what is property-第83部分

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rieristic　morality　is　quite　Manichean。

The　Gnostics　do　not　differ　from　the　early　Christians。　　As　their　name　indicates；　they　regarded　themselves　as　inspired。　　Fourier；　who　held　peculiar　ideas　concerning　the　visions　of　somnambulists；　and　who　believed　in　the　possibility　of　developing　the　magnetic　power　to　such　an　extent　as　to　enable　us　to　commune　with　invisible　beings；　might；　if　he　were　living；　pass　also　for　a　Gnostic。

The　Adamites　attend　mass　entirely　naked；　from　motives　of　chastity。　　Jean　Jacques　Rousseau；　who　took　the　sleep　of　the　senses　for　chastity；　and　who　saw　in　modesty　only　a　refinement　of　pleasure；　inclined　towards　Adamism。　　I　know　such　a　sect；　whose　members　usually　celebrate　their　mysteries　in　the　costume　of　Venus　coming　from　the　bath。

The　Pre…Adamites　believe　that　men　existed　before　the　first　man。　　I　once　met　a　Pre…Adamite。　　True；　he　was　deaf　and　a　Fourierist。

The　Pelagians　deny　grace；　and　attribute　all　the　merit　of　good　works　to　liberty。　　The　Fourierists；　who　teach　that　man's　nature　and　passions　are　good；　are　reversed　Pelagians；　they　give　all　to　grace；　and　nothing　to　liberty。

The　Socinians；　deists　in　all　other　respects；　admit　an　original　revelation。　　Many　people　are　Socinians　to…day；　who　do　not　suspect　it；　and　who　regard　their　opinions　as　new。

The　Neo…Christians　are　those　simpletons　who　admire　Christianity　because　it　has　produced　bells　and　cathedrals。　　Base　in　soul；　corrupt　in　heart；　dissolute　in　mind　and　senses；　the　Neo…　Christians　seek　especially　after　the　external　form；　and　admire　religion；　as　they　love　women；　for　its　physical　beauty。　　They　believe　in　a　coming　revelation；　as　well　as　a　transfiguration　of　Catholicism。　　They　will　sing　masses　at　the　grand　spectacle　in　the　phalanstery。




For　my　part；　I　am　not　at　all　surprised；　although　at　present　I　have　no　recollection　of　it。　　One　thing　is　sure；that　my　superstition　and　credulity　reached　their　height　at　the　very　period　of　my　life　which　my　critics　reproachfully　assign　as　the　date　of　my　Fourieristic　beliefs。　　Now　I　hold　quite　other　views。　　My　mind　no　longer　admits　that　which　is　demonstrated　by　syllogisms；　analogies；　or　metaphors；　which　are　the　methods　of　the　phalanstery；　but　demands　a　process　of　generalization　and　induction　which　excludes　error。　　Of　my　past　OPINIONSS　I　retain　absolutely　none。　　I　have　acquired　some　KNOWLEDGE。　　I　no　longer　BELIEVE。　　I　either　KNOW；　or　am　IGNORANT。　　In　a　word；　in　seeking　for　the　reason　of　things；　I　saw　that　I　was　a　RATIONALIST。

Undoubtedly；　it　would　have　been　simpler　to　begin　where　I　have　ended。　　But　then；　if　such　is　the　law　of　the　human　mind；　if　all　society；　for　six　thousand　years；　has　done　nothing　but　fall　into　error；　if　all　mankind　are　still　buried　in　the　darkness　of　faith；　deceived　by　their　prejudices　and　passions；　guided　only　by　the　instinct　of　their　leaders；　if　my　accusers；　themselves；　are　not　free　from　sectarianism　（for　they　call　themselves　FOURIERISTS）；am　I　alone　inexcusable　for　having；　in　my　inner　self；　at　the　secret　tribunal　of　my　conscience；　begun　anew　the　journey　of　our　poor　humanity？

I　would　by　no　means；　then；　deny　my　errors；　but；　sir；　that　which　distinguishes　me　from　those　who　rush　into　print　is　the　fact　that；　though　my　thoughts　have　varied　much；　my　writings　do　not　vary。　　To…day；　even；　and　on　a　multitude　of　questions；　I　am　beset　by　a　thousand　extravagant　and　contradictory　opinions；　but　my　opinions　I　do　not　print；　for　the　public　has　nothing　to　do　with　them。　　Before　addressing　my　fellow…men；　I　wait　until　light　breaks　in　upon　the　chaos　of　my　ideas；　in　order　that　what　I　may　say　may　be；　not　the　whole　truth　（no　man　can　know　that）；　but　nothing　but　the　truth。

This　singular　disposition　of　my　mind　to　first　identify　itself　with　a　system　in　order　to　better　understand　it；　and　then　to　reflect　upon　it　in　order　to　test　its　legitimacy；　is　the　very　thing　which　disgusted　me　with　Fourier；　and　ruined　in　my　esteem　the　societary　school。　　To　be　a　faithful　Fourierist；　in　fact；　one　must　abandon　his　reason　and　accept　every　thing　from　a　master；　doctrine；　interpretation；　and　application。　　M。　Considerant；　whose　excessive　intolerance　anathematizes　all　who　do　not　abide　by　his　sovereign　decisions；　has　no　other　conception　of　Fourierism。　　Has　he　not　been　appointed　Fourier's　vicar　on　earth　and　pope　of　a　Church　which；　unfortunately　for　its　apostles；　will　never　be　of　this　world？　　Passive　belief　is　the　theological　virtue　of　all　sectarians；　especially　of　the　Fourierists。

Now；　this　is　what　happened　to　me。　　While　trying　to　demonstrate　by　argument　the　religion　of　which　I　had　become　a　follower　in　studying　Fourier；　I　suddenly　perceived　that　by　reasoning　I　was　becoming　incredulous；　that　on　each　article　of　the　creed　my　reason　and　my　faith　were　at　variance；　and　that　my　six　weeks'　labor　was　wholly　lost。　　I　saw　that　the　Fourieristsin　spite　of　their　inexhaustible　gabble；　and　their　extravagant　pretension　to　decide　in　all　thingswere　neither　savants；　nor　logicians；　nor　even　believers；　that　they　were　SCIENTIFIC　QUACKS；　who　were　led　more　by　their　self…love　than　their　conscience　to　labor　for　the　triumph　of　their　sect；　and　to　whom　all　means　were　good　that　would　reach　that　end。　　I　then　understood　why　to　the　Epicureans　they　promised　women；　wine；　music；　and　a　sea　of　luxury；　to　the　rigorists；　maintenance　of　marriage；　purity　of　morals；　and　temperance；　to　laborers；　high　wages；　to　proprietors；　large　incomes；　to　philosophers；　solutions　the　secret　of　which　Fourier　alone　possessed；　to　priests；　a　costly　religion　and　magnificent　festivals；　to　savants；　knowledge　of　an　unimaginable　nature；　to　each；　indeed；　that　which　he　most　desired。　　In　the　beginning；　this　seemed　to　me　droll；　in　the　end；　I　regarded　it　as　the　height　of　impudence。　　No；　sir；　no　one　yet　knows　of　the　foolishness　and　infamy　which　the　phalansterian　system　contains。　　That　is　a　subject　which　I　mean　to　treat　as　soon　as　I　have　balanced　my　accounts　with　property。＇1＇

＇1＇　　It　should　be　understood　that　the　above　refers　only　to　the　moral　and　political　doctrines　of　Fourier；doctrines　which；　like　all　philosophical　and　religious　systems；　have　their　root　and　_raison　d'existence_　in　society　itself；　and　for　this　reason　deserve　to　be　examined。　　The　peculiar　speculations　of　Fourier　and　his　sect　concerning　cosmogony；　geology；　natural　history；　physiology；　and　psychology；　I　leave　to　the　attention　of　those　who　would　think　it　their　duty　to　seriously　refute　the　fables　of　Blue　Beard　and　the　Ass's　Skin。




It　is　rumored　that　the　Fourierists　think　of　leaving　France　and　going　to　the　new　world　to　found　a　phalanstery。　　When　a　house　threatens　to　fall；　the　rats　scamper　away；　that　is　because　they　are　rats。　　Men　do　better；　they　rebuild　it。　　Not　long　since；　the　St。　Simonians；　despairing　of　their　country　which　paid　no　heed　to　them；　proudly　shook　the　dust　from　their　feet；　and　started　for　the　Orient　to　fight　the　battle　of　free　woman。　　Pride；　wilfulness；　mad　selfishness！　　True　charity；　like　true　faith；　does　not　worry；　never　despairs；　it　seeks　neither　its　own　glory；　nor　its　interest；　nor　empire；　it　does　every　thing　for　all；　speaks　with　indulgence　to　the　reason　and　the　will；　and　desires　to　conquer　only　by　persuasion　and　sacrifice。　　Remain　in　France；　Fourierists；　if　the　progress　of　humanity　is　the　only　thing　which　you　have　at　heart！　　There　is　more　to　do　here　than　in　the　new　world。　　Otherwise；　go！　you　are　nothing　but　liars　and　hypocrites！

The　foregoing　statement　by　no　means　embraces　all　the　political　elements；　all　the　opinions　and　tendencies；　which　threaten　the　future　of　property；　but　it　ought　to　satisfy　any　one　who　knows　how　to　classify　facts；　and　to　deduce　their　law　or　the　idea　which　governs　them。　　Existing　society　seems　abandoned　to　the　demon　of　falsehood　and　discord；　and　it　is　this　sad　sight　which　grieves　so　deeply　many　distinguished　minds　who　lived　too　long　in　a　former　age　to　be　able　to　understand　ours。　　Now；　while　the　short…sighted　spectator　begins　to　despair　of　humanity；　and；　distracted　and　cursing　that　of　which　he　is　ignorant；　plunges　into　scepticism　and　fatalism；　the　true　observer；　certain　of　the　spirit　which　governs　the　world；　seeks　to　comprehend　and　fathom　Providence。　　The　memoir　on　〃Property；〃　published　last　year　by　the　pensioner　of　the　Academy　of　Besancon；　is　simply　a　study　of　this　nature。

The　time　has　come　for　me　to　relate　the　history　of　this　unlucky　treatise；　which　has　already　caused　me　so　much　chagrin；　and　made　me　so　unpopular；　but　which　was　on　my　part　so　involuntary　and　unpremeditated；　that　I　would　dare　to　affirm　that　there　is　not　an　economist；　not　a　philosopher；　not　a　jurist；　who　is　not　a　hundred　times　guiltier　than　I。　　There　is　something　so　singular　in　the　way　in　which　I　was　led　to　attack　property；　that　if；　on　hearing　my　sad　story；　you　persist；　sir；　in　your　blame；　I　hope　at　least　you　will　be　forced　to　pity　me。

I　never　have　pretended　to　be　a　great　politician；　far　from　that；　I　always　have　felt　for　controversies　of　a　political　nature　the　greatest　aversion；　and　if；　in　my　〃Essay　on　Property；〃　I　have　sometimes　ridiculed　our　politicians；　believe；　sir；　that　I　was　governed　much　less　by　my　pride　in　the　little　that　I　know；　than　by　my　vivid　consciousness　of　their　ignorance　and　excessive　vanity。　　Relying　more　on　Providence　than　on　men；　not　suspecting　at　first　that　politics；　like　every　other　science；　contained　an　absolute　truth；　agreeing　equally　well　with　Bossuet　and　Jean　Jacques；I　accepted　with　resignation　my　share　of　human　misery；　and　contented　myself　with　praying　to　God　for　good　deputies；　upright　ministers；　and　an　honest　king。　　By　taste　as　well　as　by　discretion　and　lack　of　confidence　in　my　powers；　I　was　slowly　pursuing　some　commonplace　studies　in　philology；　mingled　with　a　little　metaphysics；　when　I　suddenly　fell　upon　the　greatest　problem　that　ever　has　occupied　philosophical　minds：　　I　mean　the　criterion　of　certainty。

Those　of　my　readers　who　are　unacquainted　with　the　philosophical　terminology　will　be　glad　to　be　told　in　a　few　words　what　this　criterion　is；　which　plays　so　great　a　part　in　my　work。

The　criterion　of　certainty；　according　to　the　philosophers；　will　be；　when　discovered；　an　infallible　method　of　establishing　the　truth　of　an　opinion；　a　judgment；　a　theory；　or　a　system；　in　nearly　the　same　way　as　gold　is　recognized　by　the　touchstone；　as　iron　approaches　the　magnet；　or；　better　still；　as　we　verify　a　mathematical　operation　by　applying