Socialist Tradition

Chapter 10. P. J. Prqudhon

Et ne faut-il pas bien que monsieur contredise,
À la commune voix veut-on qu’il se reduise,
Et qu’il ne fasse pas éclater en tous lieux
L’esprit contrariant qu’il a reçu des cieux?
Le sentiment d’autrui n’est jamais pour lui plaire;
Il prend toujours en main l’opinion contraire;
Et penserait paraître un homme de commun,
Si l’on voyait qu’il fût de l’avis de quelqu’un.
L’honneur de contredire a pour lui tant de charmes,
Qu’il prend, contre lui-même, assez souvent les armes,
Et ses vrais sentimens sont combattus par lui,
Aussitôt qu’il les voit dans la bouche d’autrui.

(Le Misanthrope, ii. 5.)

It is perhaps somewhat outside our territory, but it may be worth noting that when Proudhon endeavours to adhere to his definition, he tends to interpret it as an injunction to behave as other people expect us to behave, or as they would like us to behave. Whatever the moralists may say, this is a poor guide through life. There is an illuminating and highly curious passage in De la Justice, vol. 3, pp. 166–167, in which he explains that slavery, war, usury, polygamy, continence and theft are things of naught; they are but accidents. Justice alone matters, that is to say, respecting others as we would wish to be respected if we were in their place. He cites a primitive oriental world of polygamy and concubines, in which the woman, accepting her inferiority, makes no complaint on the subject, and is proud only of her high purchase price. What is justice in these circumstances? It is that the man should treat his wives and concubines, as he would wish to be treated by his owner, if he were a concubine; and justice for the concubine is that she should conduct herself towards her ‘chef,’ as she would like her concubines to conduct themselves, if she were the supreme overlord. All this tends to be rather confused, especially in the gender of the pronouns, and it might require a considerable effort of imagination on the part of the concubine; but it would seem to indicate that if in this happy society, the ‘chef’ liked his concubines to enjoy a whipping every morning, then (as an act of justice, and in order to pay him that respect which they would like paid to themselves if, etc., etc.), they should endeavour to find as much enjoyment as possible in the performance of the rite. In the words of a forgotten insured person, ‘If this is justice, I am no judge.’

     He seldom errs,
Who thinks the worst he can of womankind.