lecture ii-第7章

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But　in　entering　on　these　discussions　I　trench　on　very　uncertain
ground。　The　relative　advantages　and　disadvantages　of
individualism　and　of　communism　have　furnished　matter　for　warm
controversy　from　the　time　of　Plato　down　to　the　time　of　Ruskin　and
of　Spencer；　and　we　need　not　discuss　them　here。　I　think　it　better
to　state　that　the　Russian　peasant；　at　least　in　our　time；　is　not
insensible　to　the　advantages　of　individualism；　as　is　well　shown
by　the　fact　that　between　two　and　three　million　divisions　of　House
Communities　have　been　effected　since　the　day　when　the　liberated
serf　obtained　the　right　to　make　them。　If　divisions　of　family
property　were　rare　before　1861；　the　year　of　the　abolition　of
serfdom；　the　reason　lies　in　the　fact　that　the　manorial　lords　and
the　State　were　alike　interested　in　the　preservation　of　the　system
of　Undivided　Households。　The　natural　responsibility　of　the
members　for　the　payment　of　taxes　and　for　the　execution　of　those
various　kinds　of　agricultural　labour　which　serfs　were　bound　to
perform　on　the　lands　of　the　manor；　were　advantages　far　too
precious　to　be　easily　abandoned。　It　was；　and　it　still　is；　for　the
interests　of　the　national　treasury　that　these　divisions　should
not　take　place。　It　is　for　this　reason　that　the　Government；
concealing　its　real　designs　under　a　show　of　good…will　towards　an
old　and　venerable　institution；　has　recently　taken　measures　to
prevent　further　divisions。　It　is　no　longer　with　the　majority　that
the　decision　is　to　rest　in　questions　of　this　kind；　but　with　the
chief　of　the　household；　a　person　who　is；　of　course；　as　a　rule；
interested　in　the　maintenance　of　non…division。　
　　　　The　reasons　which　are　brought　forward　by　the　peasants　to
justify　their　breaking　up　of　Undivided　Households　are　generally
the　following：　Non…division；　they　say；　causes　the　able　and
laborious　to　work　for　the　idle　and　incapable。　It　is　unjust　to
force　an　unmarried　person　to　divide　his　savings　with　a　relative
enjoying　the　pleasures　of　married　life　and　a　numerous　progeny；
who；　on　account　of　their　youth；　are　not　yet　able　to　earn　anything
by　the　work　of　their　hands。　They　also　affirm　that；　as　the
dwelling…place　is　too　small　to　accommodate　a　large　family；　they
are　forced　to　divide　in　order　to　live　with　decency。　
　　　　It　is　also　often　said　that　disputes　among　the　women　are　the
direct　cause　of　separation；　while；　again；　some　peasants　frankly
avow　that　they　insist　on　leaving　their　communistic　mode　of　life
in　order　to　have　their　own　homes　and　to　be　their　own　masters。（6*）
If　the　objections　just　mentioned　are　not　those　of　individualism；
I　do　not　know　what　individualism　is。　
　　　　It　is　in　the　most　fertile　regions　of　Russia　　in　Little
Russia　and　New　Russia　　that　divisions　have　been　most　numerous。
in　these　parts　small　families　are　already　the　general　rule；　as
the　black　soil　of　those　districts　is　rich　enough　to　pay　the　taxes
that　are　levied；　and　the　peasant　is　not　alarmed　by　the　prospect
of　being　deprived　of　the　aid　of　his　relatives。　The　spirit　of
independence　of　the　Cossacks；　which　all　those　who　are　acquainted
with　them　readily　acknowledge；　explains　to　a　great　extent　the
reason　why　the　undivided　household　is　dying　out　in　the　southern
and　south…western　parts　of　Russia。　
　　　　The　northern　provinces　will　certainly　sooner　or　later　follow
the　same　path；　and　the　patriarchal　house　community　will　disappear
in　Russia；　just　as　it　has　disappeared　in　France；　Italy；　and
Spain；　and　as　it　is　disappearing　in　our　days　in　Servia　and
Croatia。　For　we　must　not　think　that　this　system　was　altogether
unknown　to　the　people　of　Western　Europe。　Not　only　in　Ireland；
where　its　previous　existence　had　been　recognised　by　Sir　Henry
Maine；　but　also　among　the　German　and　Latin　races；　the　undivided
household　was；　a　few　centuries　ago；　a　still　living　institution。
Guy　Coquille；　a　legal　writer　of　the　sixteenth　century；　speaks　of
them　in　the　province　of　Nivernais；　and　they　have　recently　been
discovered　in　the　old　charters　of　Berry。　The　〃consorteria〃　of
medieval　Tuscany；　the　〃genealogie〃　of　the　old　Alemannic　law；　and
the　still　existing　〃Companias〃　of　Spanish　Galicia；　are　but
different　names　to　designate　the　Undivided　household。　If　these
have　disappeared；　or　are　likely　to　disappear；　in　the　near　future；
it　is　because　they　have　been　forced　to　yield　to　the　requirements
of　individualism。　I　see　no　reason　why　the　same　thing　should　not
happen　in　Russia。　

NOTES：

1。　Charousin；　〃The　Cossack　Communities　of　the　Don〃　（Moscow；
1883）；　p。　74。

2。　〃The　Pravda　of　Jaroslav〃；　published　by　Kalachev；　ss。　88；　89。

3。　This　word　appears；　for　instance；　in　the　following　sentences；
〃No　political　assembly　of　the　'siabri'　ought　to　exist。〃　〃If　any
one　convenes　it；　let　him　lose　his　ears。〃

4。　The　two　novels　to　which　I　allude　are；　〃The　Power　of　the　Land；〃
by　Ouspensky；　and　〃The　Solid　Base〃　（Oustoi）；　by　Slatovraczky。
Both　novels　were　published　in　Moscow。

5。　〃L'Empire　des　Tzars　et　les　Russes；〃　p。　488。

6。　Compare　what　M。　Dobrotvorsky　says　about　the　family　in　the
Government　of　Vladmir　（Juridical　Journal；　Moscow；　1889；　vol。　ii。
p。　283）。