第 43 节
作者:一意孤行      更新:2021-10-16 18:41      字数:9322
  mastery;   a   joy   which   satisfies   the   spirit   and   not   only   the   instincts;   and
  satisfaction of instinct and   spirit   at   once is   necessary  to   a   happy  life;   or
  indeed to any existence that is to bring out the best impulses of which a
  man or woman is capable。
  In the world which we should wish to see; there will be more joy of
  life   than   in   the   drab   tragedy  of   modern   every…day  existence。 After   early
  youth; as things are; most men are bowed down by forethought; no longer
  capable of light…hearted gaiety; but only of a kind of solemn jollification
  by   the   clock   at   the   appropriate   hours。   The   advice   to   ‘‘become   as   little
  children''   would   be   good   for   many   people   in   many  respects;   but   it   goes
  with another precept; ‘‘take no thought for the morrow;'' which is hard to
  obey in a competitive world。 There is often in men of science; even when
  they are quite old; something of the simplicity of a child: their absorption
  in   abstract   thought   has   held   them   aloof   from   the   world;   and   respect   for
  their work has led the world to keep them alive in spite of their innocence。
  Such men have succeeded in living as all men ought to be able to live; but
  as things are; the economic struggle makes their way of life impossible for
  the great majority。
  What are we to say; lastly; of the effect of our projected world upon
  physical evil? Will there be less illness than there is at present? Will the
  produce of a given amount of labor be greater? Or will population press
  upon     the   limits   of   subsistence;      as  Malthus      taught    in  order    to  refute
  Godwin's optimism?
  I   think   the   answer   to   all   these   questions   turns;   in   the   end;   upon   the
  degree of intellectual vigor to be expected in a community which has done
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  away  with the   spur of   economic   competition。 Will   men   in   such   a   world
  become lazy and apathetic? Will they cease to think? Will those who do
  think find themselves confronted with an even more impenetrable wall of
  unreflecting      conservatism      than   that   which    confronts    them    at  present?
  These are important questions; for it is ultimately to science that mankind
  must look for their success in combating physical evils。
  If   the   other   conditions   that   we   have   postulated   can   be   realized;   it
  seems almost certain that there must be less illness than there is at present。
  Population   will   no   longer   be   congested   in   slums;   children   will   have   far
  more of fresh air and open country; the hours of work will be only such as
  are wholesome; not excessive and exhausting as they are at present。
  As   for   the   progress   of   science;   that   depends   very   largely   upon   the
  degree of intellectual liberty existing in the new society。 If all science is
  organized and supervised by the State; it will rapidly become stereotyped
  and   dead。   Fundamental   advances   will   not   be   made;   because;   until   they
  have been made; they will seem too doubtful to warrant the expenditure of
  public    money      upon   them。    Authority   will    be   in  the  hands    of   the  old;
  especially of men who have achieved scientific eminence; such men will
  be hostile to those among the young who do not flatter them by agreeing
  with their theories。 Under a bureaucratic State Socialism it is to be feared
  that science would soon cease to be progressive and acquired a medieval
  respect for authority。
  But under a freer system; which would enable all kinds of groups to
  employ   as   many   men   of   science   as   they   chose;   and   would         allow   the
  ‘‘vagabond's wage'' to those who desired to pursue some study so new as
  to   be   wholly   unrecognized;   there   is   every   reason   to   think   that   science
  would flourish as it has never done hitherto。'61' And; if that were the case;
  I   do   not  believe    that  any    other   obstacle    would    exist   to  the  physical
  possibility of our system。
  '61' See the discussion of this question in the preceding chapter。
  The question of the number  of hours of work necessary to   produce
  general material comfort is partly technical; partly one of organization。 We
  may   assume   that   there   would   no   longer   be   unproductive   labor   spent   on
  armaments; national defense; advertisements; costly luxuries for the very
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  rich; or any of the other futilities incidental to our competitive system。 If
  each industrial guild secured for a term of years the advantages; or part of
  the advantages; of any new invention or methods which it introduced; it is
  pretty    certain   that  every    encouragement       would     be  given    to  technical
  progress。 The life of a discoverer or inventor is in itself agreeable: those
  who adopt it; as things are now; are seldom much actuated by economic
  motives; but rather by the interest of the work together with the hope of
  honor; and   these   motives   would operate more   widely  than they  do   now;
  since fewer people would be prevented from obeying them by economic
  necessities。 And there is no doubt that intellect would work more keenly
  and creatively in a world where instinct was less thwarted; where the joy
  of life was greater; and where consequently there would be more vitality in
  men than there is at present。
  There remains the population question; which; ever since the time of
  Malthus;   has   been   the   last   refuge   of   those   to   whom   the   possibility   of   a
  better world is disagreeable。 But this question is now a very different one
  from what it was a hundred years ago。 The decline of the birth…rate in all
  civilized countries; which is pretty certain to continue; whatever economic
  system is adopted; suggests that; especially when the probable effects of
  the   war   are   taken   into   account; the population   of Western   Europe   is   not
  likely to increase very much beyond its present level; and that of America
  is likely only to increase through immigration。 Negroes may continue to
  increase   in   the   tropics;   but   are   not   likely   to   be   a   serious   menace   to   the
  white    inhabitants    of   temperate    regions。    There   remains;     of  course;   the
  Yellow Peril; but by the time that begins to be serious it is quite likely that
  the birth…rate will also have begun to decline among the races of Asia If
  not; there are other means of dealing with this question; and in any case
  the whole matter is too conjectural to be set up seriously as a bar to our
  hopes。 I conclude that; though no certain forecast is possible; there is not
  any   valid   reason   for   regarding   the   possible   increase   of   population   as   a
  serious obstacle to Socialism。
  Our discussion has led us to the belief that the communal ownership of
  land and capital; which constitutes the characteristic doctrine of Socialism
  and Anarchist Communism; is a necessary step toward the removal of the
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  evils from which the world suffers   at present   and the creation of such   a
  society   as   any   humane   man   must   wish   to   see   realized。   But;   though   a
  necessary      step;  Socialism     alone   is  by   no   means    sufficient。   There    are
  various forms of Socialism: the form in which the State is the employer;
  and all who work receive wages from it; involves dangers of tyranny and
  interference with progress which would   make it; if possible; even   worse
  than the present regime。 On the other hand; Anarchism; which avoids the
  dangers of State Socialism; has dangers and difficulties of its own; which
  make it probable that; within any reasonable period of time; it could not
  last long even if it were established。 Nevertheless; it remains an ideal to
  which   we   should   wish   to   approach   as   nearly   as   possible;   and   which;   in
  some distant age; we hope may be reached completely。 Syndicalism shares
  many of the defects of Anarchism; and; like it; would prove unstable; since
  the need of a central government would make itself felt almost at once。
  The system we have advocated is a form of Guild Socialism; leaning
  more;     perhaps;    towards    Anarchism   than      the  official   Guildsman      would
  wholly approve。 It is in the matters that politicians usually ignore science
  and art; human relations; and the joy of life that Ana