第 38 节
作者:一意孤行      更新:2021-10-16 18:41      字数:9322
  favor。
  The     only   way    of  meeting     these    difficulties;   whether     under    State
  Socialism   or   Guild   Socialism   or   Anarchism;   seems   to   be   by   making   it
  possible for an author to pay for the publication of his book if it is not such
  as the State or the Guild is willing to print at its own expense。 I am aware
  that this method is contrary to the spirit of Socialism; but I do not see what
  other way there is of securing freedom。 The payment might be made by
  undertaking to engage for an assigned period in some work of recognized
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  utility   and    to  hand   over   such     proportion     of   the  earnings   as   might     be
  necessary。 The work undertaken might of course be; as Kropotkin suggests;
  the   manual   part   of   the   production   of   books;   but   I   see   no   special   reason
  why it should be。 It would have to be an absolute rule that no book should
  be refused; no matter what the nature of its contents might be; if payment
  for   publication   were   offered   at   the   standard        rate。   An   author   who     had
  admirers   would   be   able   to   secure   their   help   in   payment。   An   unknown
  author   might;  it   is   true;   have   to suffer   a   considerable   loss   of   comfort   in
  order   to   make   his   payment;   but   that   would   give   an   automatic   means   of
  eliminating those whose writing was not the result of any very profound
  impulse and would be by no means wholly an evil。
  Probably       some    similar    method     would     be   desirable     as  regards     the
  publishing and performing of new music。
  What      we   have    been    suggesting     will;   no   doubt;    be  objected     to  by
  orthodox       Socialists;   since   they   will   find    something   repugnant        to   their
  principles   in   the   whole   idea   of   a   private   person   paying   to   have   certain
  work   done。   But   it   is   a   mistake   to   be   the   slave   of   a   system;   and   every
  system;      if  it  is  applied   rigidly;   will   entail   evils   which    could    only    be
  avoided   by   some   concession   to   the   exigencies   of   special   cases。   On   the
  whole;       a   wise    form     of    Socialism      might      afford    infinitely     better
  opportunities for the artist and the man of science than are possible in a
  capitalist   community;   but   only   if   the   form   of   Socialism   adopted   is   one
  which is fitted for this end by means of provisions such as we have been
  suggesting。
  3。   Possibility   of   Appreciation。This         condition   is   one   which      is   not
  necessary to all who do creative work; but in the sense in which I mean it
  the    great   majority     find   it  very    nearly    indispensable。      I  do   not   mean
  widespread        public    recognition;     nor    that  ignorant;     half…sincere     respect
  which      is  commonly        accorded      to  artists   who    have    achieved      success。
  Neither      of    these    serves     much      purpose。      What     I   mean      is   rather
  understanding;        and    a   spontaneous       feeling    that   things    of   beauty    are
  important。 In a thoroughly commercialized society; an artist is respected if
  he makes money; and because he   makes money; but there is no   genuine
  respect     for  the   works     of  art  by   which     his  money      has   been    made。    A
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  millionaire whose fortune has been made in button…hooks or chewing…gum
  is regarded with awe; but none of this feeling is bestowed on the articles
  from which his wealth is derived。 In a society which measures all things
  by money the same tends to be true of the artist。 If he has become rich he
  is respected; though of course less than the millionaire; but his pictures or
  books or music are regarded as the chewing…gum or the button… hooks are
  regarded; merely as a means to money。 In such an atmosphere it is very
  difficult   for   the   artist   to   preserve   his   creative   impulse   pure:   either   he   is
  contaminated by his surroundings; or he becomes embittered through lack
  of appreciation for the object of his endeavor。
  It   is  not   appreciation     of   the   artist  that   is  necessary     so  much     as
  appreciation of the art。 It is difficult for an artist to live in an environment
  in   which   everything   is   judged   by   its   utility;   rather   than   by   its   intrinsic
  quality。     The    whole    side   of   life  of   which    art   is  the  flower     requires
  something   which   may   be   called   disinterestedness;   a   capacity   for   direct
  enjoyment without thought of tomorrow's problems and difficulties。 When
  people are amused by a joke they do not need to be persuaded that it will
  serve     some     important     purpose。     The    same    kind    of  direct   pleasure     is
  involved   in   any   genuine   appreciation   of   art。   The   struggle   for   life;   the
  serious work of a trade or profession; is apt to make people too solemn for
  jokes     and   too   pre…occupied       for  art。  The    easing    of   the   struggle;    the
  diminution   in   the   hours   of   work;   and   the   lightening   of   the   burden   of
  existence; which would result from a better economic system; could hardly
  fail   to   increase   the   joy   of   life   and   the   vital   energy;   available   for   sheer
  delight in the world。 And if this were achieved there would inevitably be
  more spontaneous pleasure in beautiful things; and more enjoyment of the
  work of artists。 But none of these good results are to be expected from the
  mere removal of poverty: they all require also a diffused sense of freedom;
  and the absence of that feeling of oppression by a vast machine which now
  weighs down the individual spirit。 I do not think State Socialism can give
  this   sense   of   freedom;   but   some   other   forms   of   Socialism;   which   have
  absorbed   what   is   true   in   Anarchist   teaching;   can   give   it   to   a   degree   of
  which capitalism is wholly incapable。
  A general sense of progress and achievement is an immense stimulus
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  to all forms of creative work。 For this reason; a great deal will depend; not
  only in material ways; upon the question whether methods of production
  in   industry   and     agriculture   become       stereotyped      or   continue    to  change
  rapidly     as   they   have    done    during     the   last  hundred      years。   Improved
  methods   of   production   will   be   much   more   obviously   than   now   to   the
  interest of the community at large; when what every man receives is his
  due share of the total produce of labor。 But there will probably not be any
  individuals       with    the   same     direct    and    intense    interest    in   technical
  improvements   as         now   belongs     to   the   capitalist  in   manufacture。      If  the
  natural   conservatism   of   the   workers   is   not   to   prove   stronger   than   their
  interest   in   increasing   production;   it   will   be   necessary   that;   when   better
  methods are introduced by the workers in any industry; part at least of the
  benefit should be allowed for a time to be retained by them。 If this is done;
  it may be presumed that each Guild will be continually seeking for new
  processes or inventions; and will value those technical parts of scientific
  research which are useful for this purpose。 With every improvement; the
  question   will   arise   whether   it   is   to   be   used   to   give   more   leisure   or   to
  increase     the   dividend     of  commodities。        Where     there   is  so  much     more
  leisure     than   there    is  now;    there   will   be   many      more    people     with   a
  knowledge of   science or   an   understanding   of  art。 The  artist   or   scientific
  investigator will be far less cut off than he is at present from the average
  citizen; and this will almost inevitably be a stimulus to his creative energy。
  I think we may fairly conclude that; from the point of view of all three
  requisites for art and science; namely; training; freedom and appreciation;
  State   Socialism   would   largely   fail   to   remove   existing   evils   and   would
  introduce new evils of its own; but Guild Socialism; or even Syndicalism;
  if it adopted a liberal policy toward those who preferred to work less than
  the     usual    numbe