on the significance of science and art-第4章

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constitutes　itself　an　organism。〃　　Then　you　will　say；　〃If　that　is　so；
then　the　birds　and　the　insects　and　the　grass　of　this　forest；　which
re…act　upon　each　other；　and　do　not　destroy　each　other；　may　also　be
regarded　as　one　organism；　in　company　with　the　trees。〃　　And　to　this
also　they　will　agree。　　Every　collection　of　living　individuals；　which
re…act　upon　each　other；　and　do　not　destroy　each　other；　may　be
regarded　as　organisms；　according　to　their　theory。　　You　may　affirm　a
connection　and　interaction　between　whatever　you　choose；　and；
according　to　evolution；　you　may　affirm；　that；　out　of　whatever　you
please；　any　other　thing　that　you　please　may　proceed；　in　a　very　long
period　of　time。

And　the　most　remarkable　thing　of　all　is；　that　this　same　identical
positive　science　recognizes　the　scientific　method　as　the　sign　of
true　knowledge；　and　has　itself　defined　what　it　designates　as　the
scientific　method。

By　the　scientific　method　it　means　common…sense。

And　common…sense　convicts　it　at　every　step。　　As　soon　as　the　Popes
felt　that　nothing　holy　remained　in　them；　they　called　themselves　most
holy。

As　soon　as　science　felt　that　no　common…sense　was　left　in　her　she
called　herself　sensible；　that　is　to　say；　scientific　science。



CHAPTER　III。



Division　of　labor　is　the　law　of　all　existing　things；　and；　therefore；
it　should　be　present　in　human　societies。　　It　is　very　possible　that
this　is　so；　but　still　the　question　remains；　Of　what　nature　is　that
division　of　labor　which　I　behold　in　my　human　society？　is　it　that
division　of　labor　which　should　exist？　　And　if　people　regard　a
certain　division　of　labor　as　unreasonable　and　unjust；　then　no
science　whatever　can　convince　men　that　that　should　exist　which　they
regard　as　unreasonable　and　unjust。

Division　of　labor　is　the　condition　of　existence　of　organisms；　and　of
human　societies；　but　what；　in　these　human　societies；　is　to　be
regarded　as　an　organic　division　of　labor？　　And；　to　whatever　extent
science　may　have　investigated　the　division　of　labor　in　the　cells　of
worms；　all　these　observations　do　not　compel　a　man　to　acknowledge
that　division　of　labor　to　be　correct　which　his　own　sense　and
conscience　do　not　recognize　as　correct。　　No　matter　how　convincing
may　be　the　proofs　of　the　division　of　labor　of　the　cells　in　the
organisms　studied；　man；　if　he　has　not　parted　with　his　judgment；　will
say；　nevertheless；　that　a　man　should　not　weave　calico　all　his　life；
and　that　this　is　not　division　of　labor；　but　persecution　of　the
people。　　Spencer　and　others　say　that　there　is　a　whole　community　of
weavers；　and　that　the　profession　of　weaving　is　an　organic　division
of　labor。　　There　are　weavers；　so；　of　course；　there　is　such　a
division　of　labor。　　It　would　be　well　enough　to　speak　thus　if　the
colony　of　weavers　had　arisen　by　the　free　will　of　its　member's；　but
we　know　that　it　is　not　thus　formed　of　their　initiative；　but　that　we
make　it。　　Hence　it　is　necessary　to　find　out　whether　we　have　made
these　weavers　in　accordance　with　an　organic　law；　or　with　some　other。

Men　live。　　They　support　themselves　by　agriculture；　as　is　natural　to
all　men。　　One　man　has　set　up　a　blacksmith's　forge；　and　repaired　his
plough；　his　neighbor　comes　to　him；　and　asks　him　to　mend　his　also；
and　promises　him　in　return　either　work　or　money。　　A　third　comes；　and
a　fourth；　and　in　the　community　formed　by　these　men；　there　arises　the
following　division　of　labor；a　blacksmith　is　created。　　Another　man
has　instructed　his　children　well；　his　neighbor　brings　his　children
to　him；　and　requests　him　to　teach　them　also；　and　a　teacher　is
created。　　But　both　blacksmith　and　teacher　have　been　created；　and
continue　to　be　such；　merely　because　they　have　been　asked；　and　they
remain　such　as　long　as　they　are　requested　to　be　blacksmith　and
teacher。　　If　it　should　come　to　pass　that　many　blacksmiths　and
teachers　should　set　themselves　up；　or　that　their　work　is　not
requited；　they　will　immediately；　as　commonsense　demands　and　as
always　happens　when　there　is　no　occasion　for　disturbing　the　regular
course　of　division　of　labor；they　will　immediately　abandon　their
trade；　and　betake　themselves　once　more　to　agriculture。

Men　who　behave　thus　are　guided　by　their　sense；　their　conscience；　and
hence　we；　the　men　endowed　with　sense　and　conscience；　all　assert　that
such　a　division　of　labor　is　right。　　But　if　it　should　chance　that　the
blacksmiths　were　able　to　compel　other　people　to　work　for　them；　and
should　continue　to　make　horse…shoes　when　they　were　not　wanted；　and
if　the　teachers　should　go　on　teaching　when　there　was　no　one　to
teach；　then　it　is　obvious　to　every　sane　man；　as　a　man；　i。e。；　as　a
being　endowed　with　reason　and　conscience；　that　this　would　not　be
division；　but　appropriation；　of　labor。　　And　yet　precisely　that　sort
of　activity　is　what　is　called　division　of　labor　by　scientific
science。　　People　do　that　which　others　do　not　think　of　requiring；　and
demand　that　they　shall　be　supported　for　so　doing；　and　say　that　this
is　just　because　it　is　division　of　labor。

That　which　constitutes　the　cause　of　the　economical　poverty　of　our
age　is　what　the　English　call　over…production　（which　means　that　a
mass　of　things　are　made　which　are　of　no　use　to　anybody；　and　with
which　nothing　can　be　done）。

It　would　be　odd　to　see　a　shoemaker；　who　should　consider　that　people
were　bound　to　feed　him　because　he　incessantly　made　boots　which　had
been　of　no　use　to　any　one　for　a　long　time；　but　what　shall　we　say　of
those　men　who　make　nothing；who　not　only　produce　nothing　that　is
visible；　but　nothing　that　is　of　use　for　people　at　large；for　whose
wares　there　are　no　customers；　and　who　yet　demand；　with　the　same
boldness；　on　the　ground　of　division　of　labor；　that　they　shall　be
supplied　with　fine　food　and　drink；　and　that　they　shall　be　dressed
well？　　There　may　be；　and　there　are；　sorcerers　for　whose　services　a
demand　makes　itself　felt；　and　for　this　purpose　there　are　brought　to
them　pancakes　and　flasks；　but　it　is　difficult　to　imagine　the
existence　of　sorcerers　whose　spells　are　useless　to　every　one；　and
who　boldly　demand　that　they　shall　be　luxuriously　supported　because
they　exercise　sorcery。　　And　it　is　the　same　in　our　world。　　And　all
this　comes　about　on　the　basis　of　that　false　conception　of　the
division　of　labor；　which　is　defined　not　by　reason　and　conscience；
but　by　observation；　which　men　of　science　avow　with　such　unanimity。

Division　of　labor　has；　in　reality；　always　existed；　and　still　exists；
but　it　is　right　only　when　man　decides　with　his　reason　and　his
conscience　that　it　should　be　so；　and　not　when　he　merely　investigates
it。　　And　reason　and　conscience　decide　the　question　for　all　men　very
simply；　unanimously；　and　in　a　manner　not　to　be　doubted。　　They　always
decide　it　thus：　　that　division　of　labor　is　right　only　when　a　special
branch　of　man's　activity　is　so　needful　to　men；　that　they；　entreating
him　to　serve　them；　voluntarily　propose　to　support　him　in　requital
for　that　which　he　shall　do　for　them。　　But；　when　a　man　can　live　from
infancy　to　the　age　of　thirty　years　on　the　necks　of　others；　promising
to　do；　when　he　shall　have　been　taught；　something　extremely　useful；
for　which　no　one　asks　him；　and　when；　from　the　age　of　thirty　until
his　death；　he　can　live　in　the　same　manner；　still　merely　on　the
promise　to　do　something；　for　which　there　has　been　no　request；　this
will　not　be　division　of　labor　（and；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　there　is　no
such　thing　in　our　society）；　but　it　will　be　what　it　already　is；
merely　the　appropriation；　by　force；　of　the　toil　of　others；　that　same
appropriation　by　force　of　the　toil　of　others　which　the　philosophers
formerly　designated　by　various　names；for　instance；　as
indispensable　forms　of　life；but　which　scientific　science　now　calls
the　organic　division　of　labor。

The　whole　significance　of　scientific　science　lies　in　this　alone。　　It
has　now　become　a　distributer　of　diplomas　for　idleness；　for　it　alone；
in　its　sanctuaries；　selects　and　determines　what　is　parasitical；　and
what　is　organic　activity；　in　the　social　organism。　　Just　as　though
every　man　could　not　find　this　out　for　himself　much　more　accurately
and　more　speedily；　by　taking　counsel　of　his　reason　and　his
conscience。　　It　seems　to　men　of　scientific　science；　that　there　can
be　no　doubt　of　this；　and　that　their　activity　is