the origins of contemporary france-4-第39章

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5。　　to　gradually　limit　even　useful　action；

6。　　to　set　itself　as　few　tasks　as　possible；

7。　　to　let　each　one　have　all　the　room　possible　and　the　maximum　of

initiative；

8。　　to　slowly　abandon　monopolies；

9。　　to　refrain　from　competition　with　private　parties；

10。　　to　rid　itself　of　functions　which　these　private　parties　can

fulfill　equally　well　…

and　we　see　that　the　limits　assigned　to　the　State　by　the　public

interest　（l'intérêt　commun）　correspond　to　those　stipulated　by　duty　and

justice。



VI。



Indirect　common　interest。　　…　This　consists　in　the　most　economical　and

most　productive　employment　of　spontaneous　forces。　　…　Difference

between　voluntary　labor　and　forced　labor。　　…　Sources　of　man's

spontaneous　action。　　Conditions　of　their　energy；　work　and　products。　　…

Motives　for　leaving　them　under　personal　control。　　…　Extent　of　the

private　domain。　　…　Individuals　might　voluntarily　extend　it。　　…　What　is

left　becomes　the　domain　of　the　State。　　…　Obligatory　functions　of　the

State。　　…　Optional　functions　of　the　State。



Let　us　now　take　into　consideration；　no　longer　the　direct；　but　the

indirect　interest　of　all。　　Instead　of　considering　individuals　let　us

concern　ourselves　with　their　works。　　Let　us　regard　human　society　as　a

material　and　spiritual　workshop；　whose　perfection　consists　in　making

it　as　productive；　economical；　and　as　well　furnished　and　managed　as

possible　。　　Even　with　this　secondary　and　subordinate　aim；　the　domain

of　the　State　is　scarcely　to　be　less　restricted：　very　few　new　functions

are　to　be　attributed　to　it；　nearly　all　the　rest　will　be　better

fulfilled　by　independent　persons；　or　by　natural　or　voluntary

associations。　　…



Let　us　consider　the　man　who　works　for　his　own　benefit；　the　farmer；　the

manufacturer；　the　merchant；　and　observe　how　attentive　he　is　to　his

business。　　This　is　because　his　interest　and　pride　are　involved。　　One

side　his　welfare　and　that　of　those　around　him　is　at　stake；　his

capital；　his　reputation；　his　social　position　and　advancement；　on　the

other　side；　are　poverty；　ruin；　social　degradation；　dependence；

bankruptcy　and　the　alms…house。　　In　the　presence　of　this　alternative　he

keeps　close　watch　and　becomes　industrious；　he　thinks　of　his　business

even　when　abed　or　at　his　meals；　he　studies　it；　not　from　a　distance；

speculatively；　in　a　general　way；　but　on　the　spot；　practically；　in

detail；　in　all　its　bearings　and　relationships；　constantly　calculating

difficulties　and　resources；　with　such　sharp　insight　and　special

information　that　for　any　other　person　to　try　to　solve　the　daily

problem　which　he　solves；　would　be　impossible；　because　nobody　could

possess　or　estimate　as　he　can　the　precise　elements　which　constitute

it。　　…　Compare　with　this　unique　devotion　and　these　peculiar

qualifications　the　ordinary　capacity　and　listless　regularity　of　a

senior　public　official；　even　when　expert　and　honest。　　He　is　sure　of

his　salary；　provided　he　does　his　duty　tolerably　well；　and　this　he　does

when　he　is　occupied　during　official　hours。　　Let　his　papers　be　correct；

in　conformity　with　regulations　and　custom；　and　nothing　more　is　asked

of　him；　he　need　not　tax　his　brain　beyond　that。　　If　he　conceives　any

economical　measure；　or　any　improvement　of　his　branch　of　the　service；

not　he；　but　the　public；　an　anonymous　and　vague　impersonality；　reaps

all　the　benefit　of　it。　　Moreover；　why　should　he　care　about　it；　since

his　project　or　reform　might　end　up　in　the　archives。　　The　machine　is

too　vast　and　complicated；　too　unwieldy；　too　clumsy；　with　its　rusty

wheels；　its　〃　old　customs　and　acquired　rights；〃　to　be　renewed　and

rebuilt　as　one　might　a　farm；　a　warehouse　or　a　foundry。　　Accordingly；

he　has　no　idea　of　troubling　himself　further　in　the　matter；　on　leaving

his　office　he　dismisses　it　from　his　mind；　he　lets　things　go　on

automatically；　just　as　it　happens；　in　a　costly　way　and　with

indifferent　results。　　Even　in　a　country　of　as　much　probity　as　France；

it　is　calculated　that　every　enterprise　managed　by　the　State　costs　one

quarter　more；　and　brings　in　one　quarter　less；　than　when　entrusted　to

private　hands。　　Consequently　if　work　were　withheld　from　individuals　in

order　that　the　State　might　undertake　it　the　community；　when　the

accounts　came　to　be　balanced；　would　suffer　a　loss　of　one…half。＇16＇



Now；　this　is　true　of　all　work；　whether　spiritual　or　material　not　only

of　agricultural；　industrial　and　commercial　products；　but；　again；　of

works　of　science　and　of　art；　of　literature　and　philosophy；　of　charity；

of　education　and　propaganda。　　Not　only　when　driven　by　egoism；　such　as

personal　interest　and　vulgar　vanity；　but　also　when　a　disinterested

sentiment　is　involved；　such　the　discovery　of　truth；　the　creation　of

beauty；　the　propagation　of　a　faith；　the　diffusion　of　convictions；

religious　enthusiasm　or　natural　generosity；　love　in　a　broad　or　a

narrow　sense；　spanning　from　one　who　embraces　all　humanity　to　one　who

devotes　himself　wholly　to　his　friends　and　kindred。　　The　effect　is　the

same　in　both　cases；　because　the　cause　is　the　same。　　Always；　in　the

shop　directed　by　the　free　workman；　the　motivating　force　is　enormous；

almost　infinite；　because　it　is　a　living　spring　which　flows　at　all

hours　and　is　inexhaustible。　　The　mother　thinks　constantly　of　her

child；　the　savant　of　his　science；　the　artist　of　his　art；　the　inventor

of　his　inventions；　the　philanthropist　of　his　endowments；　Faraday　of

electricity；　Stephenson　of　his　locomotive；　Pasteur　of　his　microbes；　De

Lesseps　of　his　isthmus；　sisters　of　charity　of　their　poor。　　Through

this　peculiar　concentration　of　thought；　man　derives　every　possible

advantage　from　human　faculties　and　surroundings；　he　himself　gets　to　be

a　more　and　more　perfect　instrument；　and；　moreover；　he　fashions　others：

with　this　he　daily　reduces　the　friction　of　the　powerful　machine　which

he　controls　and　of　which　he　is　the　main　wheel；　he　increases　its　yield

；　he　economizes；　maintains；　repairs　and　improves　it　with　a　capability

and　success　that　nobody　questions；　in　short；　he　fabricates　in　a

superior　way。　　…　But　this　living　source；　to　which　the　superiority　of

the　works　is　due；　cannot　be　separated　from　the　owner　and　chief；　for　it

issues　from　his　own　affections　and　deepest　sentiments。　　It　is　useless

without　him；　out　of　his　hands；　in　the　hands　of　strangers；　the　fountain

ceases　to　flow　and　production　stops。　　…　If；　consequently；　a　good　and

large　yield　is　required；　he　alone　must　have　charge　of　the　mill；　he　is

the　resident　owner　of　it；　the　one　who　sets　it　in　motion；　the　born

engineer；　installed　and　specially　designed　for　that　position。　　In　vain

may　attempts　be　made　to　turn　the　stream　elsewhere；　there　simply　ensues

a　stoppage　of　the　natural　issue；　a　dam　barring　useful　canals；　a

haphazard　change　of　current　not　only　without　gain；　but　loss；　the

stream　subsiding　in　swamps　or　undermining　the　steep　banks　of　a　ravine。

At　the　utmost；　the　millions　of　buckets　of　water；　forcibly　taken　from

private　reservoirs；　half　fill　with　a　good　deal　of　trouble　the　great

central　artificial　basin　in　which　the　water；　low　and　stagnant；　is

never　sufficient　in　quantity　or　force　to　move　the　huge　public　wheel

that　replaces　the　small　private　wheels；　doing　the　nation's　work。



Thus；　even　when　we　only　consider　men　as　manufactures；　even　if　we　treat

them　simply　as　producers　of　what　is　valuable　and　serviceable；　with　no

other　object　in　view　than　to　furnish　society　with　supplies　and　to

benefit　the　consumers；　even　though　the　private　domain　includes　all

enterprises　undertaken　by　private　individuals；　either　singly　or

associated　together；　through　personal　interests　or　personal　taste；

then　this　is　enough　to　ensure　that　all　is　managed　better　than　the

State　could　have　done；　it　is　by　virtue　of　this　that　they　have　devolved

into　their　hands。　　Consequently；　in　the　vast　field　of　labor；　they

themselves　decide　on　what　they　will　undertake；　they　themselves；　of

their　own　authority；　set　their　own　limits。　　They　may　therefore　enlarge

their　own　domain　to　any　extent　they　please；　and　reduce　indefinitely

the　domain　of　the　State