no　prospect　of　dull　times　（for　printing　and　typesetting；　like　all　other　trades；　sometimes　come　to　a　stand…　still）；　every　one　is　free　to　work　his　hardest；　and　exert　his　faculties　to　the　utmost：　he　who　does　more　gets　more；　he　who　does　less　gets　less。　　When　business　slackens；　compositors　and　pressmen　divide　up　their　labor；　all　monopolists　are　detested　as　no　better　than　robbers　or　traitors。

There　is　a　philosophy　in　the　action　of　these　printers；　to　which　neither　economists　nor　legists　have　ever　risen。　　If　our　legislators　had　introduced　into　their　codes　the　principle　of　distributive　justice　which　governs　printing…offices；　if　they　had　observed　the　popular　instincts；not　for　the　sake　of　servile　imitation；　but　in　order　to　reform　and　generalize　them；long　ere　this　liberty　and　equality　would　have　been　established　on　an　immovable　basis；　and　we　should　not　now　be　disputing　about　the　right　of　property　and　the　necessity　of　social　distinctions。

It　has　been　calculated　that　if　labor　were　equally　shared　by　the　whole　number　of　able…bodied　individuals；　the　average　　working…day　of　each　individual；　in　France；　would　not　exceed　five　hours。　　This　being　so；　how　can　we　presume　to　talk　of　the　inequality　of　laborers？　　It　is　the　LABOR　of　Robert　Macaire　that　causes　inequality。

The　principle；　TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　LABOR；　interpreted　to　mean；　WHO　WORKS　MOST　SHOULD　RECEIVE　MOST；　is　based；　therefore；　on　two　palpable　errors：　one；　an　error　in　economy；　that　in　the　labor　of　society　tasks　must　necessarily　be　unequal；　the　other；　an　error　in　physics；　that　there　is　no　limit　to　the　amount　of　producible　things。

〃But；〃　it　will　be　said；　〃suppose　there　are　some　people　who　wish　to　perform　only　half　of　their　task？〃　。　。　。　　Is　that　very　embarrassing？　　Probably　they　are　satisfied　with　half　of　their　salary。　　Paid　according　to　the　labor　that　they　had　performed；　of　what　could　they　complain？　and　what　injury　would　they　do　to　others？　　In　this　sense；　it　is　fair　to　apply　the　maxim；TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　RESULTS。　　It　is　the　law　of　equality　itself。

Further；　numerous　difficulties；　relative　to　the　police　system　and　the　organization　of　industry；　might　be　raised　here。　　I　will　reply　to　them　all　with　this　one　sentence；that　they　must　all　be　solved　by　the　principle　of　equality。　　Thus；　some　one　might　observe；　〃Here　is　a　task　which　cannot　be　postponed　without　detriment　to　production。　　Ought　society　to　suffer　from　the　negligence　of　a　few？　and　will　she　not　ventureout　of　respect　for　the　right　of　laborto　assure　with　her　own　hands　the　product　which　they　refuse　her？　　In　such　a　case；　to　whom　will　the　salary　belong？〃

To　society；　who　will　be　allowed　to　perform　the　labor；　either　herself；　or　through　her　representatives；　but　always　in　such　a　way　that　the　general　equality　shall　never　be　violated；　and　that　only　the　idler　shall　be　punished　for　his　idleness。　　Further；　if　society　may　not　use　excessive　severity　towards　her　lazy　members；　she　has　a　right；　in　self…defence；　to　guard　against　abuses。

But　every　industry　needsthey　will　addleaders；　instructors；　superintendents；　&c。　　Will　these　be　engaged　in　the　general　task？　　No；　since　their　task　is　to　lead；　instruct；　and　superintend。　　But　they　must　be　chosen　from　the　laborers　by　the　laborers　themselves；　and　must　fulfil　the　conditions　of　eligibility。　　It　is　the　same　with　all　public　functions；　whether　of　administration　or　instruction。

Then；　article　first　of　the　universal　constitution　will　be：

〃The　limited　quantity　of　available　material　proves　the　necessity　of　dividing　the　labor　among　the　whole　number　of　laborers。　　The　capacity；　given　to　all；　of　accomplishing　a　social　task；that　is；　an　equal　task；and　the　impossibility　of　paying　one　laborer　save　in　the　products　of　another；　justify　the　equality　of　wages。〃


％　7。That　Inequality　of　Powers　is　the　Necessary　Condition　of　Equality　of　Fortunes。


It　is　objected；and　this　objection　constitutes　the　second　part　of　the　St。　Simonian；　and　the　third　part　of　the　Fourierstic；　maxims；

〃That　all　kinds　of　labor　cannot　be　executed　with　equal　ease。　　Some　require　great　superiority　of　skill　and　intelligence；　and　on　this　superiority　is　based　the　price。　　The　artist；　the　savant；　the　poet；　the　statesman；　are　esteemed　only　because　of　their　excellence；　and　this　excellence　destroys　all　similitude　between　them　and　other　men：　in　the　presence　of　these　heights　of　science　and　genius　the　law　of　equality　disappears。　　Now；　if　equality　is　not　absolute；　there　is　no　equality。　　From　the　poet　we　descend　to　the　novelist；　from　the　sculptor　to　the　stonecutter；　from　the　architect　to　the　mason；　from　the　chemist　to　the　cook；　&c。　　Capacities　are　classified　and　subdivided　into　orders；　genera；　and　species。　　The　extremes　of　talent　are　connected　by　intermediat