what is property- 第42部分

SECOND　PROPOSITION。

Property　is　impossible　because　wherever　it　exists　Production　costs　more　than　it　is　worth。


The　preceding　proposition　was　legislative　in　its　nature；　this　one　is　economical。　　It　serves　to　prove　that　property；　which　originates　in　violence；　results　in　waste。


〃Production；〃　says　Say；　〃is　exchange　on　a　large　scale。　　To　render　the　exchange　productive　the　value　of　the　whole　amount　of　service　must　be　balanced　by　the　value　of　the　product。　　If　this　condition　is　not　complied　with；　the　exchange　is　unequal；　the　producer　gives　more　than　he　receives。〃


Now；　value　being　necessarily　based　upon　utility；　it　follows　that　every　useless　product　is　necessarily　valueless；that　it　cannot　be　exchanged；　and；　consequently；　that　it　cannot　be　given　in　payment　for　productive　services。

Then；　though　production　may　equal　consumption；　it　never　can　exceed　it；　for　there　is　no　real　production　save　where　there　is　a　production　of　utility；　and　there　is　no　utility　save　where　there　is　a　possibility　of　consumption。　　Thus；　so　much　of　every　product　as　is　rendered　by　excessive　abundance　inconsumable；　becomes　useless；　valueless；　unexchangeable；consequently；　unfit　to　be　given　in　payment　for　any　thing　whatever；　and　is　no　longer　a　product。

Consumption；　on　the　other　hand；　to　be　legitimate；to　be　true　consumption；must　be　reproductive　of　utility；　for；　if　it　is　unproductive；　the　products　which　it　destroys　are　cancelled　valuesthings　produced　at　a　pure　loss；　a　state　of　things　which　causes　products　to　depreciate　in　value。　　Man　has　the　power　to　destroy；　but　he　consumes　only　that　which　he　reproduces。　　Under　a　right　system　of　economy；　there　is　then　an　equation　between　production　and　consumption。

These　points　established；　let　us　suppose　a　community　of　one　thousand　families；　enclosed　in　a　territory　of　a　given　circumference；　and　deprived　of　foreign　intercourse。　　Let　this　community　represent　the　human　race；　which；　scattered　over　the　face　of　the　earth；　is　really　isolated。　　In　fact；　the　difference　between　a　community　and　the　human　race　being　only　a　numerical　one；　the　economical　results　will　be　absolutely　the　same　in　each　case。

Suppose；　then；　that　these　thousand　families；　devoting　themselves　exclusively　to　wheat…culture；　are　obliged　to　pay　to　one　hundred　individuals；　chosen　from　the　mass；　an　annual　revenue　of　ten　per　cent。　on　their　product。　　It　is　clear　that；　in　such　a　case；　the　right　of　increase　is　equivalent　to　a　tax　levied　in　advance　upon　social　production。　　Of　what　use　is　this　tax？

It　cannot　be　levied　to　supply　the　community　with　provisions；　for　between　that　and　farm…rent　there　is　nothing　in　common；　nor　to　pay　for　services　and　products；for　the　proprietors；　laboring　like　the　others；　have　labored　only　for　themselves。　　Finally；　this　tax　is　of　no　use　to　its　recipients　who；　having　harvested　wheat　enough　for　their　own　consumption；　and　not　being　able　in　a　society　without　commerce　and　manufactures　to　procure　any　thing　else　in　exchange　for　it；　thereby　lose　the　advantage　of　their　income。

In　such　a　society；　one…tenth　of　the　product　being　inconsumable；　one…tenth　of　the　labor　goes　unpaidproduction　costs　more　than　it　is　worth。

Now；　change　three　hundred　of　our　wheat…producers　into　artisans　of　all　kinds：　one　hundred　gardeners　and　wine…growers；　sixty　shoemakers　and　tailors；　fifty　carpenters　and　blacksmiths；　eighty　of　various　professions；　and；　that　nothing　may　be　lacking；　seven　school…masters；　one　mayor；　one　judge；　and　one　priest；　each　industry　furnishes　the　whole　community　with　its　special　product。　　Now；　the　total　production　being　one　thousand；　each　laborer's　consumption　is　one；　namely；　wheat；　meat；　and　grain；　0。7；　wine　and　vegetables；　0。1；　shoes　and　clothing；　0。06；　iron…work　and　furniture；　0。05；　sundries；　0。08；　instruction；　0。007；　administration；　0。002；　mass；　0。001；　Total　1。

But　the　community　owes　a　revenue　of　ten　per　cent。；　and　it　matters　little　whether　the　farmers　alone　pay　it；　or　all　the　laborers　are　responsible　for　it；the　result　is　the　same。　　The　farmer　raises　the　price　of　his　products　in　proportion　to　his　share　of　the　debt；　the　other　laborers　follow　his　example。　　Then；　after　some　fluctuations；　equilibrium　is　established；　and　all　pay　nearly　the　same　amount　of　the　revenue。　　It　would　be　a　grave　error　to　assume　that　in　a　nation　none　but　farmers　pay　farm…rentthe　whole　nation　pays　it。

I　say；　then；　that　by　this　tax　of　ten　per　cent。　each　laborer's　consumption　is　reduced　as　follows：　wheat；　0。63；　wine　and　vegetables；　0。09；　clothing　and　shoes；　0。054；　furniture　and　iron…　work；　0。045；　other　products；　0。072；　schooling；　0。0063；　administration；　0。0018；　mass；　0。0009。　　Total　0。9。

The　laborer　has　produced　1；　he　consumes　only　0。9。　　He　loses；　then；　one…tenth　of　the　price　of　his　labor；　his　production　still　costs　more　than　it　is　worth。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　tenth　received　by　the　proprietors　is　no　less　a　waste；　for；　being　laborers　themselves；　they；　like　the　others；　possess　in　the　nine…　tenths　of　their　product　the　wherewithal　to　live：　they　want　for　nothing。　　Why　should　they　wish　their　proportion　of　bread；　wine；　meat；　clothes；　shelter；　&c。；　to　be　doubled；　if　they　can　neither　consume　nor　exchange　them？　　Then　farm…rent；　with　them　as　with　the　rest　of　the　laborers；　is　a　waste；　and　perishes　in　their　hands。　　Extend　the　hypothesis；　increase　the　number　and　variety　of　the　products；　you　still　have　the　same　result。

Hitherto；　we　have　considered　the　proprietor　as　taking　part　in　the　production；　not　only　（as　Say　says）　by　the　use　of　his　instrument；　but　in　an　effective　manner　and　by　the　labor　of　his　hands。　　Now；　it　is　easy　to　see　that；　under　such　circumstances；　property　will　never　exist。　　What　happens？

The　proprietoran　essentially　libidinous　animal；　without　virtue　or　shameis　not　satisfied　with　an　orderly　and　disciplined　life。　　He　loves　property；　because　it　enables　him　to　do　at　leisure　what　he　pleases　and　when　he　pleases。　　Having　obtained　the　means　of　life；　he　gives　himself　up　to　trivialities　and　indolence；　he　enjoys；　he　fritters　away　his　time；　he　goes　in　quest　of　curiosities　and　novel　sensations。　　Propertyto　enjoy　itselfhas　to　abandon　ordinary　life；　and　busy　itself　in　luxurious　occupations　and　unclean　enjoyments。

Instead　of　giving　up　a　farm…rent；　which　is　perishing　in　their　hands；　and　thus　lightening　the　labor　of　the　community；　our　hundred　proprietors　prefer　to　rest。　　In　consequence　of　this　withdrawal；the　absolute　production　being　diminished　by　one　hundred；　while　the　consumption　remains　the　same；production　and　consumption　seem　to　balance。　　But；　in　the　first　place；　since　the　proprietors　no　longer　labor；　their　consumption　is；　according　to　economical　principles；　unproductive；　consequently；　the　previous　condition　of　the　communitywhen　the　labor　of　one　hundred　was　rewarded　by　no　productsis　superseded　by　one　in　which　the　products　of　one　hundred　are　consumed　without　labor。　　The　deficit　is　always　the　same；　whichever　the　column　of　the　account　in　which　it　is　expressed。　　Either　the　maxims　of　political　economy　are　false；　or　else　property；　which　contradicts　them；　is　impossible。

The　economistsregarding　all　unproductive　consumption　as　an　evil；　as　a　robbery　of　the　human　racenever　fail　to　exhort　proprietors　to　moderation；　labor；　and　economy；　they　preach　to　them　the　necessity　of　making　themselves　useful；　of　remunerating　production　for　that　which　they　receive　from　it；　they　launch　the　most　terrible　curses　against　luxury　and　laziness。　　Very　beautiful　morality；　surely；　it　is　a　pity　that　it　lacks　common　sense。　　The　proprietor　who　labors；　or；　as　the　economists　say；　WHO　MAKES　HIMSELF　USEFUL；　is　paid　for　this　labor　and　utility；　is　he；　therefore；　any　the　less　idle　as　concerns　the　property　which　he　does　not　use；　and　from　which　he　receives　an　income？　　His　condition；　whatever　he　may　do；　is　an　unproductive　and　FELONIOUS　one；　he　cannot　cease　to　waste　and　destroy　without　ceasing　to　be　a　proprietor。

But　this　is　only　the　least　of　the　evils　which　property　engenders。

Society　has　to　maintain　some　idle　people；　whether　or　no。　　It　will　always　have　the　blind；　the　maimed；　the　insane；　and　the　idiotic。　　It　can　easily　support　a　few　sluggards。　　At　this　point；　the　impossibilities　thicken　and　become　complicated。


THIRD　PROPOSITION。

Property　is　impossible；　because；　with　a　given　capital；　Production　is　proportional　to　labor；　not　to　property。


To　pay　a　farm…rent　of　one　hundred　at　the　rate　of　ten　per　cent。　of　the　product；　the　product　must　be　one　thousand；　that　the　product　may　be　one　thousand；　a　force　of　one　thousand　laborers　is　needed。　　It　follows；　that　in　granting　a　furlough；　as　we　have　just　done；　to　our　one　hundred　laborer…proprietors；　all　of　whom　had　an　equal　right　to　lead　the　life　of　men　of　income；we　have　placed　ourselves　in　a　position　where　we　are　unable　to　pay　their　revenues。　　In　fact；　the　productive　power；　which　at　first　was　one　thousand；　being　now　but　nine　hundred；　the　production　is　also　reduced　to　nine　hundred；　one…tenth　of　which　is　ninety。　　Either；　then；　ten　proprietors　out　of　the　one　hundred　cannot　be　paid；　provided　the　remaining　ninety　are　to　get　the　whole　amount　of　their　farm…rent；or　else　all　must　consent　to　a　decrease　of　ten　per　cent。　　For　it　is　not　for　the　laborer；　who　has　been　wanting　in　no　particular；　who　has　produced　as　in　the　past；　to　suffer　by　the　withdrawal　of　the　proprietor。　　The　latter　must