the moscow census-第24章

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not　that　it　justifies　it；　but　it　cannot　possibly　be　otherwise；　for　if
I　have　understood　the　thing　of　which　I　have　been　thinking；　then　I
cannot　carry　out　this　thing　otherwise　than　as　I　have　understood　it。

I　wanted　to　help　the　unfortunate　only　because　I　had　money；　and　I
shared　the　general　belief　that　money　was　the　representative　of　labor；
or；　on　the　whole；　something　legal　and　good。　　But；　having　begun　to
give　away　this　money；　I　saw；　when　I　gave　the　bills　which　I　had
accumulated　from　poor　people；　that　I　was　doing　precisely　that　which
was　done　by　some　landed　proprietors　who　made　some　of　their　serfs　wait
on　others。　　I　saw　that　every　use　of　money；　whether　for　making
purchases；　or　for　giving　away　without　an　equivalent　to　another；　is
handing　over　a　note　for　extortion　from　the　poor；　or　its　transfer　to
another　man　for　extortion　from　the　poor。　　I　saw　that　money　in　itself
was　not　only　not　good；　but　evidently　evil；　and　that　it　deprives　us　of
our　highest　good；labor；　and　thereby　of　the　enjoyment　of　our　labor；
and　that　that　blessing　I　was　not　in　a　position　to　confer　on　any　one；
because　I　was　myself　deprived　of　it：　　I　do　not　work；　and　I　take　no
pleasure　in　making　use　of　the　labor　of　others。

It　would　appear　that　there　is　something　peculiar　in　this　abstract
argument　as　to　the　nature　of　money。　　But　this　argument　which　I　have
made　not　for　the　sake　of　argument；　but　for　the　solution　of　the
problem　of　my　life；　of　my　sufferings；　was　for　me　an　answer　to　my
question：　　What　is　to　be　done？

As　soon　as　I　grasped　the　meaning　of　riches；　and　of　money；　it　not　only
became　clear　and　indisputable　to　me；　what　I　ought　to　do；　but　also
clear　and　indisputable　what　others　ought　to　do；　because　they　would
infallibly　do　it。　　I　had　only　actually　come　to　understand　what　I　had
known　for　a　long　time　previously；　the　theory　which　was　given　to　men
from　the　very　earliest　times；　both　by　Buddha；　and　Isaiah；　and　Lao…
Tze；　and　Socrates；　and　in　a　peculiarly　clear　and　indisputable　manner
by　Jesus　Christ　and　his　forerunner；　John　the　Baptist。　　John　the
Baptist；　in　answer　to　the　question　of　the　people；What　were　they　to
do？　replied　simply；　briefly；　and　clearly：　　〃He　that　hath　two　coats；
let　him　impart　to　him　that　hath　none；　and　he　that　hath　meat；　let　him
do　likewise〃　（Luke　iii。　10；　11）。　　In　a　similar　manner；　but　with　even
greater　clearness；　and　on　many　occasions；　Christ　spoke。　　He　said：
〃Blessed　are　the　poor；　and　woe　to　the　rich。〃　　He　said　that　it　is
impossible　to　serve　God　and　mammon。　　He　forbade　his　disciples　to　take
not　only　money；　but　also　two　garments。　　He　said　to　the　rich　young
man；　that　he　could　not　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven　because　he
was　rich；　and　that　it　was　easier　for　a　camel　to　go　through　the　eye　of
a　needle；　than　for　a　rich　man　to　enter　the　kingdom　of　God。　　He　said
that　he　who　should　not　leave　every　thing；　houses　and　children　and
lands；　and　follow　him；　could　not　be　his　disciple。　　He　told　the
parable　of　the　rich　man　who　did　nothing　bad；　like　our　own　rich　men；
but　who　only　arrayed　himself　in　costly　garments；　and　ate　and　drank
daintily；　and　who　lost　his　soul　thereby；　and　of　poor　Lazarus；　who　had
done　nothing　good；　but　who　was　saved　merely　because　he　was　poor。

This　theory　was　sufficiently　familiar　to　me；　but　the　false　teachings
of　the　world　had　so　obscured　it　that　it　had　become　for　me　a　theory　in
the　sense　which　people　are　fond　of　attributing　to　that　term；　that　is
to　say；　empty　words。　　But　as　soon　as　I　had　succeeded　in　destroying　in
my　consciousness　the　sophisms　of　worldly　teaching；　theory　conformed
to　practice；　and　the　truth　with　regard　to　my　life　and　to　the　life　of
the　people　about　me　became　its　conclusion。

I　understood　that　man；　besides　life　for　his　own　personal　good；　is
unavoidably　bound　to　serve　the　good　of　others　also；　that；　if　we　take
an　illustration　from　the　animal　kingdom；as　some　people　are　fond　of
doing；　defending　violence　and　conflict　by　the　conflict　for　existence
in　the　animal　kingdom；the　illustration　must　be　taken　from
gregarious　animals；　like　bees；　that　consequently　man；　not　to　mention
the　love　to　his　neighbor　incumbent　on　him；　is　called　upon；　both　by
reason　and　by　his　nature；　to　serve　other　people　and　the　common　good
of　humanity。　　I　comprehended　that　the　natural　law　of　man　is　that
according　to　which　only　he　can　fulfil　destiny；　and　therefore　be
happy。　　I　understood　that　this　law　has　been　and　is　broken　hereby；
that　people　get　rid　of　labor　by　force　（like　the　robber　bees）；　make
use　of　the　toil　of　others；　directing　this　toil；　not　to　the　common
weal；　but　to　the　private　satisfaction　of　swift…growing　desires；　and；
precisely　as　in　the　case　of　the　robber　bees；　they　perish　in
consequence。　　＇I　understood　that　the　original　form　of　this
disinclination　for　the　law　is　the　brutal　violence　against　weaker
individuals；　against　women；　wars　and　imprisonments；　whose　sequel　is
slavery；　and　also　the　present　reign　of　money。　　I　understood　that
money　is　the　impersonal　and　concealed　enslavement　of　the　poor。　　And；
once　having　perceived　the　significance　of　money　as　slavery；　I　could
not　but　hate　it；　nor　refrain　from　doing　all　in　my　power　to　free
myself　from　it。＇　｛21｝

When　I　was　a　slave…owner；　and　comprehended　the　immorality　of　my
position；　I　tried　to　escape　from　it。　　My　escape　consisted　in　this；
that　I；　regarding　it　as　immoral；　tried　to　exercise　my　rights　as
slave…owner　as　little　as　possible；　but　to　live；　and　to　allow　other
people　to　live；　as　though　that　right　did　not　exist。　　And　I　cannot
refrain　from　doing　the　same　thing　now　in　reference　to　the　present
form　of　slavery；exercising　my　right　to　the　labor　of　others　as
little　as　possible；　i。e。；　hiring　and　purchasing　as　little　as
possible。

The　root　of　every　slavery　is　the　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　and
hence；　the　compelling　others　to　it　is　founded　indifferently　on　my
right　to　the　slave；　or　on　my　possession　of　money　which　is
indispensable　to　him。　　If　I　really　do　not　approve；　and　if　I　regard　as
an　evil；　the　employment　of　the　labor　of　others；　then　I　shall　use
neither　my　right　nor　my　money　for　that　purpose；　I　shall　not　compel
others　to　toil　for　me；　but　I　shall　endeavor　to　free　them　from　the
labor　which　they　have　performed　for　me；　as　far　as　possible；　either　by
doing　without　this　labor　or　by　performing　it　for　myself。

And　this　very　simple　and　unavoidable　deduction　enters　into　all　the
details　of　my　life；　effects　a　total　change　in　it；　and　at　one　blow
releases　me　from　those　moral　sufferings　which　I　have　undergone　at　the
sight　of　the　sufferings　and　the　vice　of　the　people；　and　instantly
annihilates　all　three　causes　of　my　inability　to　aid　the　poor；　which　I
had　encountered　while　seeking　the　cause　of　my　lack　of　success。

The　first　cause　was　the　herding　of　the　people　in　towns；　and　the
absorption　there　of　the　wealth　of　the　country。　　All　that　a　man　needs
is　to　understand　how　every　hiring　or　purchase　is　a　handle　to
extortion　from　the　poor；　and　that　therefore　he　must　abstain　from
them；　and　must　try　to　fulfil　his　own　requirements；　and　not　a　single
man　will　then　quit　the　country；　where　all　wants　can　be　satisfied
without　money；　for　the　city；　where　it　is　necessary　to　buy　every
thing：　　and　in　the　country　he　will　be　in　a　position　to　help　the
needy；　as　has　been　my　own　experience　and　the　experience　of　every　one
else。

The　second　cause　is　the　estrangement　of　the　rich　from　the　poor。　　A
man　needs　but　to　refrain　from　buying；　from　hiring；　and；　disdaining　no
sort　of　work；　to　satisfy　his　requirements　himself；　and　the　former
estrangement　will　immediately　be　annihilated；　and　the　man；　having
rejected　luxury　and　the　services　of　others；　will　amalgamate　with　the
mass　of　the　working　people；　and；　standing　shoulder　to　shoulder　with
the　working　people；　he　can　help　them。

The　third　cause　was　shame；　founded　on　a　consciousness　of　immorality
in　my　owning　that　money　with　which　I　desired　to　help　people。　　All
that　is　required　is：　　to　understand　the　significance　of　money　as
impersonal　slavery；　which　it　has　acquired　among　us；　in　order　to
escape　for　the　future　from　falling　into　the　error　according　to　which
money；　though　evil　in　itself；　can　be　an　instrument　of　good；　and　in
order　to　refrain　from　acquiring　money；　and　to　rid　one's　self　of　it　in
order　to　be　in　a　position