what is property-第39节

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olitical　order　must　make　itself　manifest。

It　has　been　said；　in　speaking　of　the　blindness　and　obstinacy　of　the　passions；　that；　if　man　had　any　thing　to　gain　by　denying　the　truths　of　arithmetic；　he　would　find　some　means　of　unsettling　their　certainty：　here　is　an　opportunity　to　try　this　curious　experiment。　　I　attack　property；　no　longer　with　its　own　maxims；　but　with　arithmetic。　　Let　the　proprietors　prepare　to　verify　my　figures；　for；　if　unfortunately　for　them　the　figures　prove　accurate；　the　proprietors　are　lost。

In　proving　the　impossibility　of　property；　I　complete　the　proof　of　its　injustice。　　In　fact；

That　which　is　JUST　must　be　USEFUL；

That　which　is　useful　must　be　TRUE；

That　which　is　true　must　be　POSSIBLE；

Therefore；　every　thing　which　is　impossible　is　untrue；　useless；　unjust。　　Then；a　priori；we　may　judge　of　the　justice　of　any　thing　by　its　possibility；　so　that　if　the　thing　were　absolutely　impossible；　it　would　be　absolutely　unjust。


PROPERTY　IS　PHYSICALLY　AND　MATHEMATICALLY　IMPOSSIBLE。

DEMONSTRATION。

AXIOM。Property　is　the　Right　of　Increase　claimed　by　the　Proprietor　over　any　thing　which　he　has　stamped　as　his　own。


This　proposition　is　purely　an　axiom；　because；

1。　It　is　not　a　definition；　since　it　does　not　express　all　that　is　included　in　the　right　of　propertythe　right　of　sale；　of　exchange；　of　gift；　the　right　to　transform；　to　alter；　to　consume；　to　destroy；　to　use　and　abuse；　&c。　　All　these　rights　are　so　many　different　powers　of　property；　which　we　may　consider　separately；　but　which　we　disregard　here；　that　we　may　devote　all　our　attention　to　this　single　one；the　right　of　increase。

2。　It　is　universally　admitted。　　No　one　can　deny　it　without　denying　the　facts；　without　being　instantly　belied　by　universal　custom。

3。　It　is　self…evident；　since　property　is　always　accompanied　（either　actually　or　potentially）　by　the　fact　which　this　axiom　expresses；　and　through　this　fact；　mainly；　property　manifests；　establishes；　and　asserts　itself。

4。　Finally；　its　negation　involves　a　contradiction。　　The　right　of　increase　is　really　an　inherent　right；　so　essential　a　part　of　property；　that；　in　its　absence；　property　is　null　and　void。

OBSERVATIONS。Increase　receives　different　names　according　to　the　thing　by　which　it　is　yielded：　if　by　land；　FARM…RENT；　if　by　houses　and　furniture；　RENT；　if　by　life…investments；　REVENUE；　if　by　money；　INTEREST；　if　by　exchange；　ADVANTAGE；　GAIN；　PROFIT　（three　things　which　must　not　be　confounded　with　the　wages　or　legitimate　price　of　labor）。

Increasea　sort　of　royal　prerogative；　of　tangible　and　consumable　homageis　due　to　the　proprietor　on　account　of　his　nominal　and　metaphysical　occupancy。　　His　seal　is　set　upon　the　thing；　that　is　enough　to　prevent　any　one　else　from　occupying　it　without　HIS　permission。

This　permission　to　use　his　things　the　proprietor　may；　if　he　chooses；　freely　grant。　　Commonly　he　sells　it。　　This　sale　is　really　a　stellionate　and　an　extortion；　but　by　the　legal　fiction　of　the　right　of　property；　this　same　sale；　severely　punished；　we　know　not　why；　in　other　cases；　is　a　source　of　profit　and　value　to　the　proprietor。

The　amount　demanded　by　the　proprietor；　in　payment　for　this　permission；　is　expressed　in　monetary　terms　by　the　dividend　which　the　supposed　product　yields　in　nature。　　So　that；　by　the　right　of　increase；　the　proprietor　reaps　and　does　not　plough；　gleans　and　does　not　till；　consumes　and　does　not　produce；　enjoys　and　does　not　labor。　　Very　different　from　the　idols　of　the　Psalmist　are　the　gods　of　property：　the　former　had　hands　and　felt　not；　the　latter；　on　the　contrary；　_manus　habent　et　palpabunt_。　_　_The　right　of　increase　is　conferred　in　a　very　mysterious　and　supernatural　manner。　　The　inauguration　of　a　proprietor　is　accompanied　by　the　awful　ceremonies　of　an　ancient　initiation。　　First；　comes　the　CONSECRATION　of　the　article；　a　consecration　which　makes　known　to　all　that　they　must　offer　up　a　suitable　sacrifice　to　the　proprietor；　whenever　they　wish；　by　his　permission　obtained　and　signed；　to　use　his　article。

Second；　comes　the　ANATHEMA；　which　prohibitsexcept　on　the　conditions　aforesaidall　persons　from　touching　the　article；　even　in　the　proprietor's　absence；　and　pronounces　every　violator　of　property　sacrilegious；　infamous；　amenable　to　the　secular　power；　and　deserving　of　being　handed　over　to　it。

Finally；　the　DEDICATION；　which　enables　the　proprietor　or　patron　saintthe　god　chosen　to　watch　over　the　articleto　inhabit　it　mentally；　like　a　divinity　in　his　sanctuary。　　By　means　of　this　dedication；　the　substance　of　the　articleso　to　speakbecomes　converted　into　the　person　of　the　proprietor；　who　is　regarded　as　ever　present　in　its　form。

This　is　exactly　the　doctrine　of　the　writers　on　jurisprudence。　　〃Property；〃　says　Toullier；　〃is　a　MORAL　QUALITY　inherent　in　a　thing；　AN　ACTUAL　BOND　which　fastens　it　to　the　proprietor；　and　which　cannot　be　broken　save　by　his　act。〃　　Locke　humbly　doubted　whether　God　could　make　matter　INTELLIGENT。　　Toullier　asserts　that　the　proprietor　renders　it　MORAL。　　How　much　does　he　lack　of　being　a　God？　　These　are　by　no　means　exaggerations。

PROPERTY　IS　THE　RIGHT　OF　INCREASE；　that　is；　the　power　to　produce　without　labor。　　Now；　to　produce　without　labor　is　to　make　something　from　nothing；　in　short；　to　create。　　Surely　it　is　no　more　difficult　to　do　this　than　to　moralize　matter。　　The　jurists　are　right；　then；　in　applying　to　proprietors　this　passage　from　the　Scriptures；_Ego　dixi：　　Dii　estis　et　filii　Excelsi　omnes_；〃I　have　said；　Ye　are　gods；　and　all　of　you　are　children　of　the　Most　High。〃

PROPERTY　IS　THE　RIGHT　OF　INCREASE。　　To　us　this　axiom　shall　be　like　the　name　of　the　beast　in　the　Apocalypse；a　name　in　which　is　hidden　the　complete　explanation　of　the　whole　mystery　of　this　beast。　　It　was　known　that　he　who　should　solve　the　mystery　of　this　name　would　obtain　a　knowledge　of　the　whole　prophecy；　and　would　succeed　in　mastering　the　beast。　　Well！　by　the　most　careful　interpretation　of　our　axiom　we　shall　kill　the　sphinx　of　property。

Starting　from　this　eminently　characteristic　factthe　RIGHT　OF　INCREASEwe　shall　pursue　the　old　serpent　through　his　coils；　we　shall　count　the　murderous　entwinings　of　this　frightful　taenia；　whose　head；　with　its　thousand　suckers；　is　always　hidden　from　the　sword　of　its　most　violent　enemies；　though　abandoning　to　them　immense　fragments　of　its　body。　　It　requires　something　more　than　courage　to　subdue　this　monster。　　It　was　written　that　it　should　not　die　until　a　proletaire；　armed　with　a　magic　wand；　had　fought　with　it。

COROLLARIES。1。　THE　AMOUNT　OF　INCREASE　IS　PROPORTIONAL　TO　THE　THING　INCREASED。　　Whatever　be　the　rate　of　interest；whether　it　rise　to　three；　five；　or　ten　per　cent。；　or　fall　to　one…half；　one…　fourth；　one…tenth；it　does　not　matter；　the　law　of　increase　remains　the　same。　　The　law　is　as　follows：

All　capitalthe　cash　value　of　which　can　be　estimatedmay　be　considered　as　a　term　in　an　arithmetical　series　which　progresses　in　the　ratio　of　one　hundred；　and　the　revenue　yielded　by　this　capital　as　the　corresponding　term　of　another　arithmetical　series　which　progresses　in　a　ratio　equal　to　the　rate　of　interest。　　Thus；　a　capital　of　five　hundred　francs　being　the　fifth　term　of　the　arithmetical　progression　whose　ratio　is　one　hundred；　its　revenue　at　three　per　cent。　will　be　indicated　by　the　fifth　term　of　the　arithmetical　progression　whose　ratio　is　three：

100　　。　　200　　。　　300　　。　　400　　。　　500。　　3　　　。　　　6　　　。　　　9　　　。　　　12　　。　　　15。


An　acquaintance　with　this　sort　of　LOGARITHMStables　of　which；　calculated　to　a　very　high　degree；　are　possessed　by　proprietors　will　give　us　the　key　to　the　most　puzzling　problems；　and　cause　us　to　experience　a　series　of　surprises。

By　this　LOGARITHMIC　theory　of　the　right　of　increase；　a　piece　of　property；　together　with　its　income；　may　be　defined　as　A　NUMBER　WHOSE　LOGARITHM　IS　EQUAL　TO　THE　SUM　OF　ITS　UNITS　DIVIDED　BY　ONE　HUNDRED；　AND　MULTIPLIED　BY　THE　RATE　OF　INTEREST。　　For　instance；　a　house　valued　at　one　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　leased　at　five　per　cent。；　yields　a　revenue　of　five　thousand　francs；　according　to　the　formula　100；000　x　5　/　100　=　five　thousand。　　Vice　versa；　a　piece　of　land　which　yields；　at　two　and　a　half　per　cent。；　a　revenue　of　three　thousand　francs　is　worth　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs；　according　to　this　other　formula；　3；000　x　100　/　2　1/2　=　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand。

In　the　first　case；　the　ratio　of　the　progression　which　marks　the　increase　of　interest　is　five；　in　the　second；　it　is　two　and　a　half。

OBSERVATION。The　forms　of　increase　known　as　farm…rent；　income；　and　interest　are　paid　annually；　rent　is　paid　by　the　week；　the　month；　or　the　year；　profits　and　gains　are　paid　at　the　time　of　exchange。　　Thus；　the　amount　of　increase　is　proportional　both　to　the　thing　increased；　and　the　time　during　which　it　increases；　in　other　words；　usury　grows　like　a　cancer_foenus　serpit　sicut　cancer_。

2。　THE　INCREASE　PAID　TO　THE　PROPRIETOR　BY　THE　OCCUPANT　IS　A　DEAD　LOSS　TO　THE　LATTER。　　For　if　the　proprietor　owed；　in　exchange　for　the　increase　which　he　receives；　some　thing　more　than　the　permission　which　he　grants；　his　right　of　property　would　not　be　perfecthe　would　not　possess　_jure　optimo；　jure　perfecto；_　　that　is；　he　would　not　be　in　reality　a　proprietor。　　Then；　all　which　passes　from　the　hands　of　the　occupant　into　those　of　the　proprietor　in　the　name　of　increase；　and　as　the　price　of　th