第 21 节
作者:一意孤行      更新:2021-10-16 18:41      字数:9318
  industry; since it is in regard to agriculture that the difficulties are chiefly
  supposed   to   arise。   Broadly   speaking;   industrial   production   tends   to   be
  cheaper   when it is   carried   on   on   a   large   scale;   and therefore there   is   no
  reason     in  industry    why   an   increase    in  the   demand     should    lead   to  an
  increased cost of supply。
  Passing     now    from    the   purely    technical    and    material    side   of  the
  problem of production; we come to the human factor; the motives leading
  men to work; the possibilities of efficient organization of production; and
  the connection of production with distribution。 Defenders of the existing
  system     maintain     that  efficient   work     would    be   impossible     without    the
  economic stimulus; and that if the wage system were abolished men would
  cease   to   do   enough   work   to   keep   the   community   in   tolerable   comfort。
  Through   the   alleged   necessity   of   the   economic   motive;   the   problems   of
  production and distribution become intertwined。 The desire for a more just
  distribution of the world's goods is the main inspiration of most Socialism
  and    Anarchism。       We    must;   therefore;    consider    whether     the   system    of
  distribution   which   they  propose   would be   likely  to   lead   to   a   diminished
  production。
  There is a fundamental difference between Socialism and Anarchism
  as regards the question of distribution。 Socialism; at any rate in most of its
  forms;   would   retain   payment   for   work   done   or   for   willingness   to   work;
  and; except in the case of persons incapacitated by age or infirmity; would
  make   willingness   to   work   a   condition   of   subsistence;   or   at   any   rate   of
  subsistence above a certain very low minimum。 Anarchism; on the other
  hand; aims at granting to everyone; without any conditions whatever; just
  as much of all ordinary commodities as he or she may care to consume;
  while     the  rarer   com…    modities;    of  which    the   supply    cannot    easily   be
  indefinitely increased; would be rationed and divided equally among the
  population。   Thus   Anarchism   would   not   impose   any   OBLIGATIONS   of
  work;  though Anarchists believe   that   the necessary  work   could be   made
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  sufficiently agreeable for the vast majority of the population to undertake
  it   voluntarily。   Socialists;   on   the  other   hand;   would   exact   work。   Some   of
  them would   make   the incomes   of   all   workers equal;   while   others   would
  retain   higher   pay   for   the   work   which   is   considered   more   valuable。   All
  these   different   systems   are   compatible   with   the   common   ownership   of
  land and capital; though they differ greatly as regards the kind of society
  which they would produce。
  Socialism       with    inequality     of  income      would     not   differ   greatly    as
  regards the economic stimulus to work from the society in which we live。
  Such differences as it would entail would undoubtedly be to the good from
  our present point of view。 Under the existing system many people enjoy
  idleness   and   affluence   through   the   mere   accident   of   inheriting   land   or
  capital。 Many others; through their activities in industry or finance; enjoy
  an income which is certainly very far in excess of anything to which their
  social     utility  entitles   them。    On    the   other   hand;    it  often   happens      that
  inventors and discoverers; whose work has the very greatest social utility;
  are   robbed   of   their   reward   either   by   capitalists   or   by   the   failure   of   the
  public to appreciate their work until too late。 The better paid work is only
  open   to   those   who   have   been   able   to   afford   an   expensive   training;   and
  these   men   are   selected   in   the   main   not   by   merit   but   by  luck。  The   wage
  earner is not paid for his willingness to work; but only for his utility to the
  employer。   Consequently;   he   may   be   plunged   into   destitution   by   causes
  over which he has no control。 Such destitution is a constant fear; and when
  it occurs it produces undeserved suffering; and often deterioration in the
  social   value     of  the   sufferer。   These     are   a  few   among      the  evils   of  our
  existing   system   from   the   standpoint   of   production。   All   these   evils   we
  might expect to see remedied under any system of Socialism。
  There   are   two   questions   which   need   to   be   considered   when   we   are
  discussing how far work requires the economic motive。 The first question
  is:   Must   society   give   higher   pay   for   the   more   skilled   or   socially   more
  valuable   work;   if   such   work   is   to   be   done   in   sufficient   quantities?   The
  second   question   is:   Could   work   be   made   so   attractive   that   enough   of   it
  would be done even if idlers received just as much of the produce of work?
  The first of these questions concerns the division between two schools of
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  Socialists:    the   more    moderate     Socialists   sometimes     concede     that  even
  under Socialism it would be well to retain unequal pay for different kinds
  of work; while the more thoroughgoing Socialists advocate equal incomes
  for all workers。 The second question; on the other hand; forms a division
  between Socialists and Anarchists; the latter would not deprive a man of
  commodities if he did not work; while the former in general would。
  Our second question is so much more fundamental than our first that it
  must be discussed at once; and in the course of this discussion what needs
  to be said on our first question will find its place naturally。
  Wages   or   Free   Sharing?‘‘Abolition   of   the   wages   system''   is   one   of
  the watchwords common to Anarchists and advanced Socialists。 But in its
  most natural sense it is a watchword to which only the Anarchists have a
  right。    In   the   Anarchist      conception      of   society    all   the   commoner
  commodities   will   be   available   to   everyone   without   stint;   in   the   kind   of
  way in which water is available at present。'41' Advo… cates of this system
  point out that it applies already to many things which formerly had to be
  paid for; e。g。; roads and bridges。 They point out that it might very easily be
  extended to trams and   local trains。 They  proceed to argueas  Kropotkin
  does by means of his proofs that the soil might be made indefinitely more
  productivethat all the commoner kinds of food could be given away to
  all   who    demanded      them;   since   it  would    be  easy   to  produce     them   in
  quantities adequate to any possible demand。 If this system were extended
  to all the necessaries of life; everyone's bare livelihood would be secured;
  quite regardless of the way in which he might choose to spend his time。 As
  for commodities which cannot be produced in indefinite quantities; such
  as luxuries and delicacies; they also; according to the Anarchists; are to be
  distributed     without    payment;     but  on   a  system    of  rations;   the   amount
  available being divided equally among the population。 No doubt; though
  this   is   not   said;   something   like   a   price   will   have   to   be   put   upon   these
  luxuries; so that a man may be free to choose how he will take his share:
  one man will prefer good wine; another the finest Havana cigars; another
  pictures or beautiful furniture。 Presumably; every man will be allowed to
  take such luxuries as are his due in whatever form he prefers; the relative
  prices being fixed so as to equalize the demand。 In such a world as this;
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  the economic stimulus to production will have wholly disappeared; and if
  work is to continue it must be from other motives。'42'
  '41' ‘‘Notwithstanding the egotistic turn given to the public mind by
  the    merchant…production          of  our   century;    the   Communist        tendency      is
  continually reasserting itself   and trying   to   make   its way  into public life。
  The   penny   bridge   disappears   before   the   public   bridge;   and   the   turnpike
  road   before   the   free   road。   The   same   spirit   pervades   thousands   of   other
  institutions。   Museums;   free   libraries;   and   free   public   schools;   parks   and
  pleasure     grounds;