what is property-第56节

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s。　　Every　discovery　and　act　in　society　is　necessary　to　him。　　But　of　this　immense　quantity　of　products　and　ideas；　that　which　each　one　has　to　produce　and　acquire　for　himself　is　but　an　atom　in　the　sun。　　Man　would　not　be　man　were　it　not　for　society；　and　society　is　supported　by　the　balance　and　harmony　of　the　powers　which　compose　it。

Society；　among　the　animals；　is　SIMPLE；　with　man　it　is　COMPLEX。　　Man　is　associated　with　man　by　the　same　instinct　which　associates　animal　with　animal；　but　man　is　associated　differently　from　the　animal；　and　it　is　this　difference　in　association　which　constitutes　the　difference　in　morality。

I　have　proved；at　too　great　length；　perhaps；both　by　the　spirit　of　the　laws　which　regard　property　as　the　basis　of　society；　and　by　political　economy；　that　inequality　of　conditions　is　justified　neither　by　priority　of　occupation　nor　superiority　of　talent；　service；　industry；　and　capacity。　　But；　although　equality　of　conditions　is　a　necessary　consequence　of　natural　right；　of　liberty；　of　the　laws　of　production；　of　the　capacity　of　physical　nature；　and　of　the　principle　of　society　itself；it　does　not　prevent　the　social　sentiment　from　stepping　over　the　boundaries　of　DEBT　and　CREDIT。　　The　fields　of　benevolence　and　love　extend　far　beyond；　and　when　economy　has　adjusted　its　balance；　the　mind　begins　to　benefit　by　its　own　justice；　and　the　heart　expands　in　the　boundlessness　of　its　affection。

The　social　sentiment　then　takes　on　a　new　character；　which　varies　with　different　persons。　　In　the　strong；　it　becomes　the　pleasure　of　generosity；　among　equals；　frank　and　cordial　friendship；　in　the　weak；　the　pleasure　of　admiration　and　gratitude。

The　man　who　is　superior　in　strength；　skill；　or　courage；　knows　that　he　owes　all　that　he　is　to　society；　without　which　he　could　not　exist。　　He　knows　that；　in　treating　him　precisely　as　it　does　the　lowest　of　its　members；　society　discharges　its　whole　duty　towards　him。　　But　he　does　not　underrate　his　faculties；　he　is　no　less　conscious　of　his　power　and　greatness；　and　it　is　this　voluntary　reverence　which　he　pays　to　humanity；　this　avowal　that　he　is　but　an　instrument　of　Nature；who　is　alone　worthy　of　glory　and　worship；it　is；　I　say；　this　simultaneous　confession　of　the　heart　and　the　mind；　this　genuine　adoration　of　the　Great　Being；　that　distinguishes　and　elevates　man；　and　lifts　him　to　a　degree　of　social　morality　to　which　the　beast　is　powerless　to　attain。　　Hercules　destroying　the　monsters　and　punishing　brigands　for　the　safety　of　Greece；　Orpheus　teaching　the　rough　and　wild　Pelasgians；neither　of　them　putting　a　price　upon　their　services；there　we　see　the　noblest　creations　of　poetry；　the　loftiest　expression　of　justice　and　virtue。

The　joys　of　self…sacrifice　are　ineffable。

If　I　were　to　compare　human　society　to　the　old　Greek　tragedies；　I　should　say　that　the　phalanx　of　noble　minds　and　lofty　souls　dances　the　strophe；　and　the　humble　multitude　the　antistrophe。　　Burdened　with　painful　and　disagreeable　tasks；　but　rendered　omnipotent　by　their　number　and　the　harmonic　arrangement　of　their　functions；　the　latter　execute　what　the　others　plan。　　Guided　by　them；　they　owe　them　nothing；　they　honor　them；　however；　and　lavish　upon　them　praise　and　approbation。

Gratitude　fills　people　with　adoration　and　enthusiasm。

But　equality　delights　my　heart。　　Benevolence　degenerates　into　tyranny；　and　admiration　into　servility。　　Friendship　is　the　daughter　of　equality。　　O　my　friends！　may　I　live　in　your　midst　without　emulation；　and　without　glory；　let　equality　bring　us　together；　and　fate　assign　us　our　places。　　May　I　die　without　knowing　to　whom　among　you　I　owe　the　most　esteem！

Friendship　is　precious　to　the　hearts　of　the　children　of　men。

Generosity；　gratitude　（I　mean　here　only　that　gratitude　which　is　born　of　admiration　of　a　superior　power）；　and　friendship　are　three　distinct　shades　of　a　single　sentiment　which　I　will　call　equite；　or　SOCIAL　PROPORTIONALITY。＇1＇　　Equite　does　not　change　justice：　but；　always　taking　equite　for　the　base；　it　superadds　esteem；　and　thereby　forms　in　man　a　third　degree　of　sociability。　　Equite　makes　it　at　once　our　duty　and　our　pleasure　to　aid　the　weak　who　have　need　of　us；　and　to　make　them　our　equals；　to　pay　to　the　strong　a　just　tribute　of　gratitude　and　honor；　without　enslaving　ourselves　to　them；　to　cherish　our　neighbors；　friends；　and　equals；　for　that　which　we　receive　from　them；　even　by　right　of　exchange。　　Equite　is　sociability　raised　to　its　ideal　by　reason　and　justice；　its　commonest　manifestation　is　URBANITY　or　POLITENESS；　which；　among　certain　nations；　sums　up　in　a　single　word　nearly　all　the　social　duties。

＇1＇　　I　mean　here　by　equite　what　the　Latins　called　humanitas；that　is；　the　kind　of　sociability　which　is　peculiar　to　man。　　Humanity；　gentle　and　courteous　to　all；　knows　how　to　distinguish　ranks；　virtues；　and　capacities　without　injury　to　any。

It　is　the　just　distribution　of　social　sympathy　and　universal　love。




Now；　this　feeling　is　unknown　among　the　beasts；　who　love　and　cling　to　each　other；　and　show　their　preferences；　but　who　cannot　conceive　of　esteem；　and　who　are　incapable　of　generosity；　admiration；　or　politeness。

This　feeling　does　not　spring　from　intelligence；　which　calculates；　computes；　and　balances；　but　does　not　love；　which　sees；　but　does　not　feel。　　As　justice　is　the　product　of　social　instinct　and　reflection　combined；　so　equite　is　a　product　of　justice　and　taste　combinedthat　is；　of　our　powers　of　judging　and　of　idealizing。

This　productthe　third　and　last　degree　of　human　sociabilityis　determined　by　our　complex　mode　of　association；　in　which　inequality；　or　rather　the　divergence　of　faculties；　and　the　speciality　of　functionstending　of　themselves　to　isolate　laborersdemand　a　more　active　sociability。

That　is　why　the　force　which　oppresses　while　protecting　is　execrable；　why　the　silly　ignorance　which　views　with　the　same　eye　the　marvels　of　art；　and　the　products　of　the　rudest　industry；　excites　unutterable　contempt；　why　proud　mediocrity；　which　glories　in　saying；　〃I　have　paid　youI　owe　you　nothing；〃　is　especially　odious。

SOCIABILITY；　JUSTICE；　EQUITEsuch；　in　its　triplicity；　is　the　exact　definition　of　the　instinctive　faculty　which　leads　us　into　communication　with　our　fellows；　and　whose　physical　manifestation　is　expressed　by　the　formula：　　EQUALITY　IN　NATURAL　WEALTH；　AND　THE　PRODUCTS　OF　LABOR。

These　three　degrees　of　sociability　support　and　imply　each　other。

Equite　cannot　exist　without　justice；　society　without　justice　is　a　solecism。　　If；　in　order　to　reward　talent；　I　take　from　one　to　give　to　another；　in　unjustly　stripping　the　first；　I　do　not　esteem　his　talent　as　I　ought；　if；　in　society；　I　award　more　to　myself　than　to　my　associate；　we　are　not　really　associated。　　Justice　is　sociability　as　manifested　in　the　division　of　material　things；　susceptible　of　weight　and　measure；　equite　is　justice　accompanied　by　admiration　and　esteem；things　which　cannot　be　measured。

From　this　several　inferences　may　be　drawn。

1。　Though　we　are　free　to　grant　our　esteem　to　one　more　than　to　another；　and　in　all　possible　degrees；　yet　we　should　give　no　one　more　than　his　proportion　of　the　common　wealth；　because　the　duty　of　justice；　being　imposed　upon　us　before　that　of　equite；　must　always　take　precedence　of　it。　　The　woman　honored　by　the　ancients；　who；　when　forced　by　a　tyrant　to　choose　between　the　death　of　her　brother　and　that　of　her　husband；　sacrificed　the　latter　on　the　ground　that　she　could　find　another　husband　but　not　another　brother；that　woman；　I　say；　in　obeying　her　sense　of　equite；　failed　in　point　of　justice；　and　did　a　bad　deed；　because　conjugal　association　is　a　closer　relation　than　fraternal　association；　and　because　the　life　of　our　neighbor　is　not　our　property。

By　the　same　principle；　inequality　of　wages　cannot　be　admitted　by　law　on　the　ground　of　inequality　of　talents；　because　the　just　distribution　of　wealth　is　the　function　of　economy；not　of　enthusiasm。

Finally；　as　regards　donations；　wills；　and　inheritance；　society；　careful　both　of　the　personal　affections　and　its　own　rights；　must　never　permit　love　and　partiality　to　destroy　justice。　　And；　though　it　is　pleasant　to　think　that　the　son；　who　has　been　long　associated　with　his　father　in　business；　is　more　capable　than　any　one　else　of　carrying　it　on；　and　that　the　citizen；　who　is　surprised　in　the　midst　of　his　task　by　death；　is　best　fitted；　in　consequence　of　his　natural　taste　for　his　occupation；　to　designate　his　successor；　and　though　the　heir　should　be　allowed　the　right　of　choice　in　case　of　more　than　one　inheritance；nevertheless；　society　can　tolerate　no　concentration　of　capital　and　industry　for　the　benefit　of　a　single　man；　no　monopoly　of　labor；　no　encroachment。＇1＇

＇1＇　　Justice　and　equite　never　have　been　understood。

〃Suppose　that　some　spoils；　taken　from　the　enemy；　and　equal　to　twelve；　are　to　be　divided　between　Achilles　and　Ajax。　　If　the　two　persons　were　equal；　their　respective　shares　would　be　arithmetically　equal：　Achilles　would　have　six；　Ajax　six。　　And　if　we　should　carry　out　this　arithmetical　equality；　Thersites　would　be　entitled　to　as　much　as　Achilles；　which　would　be　unjust　in　the　extreme。　　To　avoid　this　injustice；　the　worth　of　the　persons　should　be　estimated；　and　the　spoils　divided　accordingly。　　Suppose　that　the　worth　of　Achilles　is　double　that　of　Ajax：　the　former's　share　is　eight；　the　latter　four。　　There　is　no　arithm