Anarchism and Socialism PDF
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Anarchism and Socialism Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov (Георгий Валентинович Плеханов) Translatedwiththepermissionoftheauthorby ELEANORMARXAVELING (1895) (cid:112)ΜεταLibri(cid:113) (cid:120) (cid:121) Copyright©2009 SálvioMarceloSoares Textinpublicdomain. SOMERIGHTSRESERVED. Pleasenotethatalthoughthetextofthisebookisinthepublicdomain,thispdfedition isacopyrightedpublication.Downloadingofthisbookforprivateuseandofficial governmentpurposesispermittedandencouraged.Commercialuseisprotectedby internationalcopyright.Reprintingandelectronicorothermeansofreproductionof thisebookoranypartthereofrequirestheauthorizationofthepublisher. PLEASECITEAS: Plekhanov, Georgi Valentinovich. Anarchism and Socialism. Ed. Sálvio MarceloSoares.MetaLibri,October19,2009,v1.0p. ΜεταLibri http://metalibri.wikidot.com [email protected] Amsterdam October 19, 2009 Contents PREFACETOTHEFIRSTENGLISHEDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IV I. THEPOINTOFVIEWOFTHEUTOPIANSOCIALISTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. THEPOINTOFVIEWOFSCIENTIFICSOCIALISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 III. THEHISTORICALDEVELOPMENTOFTHEANARCHISTDOCTRINE. . . . . 13 ThePointofViewofAnarchism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 MaxStirner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Proudhon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Bakounine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Bakounine—(Concluded) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 TheSmallerFry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 IV. THESO-CALLEDANARCHISTTACTICS—THEIRMORALITY. . . . . . . . . . 60 V. CONCLUSION THEBOURGEOISIE,ANARCHISM,ANDSOCIALISM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 iii PREFACE TO THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION TheworkofmyfriendGeorgePlechanoff,AnarchismandSocialism,waswrit- tenoriginallyinFrench.ItwasthentranslatedintoGermanbyMrs.Bernstein, andissuedinpamphletformbytheGermanSocial-DemocraticPublishing OfficeVorwäerts.ItwasnexttranslatedbymyselfintoEnglish,andsomuch of the translation as exigencies of space would permit, published in the WeeklyTimesandEcho.TheoriginalFrenchversionisnowappearinginthe JeunesseSocialiste,andwillbeissuedinbookformshortly. Thecomplete EnglishtranslationisnowgiventoEnglishreadersthroughtheTwentieth Century Press. I have to thank the Editor of the Weekly Times and Echo, Mr.Kibblewhite,forhiskindnessinallowingmetousethoseportionsofthe workthatappearedinhispaper. Astothebookitself.Therearethosewhothinkthattheprecioustimeof soremarkableawriter,andprofoundathinkerasGeorgePlechanoffissimply wastedinprickingAnarchistwindbags.But,unfortunately,therearemanyof theyounger,orofthemoreignorantsort,whoareinclinedtotakewordsfor deeds,high-soundingphrasesforacts,meresoundandfuryforrevolutionary activity,andwhoaretooyoungortooignoranttoknowthatsuchsoundand furysignifynothing.Itisforthesakeoftheseyounger,orforthesakeofthe moreignorant,folk,thatmenlikePlechanoffdealseriouslywiththismatter ofAnarchism,anddonotfeeltheirtimelostiftheycan,asthisworkmust, helpreaderstoseethetruemeaningofwhatiscalled“Anarchism.” AndaworklikethisoneofPlechanoff’sisdoublynecessaryinEngland, wheretheSocialistmovementisstilllargelydisorganized,wherethereisstill suchignoranceandconfusiononalleconomicandpoliticalsubjects;where, withtheexception,amongthelargerSocialistorganizations,oftheSocial- DemocraticFederation(andevenamongtheyoungerS.D.F.membersthere isavaguesortofideathatAnarchismissomethingfineandrevolutionary), therehasbeennolittlecoquettingwithAnarchismunderanimpressionthat itwasvery“advanced,”andwheretheOldUnionistcryof“Nopolitics!”has unconsciouslyplayedthereactionaryAnarchistgame.Wecannotaffordto overlookthefactthattheSocialistLeaguebecameintime—whensomeof ushadleftit—anAnarchistorganization,andthatsincethenitsleaders havebeen,orstillare,moreorlessavowedAnarchists.Whilequiterecently theleaderofa“newparty”—andthatawould-bepoliticalone!—didnot hesitatetodeclarehisAnarchistsympathiesortostatethat“Themethodsof theAnarchistsmightdifferfromthoseoftheSocialists,butthatmightonly provethattheformerweremorezealousthanthelatter.” ItisalsonecessarytopointoutonceagainthatAnarchismandNihilism havenomoreincommonthanAnarchismandSocialism.AsPlechanoffsaid attheZurichInternationalCongress: “We(i.e.,theRussians)havehadto endureeveryformofpersecution,everythinkablemisery;butwehavebeen sparedonedisgrace,onehumiliation;we,atleast,havenoAnarchists.” A statementendorsedandemphasizedbyotherRussianrevolutionists,and notably by the American delegate, Abraham Cahan — himself a Russian refugee. ThemenandwomenwhoarewagingtheirheroicwarinRussia andinPolandagainstCzarismhavenomoreincommonwithAnarchism thanhadthefoundersofthemodernSocialistmovement—KarlMarxand FrederickEngels. ThislittlebookofPlechanoffwillassuredlyconvincetheyoungesteven thatunderanycircumstancesAnarchismisbutanotherwordforreaction; andthemorehonestthemenandwomenwhoplaythisreactionistgame,the moretragicanddangerousitbecomesforthewholeworkingclassmovement. Finally,thereisalastreasonwhytheissuingofthisworkatthepresent momentistimely.In1896thenextInternationalSocialistandTradeUnion CongressmeetsinLondon. Itiswellthatthosewhomayattendthisgreat Congressasdelegates,andthatthethousandsofworkerswhowillwatchits work,shouldunderstandwhytheresolutionsarrivedatbytheParis,Brussels, andZurichInternationalCongresseswithregardtotheAnarchistsshouldbe enforced.TheAnarchistswhocynicallydeclareWorkers’Congresses“absurd, motiveless,andsenseless”mustbetaughtonceandforall,thattheycannot be allowed to make the Congresses of the Revolutionary Socialists of the wholeworldaplaygroundforreactionandinternationalspydom. ELEANORMARXAVELING GreenStreetGreen,Orpington,Kent. August,1895. v Anarchism and Socialism Chapter I THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE UTOPIAN SOCIALISTS 1 2 [1] The French Materialists of the 18th century while waging relentless war againstallthe“infâmes”whoseyokeweighedupontheFrenchofthisperiod, bynomeansscornedthesearchafterwhattheycalled“perfectlegislation,” i.e.,thebestofallpossiblelegislations,suchlegislationasshouldsecureto 3 “humanbeings”thegreatestsumofhappiness,andcouldbealikeapplicable toallexistingsocieties,forthesimplereasonthatitwas“perfect”andthere- forethemost“natural.”Excursionsintothisdomainof“perfectlegislation” occupynosmallplaceintheworksofad’HolbachandaHelvetius.Onthe 4 otherhand,theSocialistsofthefirsthalfofourcenturythrewthemselves withimmensezeal,withunequalledperseverance,intothesearchafterthe bestofpossiblesocialorganizations,afteraperfectsocialorganization.This is a striking and notable characteristic which they have in common with theFrenchMaterialistsofthelastcentury,anditisthischaracteristicwhich especiallydemandsourattentioninthepresentwork. 5 [2] Inordertosolvetheproblemofaperfectsocialorganization,orwhat comes to the same thing, of the best of all possible legislation, we must eventuallyhavesomecriterionbythehelpofwhichwemaycomparethe various “legislations” one with the other. And the criterion must have a specialattribute.Infact,thereisnoquestionofa“legislation”relativelythe 6 best,i.e.,thebestlegislationundergivenconditions.No,indeed!Wehaveto findaperfectlegislation,alegislationwhoseperfectionshouldhavenothing relativeaboutit,shouldbeentirelyindependentoftimeandplace,shouldbe, 7 inaword,absolute.Wearethereforedriventomakeabstractionfromhistory, sinceeverythinginhistoryisrelative,everythingdependsuponcircumstance, time,andplace. Butabstractionmadeofthehistoryofhumanity,whatis therelefttoguideusinour“legislative”investigations.Humanityisleftus, 8 maningeneral,humannature—ofwhichhistoryisbutthemanifestion.Here Anarchism and Socialism Plekhanov, G.V. thenwehaveourcriteriondefinitelysettled,aperfectlegislation.Thebestof allpossiblelegislationisthatwhichbestharmonizeswithhumannature.It maybe,ofcourse,thatevenwhenwehavesuchacriterionwemay,forwant 9 of“light”oroflogic,failtosolvethisproblemofthebestlegislation.Errare humanumest,butitseemsincontrovertiblethatthisproblemcanbesolved, thatwecan,bytakingourstanduponanexactknowledgeofhumannature, findaperfectlegislation,aperfectorganization. 10 [3] Suchwas,inthedomainofsocialscience,thepointofviewoftheFrench Materialists. Manisasentientandreasonablebeing,theysaid;heavoids painfulsensationsandseekspleasurableones.Hehassufficientintelligence torecognizewhatisusefultohimaswellaswhatisharmfultohim. Once 11 youadmittheseaxioms, andyoucaninyourinvestigationsintothebest legislation,arrive,withthehelpofreflectionandgoodintentions,atcon- clusionsaswellfounded,asexact,asincontrovertibleasthosederivedfrom a mathematical demonstration. Thus Condorcet undertook to construct deductivelyallpreceptsofhealthymoralitybystartingfromthetruththat manisasentientandreasonablebeing. 12 [4] ItishardlynecessarytosaythatinthisCondorcetwasmistaken.Ifthe “philosophers”inthisbranchoftheirinvestigationsarrivedatconclusions ofincontestablethoughveryrelativevalue,theyunconsciouslyowedthisto thefactthattheyconstantlyabandonedtheirabstractstandpointofhuman 13 natureingeneral,andtookupthatofamoreorlessidealizednatureofa manoftheThirdEstate.Thisman“felt”and“reasoned,”afterafashionvery clearlydefinedbyhissocialenvironment.Itwashis“nature”tobelievefirmly inbourgeoisproperty,representativegovernment,freedomoftrade(laissez 14 faire,laissezpasser! the“nature”ofthismanwasalwayscryingout),andso on.Inreality,theFrenchphilosophersalwayskeptinviewtheeconomicand politicalrequirementsoftheThirdEstate;thiswastheirrealcriterion.But theyapplieditunconsciously,andonlyaftermuchwanderinginthefield 15 ofabstraction,didtheyarriveatit.Theirconsciousmethodalwaysreduced itselftoabstractconsiderationsof“humannature,”andofthesocialand politicalinstitutionsthatbestharmonizewiththisnature. 16 [5] TheirmethodwasalsothatoftheSocialists.Amanofthe18thcentury, Morelly,“toanticipateamassofemptyobjectionsthatwouldbeendless,” laysdownasanincontrovertibleprinciple“thatinmoralsnatureisone,con- stant,invariable...thatitslawsneverchange;”andthat“everythingthatmay 17 beadvancedastothevarietyinthemoralsofsavageandcivilizedpeoples, by no means proves that nature varies;” thatatthe outside itonly shows “thatfromcertainaccidentalcauseswhichareforeigntoit,somenations 2 Anarchism and Socialism Plekhanov, G.V. havefallenawayfromthelawsofnature;othershaveremainedsubmissive 18 tothem,insomerespectsfrommerehabit;finally,othersaresubjectedto thembycertainreasoned-outlawsthatarenotalwaysincontradictionwith nature;” in a word, “man may abandon the True, but the True can never be annihilated!” Fourier relies upon the analysis of the human passions; 19 RobertOwenstartsfromcertainconsiderationsontheformationofhuman character;SaintSimon,despitehisdeepcomprehensionofthehistoricalevo- lutionofhumanity,constantlyreturnsto“humannature”inordertoexplain thelawsofthisevolution; theSaint-Simoniansdeclaredtheirphilosophy 20 was“baseduponanewconceptionofhumannature.”TheSocialistsofthe variousschoolsmayquarrelastothecauseoftheirdifferentconceptions ofhumannature;all,withoutasingleexception,areconvincedthatsocial sciencehasnotandcannothave,anyotherbasisthananadequateconcept 21 ofthisnature.InthistheyinnowisedifferfromtheMaterialistsofthe18th century. Humannatureistheonecriteriontheyinvariablyapplyintheir criticismofexistingsociety,andintheirsearchafterasocialorganizationas itshouldbe,aftera“perfect”legislation. 22 [6] Morelly,Fourier,SaintSimon,Owen—welookuponallofthemtodayas UtopianSocialists.Sinceweknowthegeneralpointofviewthatiscommon tothemall,wecandetermineexactlywhattheUtopianpointofviewis.This willbethemoreuseful,seeingthattheopponentsofSocialismusetheword “Utopian”withoutattachingtoitany,evenapproximately,definitemeaning. 23 [7] TheUtopianisonewho,startingfromanabstractprinciple,seeksfora perfectsocialorganization.Theabstractprinciplewhichservedasstarting pointoftheUtopianswasthatofhumannature.Ofcoursetherehavebeen Utopianswhoappliedtheprincipleindirectlythroughtheintermediaryof conceptsderivedfromit.Thus,e.g.,inseekingfor“perfectlegislation,”foran idealorganizationofsociety,onemaystartfromtheconceptoftheRightsof Man.Butitisevidentthatinitsultimateanalysisthisconceptderivesfrom thatofhumannature. 24 [8] ItisequallyevidentthatonemaybeaUtopianwithoutbeingaSocialist. ThebourgeoistendenciesoftheFrenchMaterialistsofthelastcenturyare mostnoticeableintheirinvestigationsofaperfectlegislation. Butthisin nowisedestroystheUtopiancharacteroftheseenquiries. Wehaveseen thatthemethodoftheUtopianSocialistdoesnotintheleastdifferfrom thatofd’HolbachorHelvétius,thosechampionsoftherevolutionaryFrench bourgeoisie. 25 [9] Nay,more.Onemayhavetheprofoundestcontemptforall“musicofthe future,”onemaybeconvincedthatthesocialworldinwhichonehasthe 3 Anarchism and Socialism Plekhanov, G.V. goodfortunetoliveisthebestpossibleofallsocialworlds,andyetinspiteof thisonemaylookatthestructureandlifeofthebodysocialfromthesame pointofviewasthatfromwhichtheUtopiansregardedit. 26 [10] Thisseemsaparadox,andyetnothingcouldbemoretrue.Takebutone example. 27 [11] In1753thereappearedMorelly’swork,LesIslesFlottantesoulaBasiliade ducélébrePelpai,traduitdel’Indien.Now,notetheargumentswithwhicha review,LaBibliothèqueImpartiale,combattedthecommunisticideasofthe author:—“Oneknowswellenoughthatadistanceseparatesthefinestspecu- 28 lationsofthiskindandthepossibilityoftheirrealization.Forintheoryone takesimaginarymenwholendthemselvesobedientlytoeveryarrangement, andwhosecondwithequalzealtheviewsofthelegislator;butassoonasone attemptstoputthesethingsintopracticeonehastodealwithmenasthey 29 are,thatistosay,unsubmissive,lazy,orelseinthethraldomofsomeviolent passion.Theschemeofequalityespeciallyisonethatseemsmostrepugnant tothenatureofman;theyareborntocommandortoserve,amiddletermis aburdentothem.” 30 [12] Menareborntocommandortoserve.Wecannotwonder,therefore,if insocietyweseemastersandservants, sincehumannaturewillsitso. It wasallverywellforLaBibliothequeImpartialetorepudiatethesecommu- nistspeculations.Thepointofviewfromwhichititselflookeduponsocial phenomena,thepointofviewofhumannature,ithadincommonwiththe UtopianMorelly. 31 [13] Anditcannotbeurgedthatthisreviewwasprobablynotsincereinits arguments, and that it appealed to human nature with the single object ofsayingsomethinginfavoroftheexploiters,infavorofthosewho“com- mand.”ButsincereorhypocriticalinitscriticismofMorelly,theBibliotheque Impartialeadoptedthestandpointcommontoallthewritersofthisperiod. 32 Theyallofthemappealtohumannatureconceivedofinoneformoranother, withthesoleexceptionoftheretrograde,who,livingshadowsofpassedtimes, continuedtoappealtothewillofGod. 33 [14] Asweknow,thisconceptofhumannaturehasbeeninheritedbythe19th centuryfromitspredecessor.TheUtopianSocialistshadnoother.Buthere againitiseasytoprovethatitisnotpeculiartotheUtopians. 34 [15] Even at the period of the Restoration, the eminent French historian, Guizot,inhishistoricalstudies,arrivedattheremarkableconclusionthatthe politicalconstitutionofanygivencountrydependeduponthe“conditionof property”inthatcountry.Thiswasanimmenseadvanceupontheideasof thelastcenturywhichhadalmostexclusivelyconsideredtheactionofthe 35 4
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