what is property-第14章

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ge。　　But　it　is　in　us　and　through　us　that　the　laws　of　our　moral　nature　work；　now；　these　laws　cannot　be　executed　without　our　deliberate　aid；　and；　consequently；　unless　we　know　them。　　If；　then；　our　science　of　moral　laws　is　false；　it　is　evident　that；　while　desiring　our　own　good；　we　are　accomplishing　our　own　evil；　if　it　is　only　incomplete；　it　may　suffice　for　a　time　for　our　social　progress；　but　in　the　long　run　it　will　lead　us　into　a　wrong　road；　and　will　finally　precipitate　us　into　an　abyss　of　calamities。

Then　it　is　that　we　need　to　exercise　our　highest　judgments；　and；　be　it　said　to　our　glory；　they　are　never　found　wanting：　but　then　also　commences　a　furious　struggle　between　old　prejudices　and　new　ideas。　　Days　of　conflagration　and　anguish！　　We　are　told　of　the　time　when；　with　the　same　beliefs；　with　the　same　institutions；　all　the　world　seemed　happy：　why　complain　of　these　beliefs；　why　banish　these　institutions？　　We　are　slow　to　admit　that　that　happy　age　served　the　precise　purpose　of　developing　the　principle　of　evil　which　lay　dormant　in　society；　we　accuse　men　and　gods；　the　powers　of　earth　and　the　forces　of　Nature。　　Instead　of　seeking　the　cause　of　the　evil　in　his　mind　and　heart；　man　blames　his　masters；　his　rivals；　his　neighbors；　and　himself；　nations　arm　themselves；　and　slay　and　exterminate　each　other；　until　equilibrium　is　restored　by　the　vast　depopulation；　and　peace　again　arises　from　the　ashes　of　the　combatants。　　So　loath　is　humanity　to　touch　the　customs　of　its　ancestors；　and　to　change　the　laws　framed　by　the　founders　of　communities；　and　confirmed　by　the　faithful　observance　of　the　ages。

_Nihil　motum　ex　antiquo　probabile　est_：　　Distrust　all　innovations；　wrote　Titus　Livius。　　Undoubtedly　it　would　be　better　were　man　not　compelled　to　change：　but　what！　because　he　is　born　ignorant；　because　he　exists　only　on　condition　of　gradual　self…　instruction；　must　he　abjure　the　light；　abdicate　his　reason；　and　abandon　himself　to　fortune？　　Perfect　health　is　better　than　convalescence：　should　the　sick　man；　therefore；　refuse　to　be　cured？　　Reform；　reform！　cried；　ages　since；　John　the　Baptist　and　Jesus　Christ。　　Reform；　reform！　cried　our　fathers；　fifty　years　ago；　and　for　a　long　time　to　come　we　shall　shout；　Reform；　reform！

Seeing　the　misery　of　my　age；　I　said　to　myself：　　Among　the　principles　that　support　society；　there　is　one　which　it　does　not　understand；　which　its　ignorance　has　vitiated；　and　which　causes　all　the　evil　that　exists。　　This　principle　is　the　most　ancient　of　all；　for　it　is　a　characteristic　of　revolutions　to　tear　down　the　most　modern　principles；　and　to　respect　those　of　long…standing。　　Now　the　evil　by　which　we　suffer　is　anterior　to　all　revolutions。　　This　principle；　impaired　by　our　ignorance；　is　honored　and　cherished；　for　if　it　were　not　cherished　it　would　harm　nobody；　it　would　be　without　influence。

But　this　principle；　right　in　its　purpose；　but　misunderstood：　this　principle；　as　old　as　humanity；　what　is　it？　　Can　it　be　religion？

All　men　believe　in　God：　this　dogma　belongs　at　once　to　their　conscience　and　their　mind。　　To　humanity　God　is　a　fact　as　primitive；　an　idea　as　inevitable；　a　principle　as　necessary　as　are　the　categorical　ideas　of　cause；　substance；　time；　and　space　to　our　understanding。　　God　is　proven　to　us　by　the　conscience　prior　to　any　inference　of　the　mind；　just　as　the　sun　is　proven　to　us　by　the　testimony　of　the　senses　prior　to　all　the　arguments　of　physics。　　We　discover　phenomena　and　laws　by　observation　and　experience；　only　this　deeper　sense　reveals　to　us　existence。　　Humanity　believes　that　God　is；　but；　in　believing　in　God；　what　does　it　believe？　　In　a　word；　what　is　God？

The　nature　of　this　notion　of　Divinity；this　primitive；　universal　notion；　born　in　the　race；the　human　mind　has　not　yet　fathomed。　　At　each　step　that　we　take　in　our　investigation　of　Nature　and　of　causes；　the　idea　of　God　is　extended　and　exalted；　the　farther　science　advances；　the　more　God　seems　to　grow　and　broaden。　　Anthropomorphism　and　idolatry　constituted　of　necessity　the　faith　of　the　mind　in　its　youth；　the　theology　of　infancy　and　poesy。　　A　harmless　error；　if　they　had　not　endeavored　to　make　it　a　rule　of　conduct；　and　if　they　had　been　wise　enough　to　respect　the　liberty　of　thought。　　But　having　made　God　in　his　own　image；　man　wished　to　appropriate　him　still　farther；　not　satisfied　with　disfiguring　the　Almighty；　he　treated　him　as　his　patrimony；　his　goods；　his　possessions。　　God；　pictured　in　monstrous　forms；　became　throughout　the　world　the　property　of　man　and　of　the　State。　　Such　was　the　origin　of　the　corruption　of　morals　by　religion；　and　the　source　of　pious　feuds　and　holy　wars。　　Thank　Heaven！　we　have　learned　to　allow　every　one　his　own　beliefs；　we　seek　for　moral　laws　outside　the　pale　of　religion。　　Instead　of　legislating　as　to　the　nature　and　attributes　of　God；　the　dogmas　of　theology；　and　the　destiny　of　our　souls；　we　wisely　wait　for　science　to　tell　us　what　to　reject　and　what　to　accept。　　God；　soul；　religion；eternal　objects　of　our　unwearied　thought　and　our　most　fatal　aberrations；　terrible　problems　whose　solution；　for　ever　attempted；　for　ever　remains　unaccomplished；concerning　all　these　questions　we　may　still　be　mistaken；　but　at　least　our　error　is　harmless。　　With　liberty　in　religion；　and　the　separation　of　the　spiritual　from　the　temporal　power；　the　influence　of　religious　ideas　upon　the　progress　of　society　is　purely　negative；　no　law；　no　political　or　civil　institution　being　founded　on　religion。　　Neglect　of　duties　imposed　by　religion　may　increase　the　general　corruption；　but　it　is　not　the　primary　cause；　it　is　only　an　auxiliary　or　result。　　It　is　universally　admitted；　and　especially　in　the　matter　which　now　engages　our　attention；　that　the　cause　of　the　inequality　of　conditions　among　menof　pauperism；　of　universal　misery；　and　of　governmental　embarrassmentscan　no　longer　be　traced　to　religion：　we　must　go　farther　back；　and　dig　still　deeper。

But　what　is　there　in　man　older　and　deeper　than　the　religious　sentiment？

There　is　man　himself；　that　is；　volition　and　conscience；　free…will　and　law；　eternally　antagonistic。　　Man　is　at　war　with　himself：　why？

〃Man；〃　say　the　theologians；　〃transgressed　in　the　beginning；　our　race　is　guilty　of　an　ancient　offence。　　For　this　transgression　humanity　has　fallen；　error　and　ignorance　have　become　its　sustenance。　　Read　history；　you　will　find　universal　proof　of　this　necessity　for　evil　in　the　permanent　misery　of　nations。　　Man　suffers　and　always　will　suffer；　his　disease　is　hereditary　and　constitutional。　　Use　palliatives；　employ　emollients；　there　is　no　remedy。〃

Nor　is　this　argument　peculiar　to　the　theologians；　we　find　it　expressed　in　equivalent　language　in　the　philosophical　writings　of　the　materialists；　believers　in　infinite　perfectibility。　　Destutt　de　Tracy　teaches　formally　that　poverty；　crime；　and　war　are　the　inevitable　conditions　of　our　social　state；　necessary　evils；　against　which　it　would　be　folly　to　revolt。　　So；　call　it　NECESSITY　OF　EVIL　or　ORIGINAL　DEPRAVITY；　it　is　at　bottom　the　same　philosophy。

〃The　first　man　transgressed。〃　　If　the　votaries　of　the　Bible　interpreted　it　faithfully；　they　would　say：　MAN　ORIGINALLY　TRANSGRESSED；　that　is；　made　a　mistake；　for　TO　TRANSGRESS；　TO　FAIL；　TO　MAKE　A　MISTAKE；　all　mean　the　same　thing。

〃The　consequences　of　Adam's　transgression　are　inherited　by　the　race；　the　first　is　ignorance。〃　　Truly；　the　race；　like　the　individual；　is　born　ignorant；　but；　in　regard　to　a　multitude　of　questions；　even　in　the　moral　and　political　spheres；　this　ignorance　of　the　race　has　been　dispelled：　who　says　that　it　will　not　depart　altogether？　　Mankind　makes　continual　progress　toward　truth；　and　light　ever　triumphs　over　darkness。　　Our　disease　is　not；　then；　absolutely　incurable；　and　the　theory　of　the　theologians　is　worse　than　inadequate；　it　is　ridiculous；　since　it　is　reducible　to　this　tautology：　　〃Man　errs；　because　he　errs。〃　　While　the　true　statement　is　this：　　〃Man　errs；　because　he　learns。〃

Now；　if　man　arrives　at　a　knowledge　of　all　that　he　needs　to　know；　it　is　reasonable　to　believe　that；　ceasing　to　err；　he　will　cease　to　suffer。

But　if　we　question　the　doctors　as　to　this　law；　said　to　be　engraved　upon　the　heart　of　man；　we　shall　immediately　see　that　they　dispute　about　a　matter　of　which　they　know　nothing；　that；　concerning　the　most　important　questions；　there　are　almost　as　many　opinions　as　a