the moscow census-第17章

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certain　quantity　of　linen；　grain；　and　cattle；　or　a　corresponding
amount　of　money。　　One　household　has　procured　the　cattle；　but　has　paid
money　in　lieu　of　linen。　　The　proprietor　takes　the　money　to　a　certain
amount　only；　because　he　knows　that　for　that　money　they　will　make　him
the　same　quantity　of　linen；　（generally　he　takes　a　little　more；　in
order　to　be　sure　that　they　will　make　it　for　the　same　amount）；　and
this　money；　evidently；　represents　for　the　proprietor　the　obligation
of　other　people　to　toil。

The　peasant　gives　the　money　as　an　obligation；　to　he　knows　not　whom；
but　to　people；　and　there　are　many　of　them；　who　undertake　for　this
money　to　make　so　much　linen。　　But　the　people　who　undertake　to　make
the　linen；　do　so　because　they　have　not　succeeded　in　raising　sheep；
and　in　place　of　the　sheep；　they　must　pay　money；　but　the　peasant　who
takes　money　for　his　sheep　takes　it　because　he　must　pay　for　grain
which　did　not　bear　well　this　year。　　The　same　thing　goes　on　throughout
this　realm；　and　throughout　the　whole　world。

A　man　sells　the　product　of　his　labor；　past；　present　or　to　come；
sometimes　his　food；　and　generally　not　because　money　constitutes　for
him　a　convenient　means　of　exchange。　　He　could　have　effected　the
barter　without　money；　but　he　does　so　because　money　is　exacted　from
him　by　violence　as　a　lien　on　his　labor。

When　the　sovereign　of　Egypt　exacted　labor　from　his　slaves；　the　slaves
gave　all　their　labor；　but　only　their　past　and　present　labor；　their
future　labor　they　could　not　give。　　But　with　the　dissemination　of
money　tokens；　and　the　credit　which　had　its　rise　in　them；　it　became
possible　to　sell　one's　future　toil　for　money。　　Money；　with　co…
existent　violence　in　the　community；　only　represents　the　possibility
of　a　new　form　of　impersonal　slavery；　which　has　taken　the　place　of
personal　slavery。　　The　slave…owner　has　a　right　to　the　labor　of　Piotr；
Ivan；　and　Sidor。　　But　the　owner　of　money；　in　a　place　where　money　is
demanded　from　all；　has　a　right　to　the　toil　of　all　those　nameless
people　who　are　in　need　of　money。　　Money　has　set　aside　all　the
oppressive　features　of　slavery；　under　which　an　owner　knows　his　right
to　Ivan；　and　with　them　it　has　set　aside　all　humane　relations　between
the　owner　and　the　slave；　which　mitigated　the　burden　of　personal
thraldom。

I　will　not　allude　to　the　fact；　that　such　a　condition　of　things　is；
possibly；　necessary　for　the　development　of　mankind；　for　progress；　and
so　forth；that　I　do　not　contest。　　I　have　merely　tried　to　elucidate
to　myself　the　idea　of　money；　and　that　universal　error　into　which　I
fell　when　I　accepted　money　as　the　representative　of　labor。　　I　became
convinced；　after　experience；　that　money　is　not　the　representative　of
labor；　but；　in　the　majority　of　cases；　the　representative　of　violence；
or　of　especially　complicated　sharp　practices　founded　on　violence。

Money；　in　our　day；　has　completely　lost　that　significance　which　it　is
very　desirable　that　it　should　possess；　as　the　representative　of　one's
own　labor；　such　a　significance　it　has　only　as　an　exception；　but；　as　a
general　rule；　it　has　been　converted　into　a　right　or　a　possibility　of
profiting　by　the　toil　of　others。

The　dissemination　of　money；　of　credit；　and　of　all　sorts　of　money
tokens；　confirms　this　significance　of　money　ever　more　and　more。
Money　is　a　new　form　of　slavery；　which　differs　from　the　old　form　of
slavery　only　in　its　impersonality；　its　annihilation　of　all　humane
relations　with　the　slave。

Moneymoney；　is　a　value　which　is　always　equal　to　itself；　and　is
always　considered　legal　and　righteous；　and　whose　use　is　regarded　as
not　immoral；　just　as　the　right　of　slavery　was　regarded。

In　my　young　days；　the　game　of　loto　was　introduced　into　the　clubs。
Everybody　rushed　to　play　it；　and；　as　it　was　said；　many　ruined
themselves；　rendered　their　families　miserable；　lost　other　people's
money；　and　government　funds；　and　committed　suicide；　and　the　game　was
prohibited；　and　it　remains　prohibited　to　this　day。

I　remember　to　have　seen　old　and　unsentimental　gamblers；　who　told　me
that　this　game　was　particularly　pleasing　because　you　did　not　see　from
whom　you　were　winning；　as　is　the　case　in　other　games；　a　lackey
brought；　not　money；　but　chips；　each　man　lost　a　little　stake；　and　his
disappointment　was　not　visible　　。　。　。　　It　is　the　same　with　roulette；
which　is　everywhere　prohibited；　and　not　without　reason。

It　is　the　same　with　money。　　I　possess　a　magic；　inexhaustible　ruble；　I
cut　off　my　coupons；　and　have　retired　from　all　the　business　of　the
world。　　Whom　do　I　injure；I；　the　most　inoffensive　and　kindest　of
men？　　But　this　is　nothing　more　than　playing　at　loto　or　roulette；
where　I　do　not　see　the　man　who　shoots　himself；　because　of　his　losses；
after　procuring　for　me　those　coupons　which　I　cut　off　from　the　bonds
so　accurately　with　a　strictly　right…angled　corner。

I　have　done　nothing；　I　do　nothing；　and　I　shall　do　nothing；　except　cut
off　those　coupons；　and　I　firmly　believe　that　money　is　the
representative　of　labor！　　Surely；　this　is　amazing！　　And　people　talk
of　madmen；　after　that！　　Why；　what　degree　of　lunacy　can　be　more
frightful　than　this？　　A　sensible；　educated；　in　all　other　respects
sane　man　lives　in　a　senseless　manner；　and　soothes　himself　for　not
uttering　the　word　which　it　is　indispensably　necessary　that　he　should
utter；　with　the　idea　that　there　is　some　sense　in　his　conclusions；　and
he　considers　himself　a　just　man。　　Couponsthe　representatives　of
toil！　　Toil！　　Yes；　but　of　whose　toil？　　Evidently　not　of　the　man　who
owns　them；　but　of　him　who　labors。

Slavery　is　far　from　being　suppressed。　　It　has　been　suppressed　in　Rome
and　in　America；　and　among　us：　　but　only　certain　laws　have　been
abrogated；　only　the　word；　not　the　thing；　has　been　put　down。　　Slavery
is　the　freeing　of　ourselves　alone　from　the　toil　which　is　necessary
for　the　satisfaction　of　our　demands；　by　the　transfer　of　this　toil　to
others；　and　wherever　there　exists　a　man　who　does　not　work；　not
because　others　work　lovingly　for　him；　but　where　he　possesses　the
power　of　not　working；　and　forces　others　to　work　for　him；　there
slavery　exists。　　There　too；　where；　as　in　all　European　societies；
there　are　people　who　make　use　of　the　labor　of　thousands　of　men；　and
regard　this　as　their　right；there　slavery　exists　in　its　broadest
measure。

And　money　is　the　same　thing　as　slavery。　　Its　object　and　its
consequences　are　the　same。　　Its　object　isthat　one　may　rid　one's
self　of　the　first　born　of　all　laws；　as　a　profoundly　thoughtful　writer
from　the　ranks　of　the　people　has　expressed　it；　from　the　natural　law
of　life；　as　we　have　called　it；　from　the　law　of　personal　labor　for　the
satisfaction　of　our　own　wants。　　And　the　results　of　money　are　the　same
as　the　results　of　slavery；　for　the　proprietor；　the　creation；　the
invention　of　new　and　ever　new　and　never…ending　demands；　which　can
never　be　satisfied；　the　enervation　of　poverty；　vice；　and　for　the
slaves；　the　persecution　of　man　and　their　degradation　to　the　level　of
the　beasts。

Money　is　a　new　and　terrible　form　of　slavery；　and　equally　demoralizing
with　the　ancient　form　of　slavery　for　both　slave　and　slave…owner；　only
much　worse；　because　it　frees　the　slave　and　the　slave…owner　from　their
personal；　humane　relations。＇



CHAPTER　XVIII。



I　am　always　surprised　by　the　oft…repeated　words：　　〃Yes；　this　is　so　in
theory；　but　how　is　it　in　practice？〃　　Just　as　though　theory　were　fine
words；　requisite　for　conversation；　but　not　for　the　purpose　of　having
all　practice；　that　is；　all　activity；　indispensably　founded　on　them。
There　must　be　a　fearful　number　of　stupid　theories　current　in　the
world；　that　such　an　extraordinary　idea　should　have　become　prevalent。
Theory　is　what　a　man　thinks　on　a　subject；　but　its　practice　is　what　he
does。　　How　can　a　man　think　it　necessary　to　do　so　and　so；　and　then　do
the　contrary？　　If　the　theory　of　baking　bread　is；　that　it　must　first
be　mixed；　and　then　set　to　rise；　no　one　except　a　lunatic；　knowing　this
theory；　would　do　the　reverse。　　But　it　has　become　the　fashion　with　us
to　say；　that　〃this　is　so　in　theory；　but　how　about　the　practice？〃

In　the　matter　which　interests　me　now；　that　has　been　confirmed　which　I
have　always　thought；that　practice　infallibly　flows　from　theory；　and
not　that　it　justifies　it；　but　it　cannot　possibly　be　otherwise；　for　if
I　have　understood　the　thing　of　which　I　have　been　thinking；　then　I
cannot　carry　out　this　thing　otherwise　than　as　I　have　understood　it。

I　wanted　to　help　the　unfortunate　only　because　I　had　money；　and　I
shared　the　general　belief　that　money　was　the　representative　of　labor；
or；　on　the　whole；　something　legal　and　good。　　But；　having　begun　to
give　away　this　money；　I　saw；　when　I　gave　the　bills　which　I　had
accumulated　from　poor　people；　that　I　was　doing　precisely　that　which
was　done　by　some　landed　proprietors　who　made　some　of　their　serfs　wait
on　others。　　I　saw　that　every　use　of　money；　whether　for　making
purchases；　or　for　giving　away　without　an　equivalent　to　another；　is
handing　over　a　note　for　extortion　from　the　poor；　or　its　transfer　to
another　man　for　extortion　from　the　poor。　　I　saw　that　money　in　itself
was　not　only　not　good；　but　evidently　evil；　and　that　it　deprives　us　of
our　highest　good；labor；　and　thereby　of　the　enjoyment　of　our　labor；
and　that　that　blessing　I　was　not　in　a　position　to　confer　on　any　one；
because　I　was　myself　deprived　of　it：　　I　do　not　work；　and　I　take　no
pleasure　in　making　use　of　the　labor　of　others。

It　would　appear　that　there　is　something　peculiar　in　this　abstract
argument　as　to　the　nature　of　money。　　But　this　argument　which　I　have
made　not　for　the　sake　of　argument；　but　for　the　solution　of　the
problem　of　my　life；　of　my　sufferings；　was　for　me　an　answer　to　my
question：　　What　is　to　be　done？

As　soon　as　I　grasped　the　meaning　of　riches；　and　of　money；　it　not　only
became　clear　and　indisputable　to　me；　what　I　ought　to　do；　but　also
clear　and　indisputable　what　others　ought　to　do；　because　they　would
infallibly　do　it。　　I　had　only　actually　come　to　understand　what　I　had
known　for　a　long　time　previously；　the　theory　which　was　given　to　men
from　the　very　earliest　times；　both　by　Buddha；　and　Isaiah；　and　Lao…
Tze；　and　Socrates；　and　in　a　peculiarly　clear　and　indisputable　manner
by　Jesus　Christ　and　his　forerunner；　John　the　Baptist。　　John　the
Baptist；　in　answer　to　the　question　of　the　people；What　were　they　to
do？　replied　simply；　briefly；　and　clearly：　　〃He　that　hath　two　coats；
let　him　impart　to　him　that　hath　none；　and　he　that　hath　meat；　let　him
do　likewise〃　（Luke　iii。　10；　11）。　　In　a　similar　manner；　but　with　even
greater　clearness；　and　on　many　occasions；　Christ　spoke。　　He　said：
〃Blessed　are　the　poor；　and　woe　to　the　rich。〃　　He　said　that　it　is
impossible　to　serve　God　and　mammon。　　He　forbade　his　disciples　to　take
not　only　money；　but　also　two　garments。　　He　said　to　the　rich　young
man；　that　he　could　not　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven　because　he
was　rich；　and　that　it　was　easier　for　a　camel　to　go　through　the　eye　of
a　needle；　than　for　a　rich　man　to　enter　the　kingdom　of　God。　　He　said
that　he　who　should　not　leave　every　thing；　houses　and　children　and
lands；　and　follow　him；　could　not　be　his　disciple。　　He　told　the
parable　of　the　rich　man　who　did　nothing　bad；　like　our　own　rich　men；
but　who　only　arrayed　himself　in　costly　garments；　and　ate　and　drank
daintily；　and　who　lost　his　soul