Property Is Theft!
Page 1
Table of Contents
Praise
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
PROUDHON:
FURTHER NOTES
WHAT IS PROPERTY? - OR, AN INQUIRY INTO THE PRINCIPLE OF RIGHT AND OF GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER I - METHOD PURSUED IN THIS WORK—THE IDEA OF A REVOLUTION
CHAPTER II - PROPERTY CONSIDERED AS A NATURAL RIGHT. OCCUPATION AND CIVIL LAW ...
DEFINITIONS
§1 PROPERTY AS A NATURAL RIGHT
§2 OCCUPATION AS THE TITLE TO PROPERTY
§3 CIVIL LAW AS THE FOUNDATION AND SANCTION OF PROPERTY
CHAPTER III - LABOUR AS THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE DOMAIN OF PROPERTY
§1 THE LAND CANNOT BE APPROPRIATED
§2 UNIVERSAL CONSENT NO JUSTIFICATION OF PROPERTY
§3 PRESCRIPTION GIVES NO TITLE TO PROPERTY
§4 LABOUR—THAT LABOUR HAS NO INHERENT POWER TO APPROPRIATE NATURAL WEALTH
§5 THAT LABOUR LEADS TO EQUALITY OF PROPERTY
§6 THAT IN SOCIETY ALL WAGES ARE EQUAL
CHAPTER IV - THAT PROPERTY IS IMPOSSIBLE
CHAPTER V - PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE IDEA OF JUSTICE, AND A ...
LETTER TO M. BLANQUI ON PROPERTY - WHAT IS PROPERTY? SECOND MEMOIR
LETTER TO ANTOINE GAUTHIER
LETTER TO KARL MARX
SYSTEM OF ECONOMIC CONTRADICTIONS, - OR, THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISERY VOLUME I
CHAPTER I - OF THE ECONOMIC SCIENCE
CHAPTER II - OF VALUE
CHAPTER III - ECONOMIC EVOLUTIONS—FIRST PERIOD—THE DIVISION OF LABOUR
CHAPTER IV - SECOND PERIOD—MACHINERY
§I OF THE FUNCTION OF MACHINERY IN ITS RELATIONS TO LIBERTY
§II MACHINERY’S CONTRADICTION—ORIGIN OF CAPITAL AND WAGE-LABOUR
§III OF PRESERVATIVES AGAINST THE DISASTROUS INFLUENCE OF MACHINERY
CHAPTER V - THIRD PERIOD—COMPETITION
§I NECESSITY OF COMPETITION
§II SUBVERSIVE EFFECTS OF COMPETITION, AND THE DESTRUCTION OF LIBERTY THEREBY
§III REMEDIES AGAINST COMPETITION
CHAPTER VI - FOURTH PERIOD—MONOPOLY
§I NECESSITY OF MONOPOLY
§II THE DISASTERS IN LABOUR AND THE PERVERSION OF IDEAS CAUSED BY MONOPOLY
CHAPTER VII - FIFTH PERIOD—POLICE, OR TAXATION
SYSTEM OF ECONOMIC CONTRADICTIONS, - OR, THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISERYVOLUME II
CHAPTER X - SEVENTH PERIOD—CREDIT
§I ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE IDEA OF CREDIT
CHAPTER XI - EIGHTH EPOCH—PROPERTY
§II CAUSES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PROPERTY
§III HOW PROPERTY IS CORRUPTED
§IV DEMONSTRATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF GOD BY PROPERTY
CHAPTER XIV - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
SOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM
CHAPTER I - THE REVOLUTION IN 1848
CHAPTER II - DEMOCRACY
I
II
III
ORGANISATION OF CREDIT AND CIRCULATION - AND THE SOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM
PROGRAMME
THE BANK OF EXCHANGE
PRODUCTS EXCHANGE FOR PRODUCTS
THE COUNCIL OF OVERSIGHT
TO LABOUR IS TO PRODUCE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING
TO GIVE CREDIT IS TO EXCHANGE
TO EXCHANGE IS TO CAPITALISE
A CONSUMER IS A PARTNER
LETTER TO LOUIS BLANC
LETTER TO PROFESSOR CHEVALIER
THE SITUATION
THE REACTION
THE MYSTIFICATION OF UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE
TO PATRIOTS
OPENING SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
OUTLINE OF THE SOCIAL QUESTION - METHOD OF SOLUTION—EQUIVALENCE OF THE ...
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF LE REPRÉSENTANT DU PEUPLE
JULY FIFTEENTH
ADDRESS TO THE CONSTITUENT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE MALTHUSIANS
TOAST TO THE REVOLUTION
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PRESIDENCY
ELECTION MANIFESTO OF LE PEUPLE
BANK OF THE PEOPLE
DECLARATION
FORMATION OF THE COMPANY
ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE BANK
THE COUNCIL OF OVERSIGHT
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
REPORT OF THE LUXEMBOURG DELEGATE AND WORKERS’ CORPORATION COMMISSION
PART ONE
CONFESSIONS OF A REVOLUTIONARY - TO SERVE AS A HISTORY OF THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION
CHAPTER III - NATURE AND GOAL OF GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER VI - 24 FEBRUARY: PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER X - 23–26 JUNE: THE CAVAIGNAC REACTION
CHAPTER XIV - 4 NOVEMBER: THE CONSTITUTION
§I
§II
CHAPTER XVII - 29 JANUARY 1849: BARROT-FALLOUX REACTION. DESTRUCTION OF THE GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER XVIII - 21 MARCH: THE LAW ON THE CLUBS; LEGAL RESISTANCE
CHAPTER XXI - 8 JULY 1849: CONCLUSION
RESISTANCE TO THE REVOLUTION: - LOUIS BLANC AND PIERRE LEROUX
I. - OF THE NATURE OF THE STATE
II. - OF THE END OR OBJECT OF THE STATE
III. - OF AN ULTERIOR DESTINY OF THE STATE
LETTER TO PIERRE LEROUX
IN CONNECTION WITH LOUIS BLANC: - THE PRESENT USE AND FUTURE POSSIBILITY OF THE STATE
INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL - DISCUSSION BETWEEN M. PROUDHON AND M. BASTIAT ON ...
FIRST LETTER - 19 NOVEMBER 1849
SECOND LETTER - 3 DECEMBER 1849
THIRD LETTER - 17 DECEMBER 1849
FOURTH LETTER - 31 DECEMBER 1849
FIFTH LETTER - 21 JANUARY 1850
SIXTH LETTER - 11 FEBRUARY 1850
GENERAL IDEA OF THE REVOLUTION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
FIRST STUDY - REACTION CAUSES REVOLUTION
SECOND STUDY - IS THERE SUFFICIENT REASON FOR REVOLUTION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY?
1. LAW OF TENDENCY IN SOCIETY—THE REVOLUTION OF 1789 HAS DONE ONLY HALF ITS WORK
2. CHAOS OF ECONOMIC FORCES. TENDENCY OF SOCIETY TOWARD POVERTY
3. ANOMALY OF GOVERNMENT. TENDENCY TOWARD TYRANNY AND CORRUPTION
THIRD STUDY - THE PRINCIPLE OF ASSOCIATION
FOURTH STUDY - THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY
FIFTH STUDY - SOCIAL LIQUIDATION
SIXTH STUDY - ORGANISATION OF ECONOMIC FORCES
1. CREDIT
2. PROPERTY
3. DIVISION OF LABOUR, COLLECTIVE FORCES, MACHINES, WORKERS COMPANIES
4. CONSTITUTION OF VALUE. ORGANISATION OF LOW PRICES
5. FOREIGN COMMERCE. BALANCE OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
SEVENTH STUDY - ABSORPTION OF GOVERNMENT BY THE ECONOMIC ORGANISM
EPILOGUE
LETTER TO VILLIAUMÉ
STOCK EXCHANGE SPECULATOR’S MANUAL - 4 EDITION
PREFACE
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
3. INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY: FINANCING OF LABOUR BY LABOUR OR UNIVERSAL MUTUALITY; ...
JUSTICE IN THE REVOLUTION AND IN THE CHURCH
PROGRAMME
§I: THE COMING OF THE PEOPLE TO PHILOSOPHY
§II: THE DEFINITION OF PHILOSOPHY
§III: ON THE QUALITY OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL MIND
§IV: THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS
§V: THAT METAPHYSICS IS WITHIN THE PROVINCE OF PRIMARY INSTRUCTION
§VI: THAT PHILOSOPHY MUST BE ESSENTIALLY PRACTICAL
§VII: THE CHARACTER THAT MUST BE PRESENTED BY THE GUARANTEE OF OUR JUDGEMENTS ...
§VIII: JUSTICE, THE UNIVERSAL REASON OF THINGS—SCIENCE AND CONSCIENCE
§IX: SUPREMACY OF JUSTICE
§X: CONDITIONS FOR A PHILOSOPHICAL PROPAGANDA
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§XI: LAW OF PROGRESS: SOCIAL DESTINATION
LITTLE POLITICAL CATECHISM
INSTRUCTION I - Of the Social Power, Considered in Itself
INSTRUCTION II - Of the Appropriation of the Collective Forces, and the ...
INSTRUCTION III - Of the Forms of Government and Their Evolution During the ...
INSTRUCTION IV - Constitution of Social Power by the Revolution
INSTRUCTION V - Question of the Agenda
LETTER TO MILLIET
THE FEDERATIVE PRINCIPLE - AND THE NECESSITY OF RECONSTITUTING THE PARTY OF THE REVOLUTION
FIRST PART - ON THE PRINCIPLE OF FEDERATION
CHAPTER VI - Posing Of The Political Problem: Principle Of The Solution
CHAPTER VII - Extrication Of The Idea Of Federation
CHAPTER VIII - Progressive Constitution
CHAPTER X - Political Idealism: Efficiency Of The Federal Guarantee
CHAPTER XI - Economic Ratification: Agricultural-Industrial Federation
CONCLUSION
LETTER TO M. X.
THE POLITICAL CAPACITY OF THE WORKING CLASSES
TO SOME WORKERS FROM PARIS - AND ROUEN WHO HAD SOUGHT HIS VIEWS OF THE ELECTIONS
SECOND PART DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORKER IDEA: - CREATION OF ECONOMIC RIGHT
CHAPTER IV - 2. The Mutualist System, Or, On the Manifesto—Spontaneity of the ...
CHAPTER VIII - Application of the Principle of Mutuality to Labour and to ...
CHAPTER XIII - On Association, Within Mutuality
CHAPTER XV - Objections Against Mutualist Policy. Answer. Primary Cause Of The ...
THIRD PART POLITICAL INCOMPATIBILITIES— - CONCLUSION
CHAPTER IV - On Municipal Liberty: That This Liberty, Essentially Federalist ...
APPENDIX: THE THEORY OF PROPERTY
APPENDIX: THE PARIS COMMUNE
GLOSSARY
INDEX
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Advance Praise for Property Is Theft!
Iain McKay has done a superb job collecting Proudhon’s most important, provocative and influential writings in one volume, many of which have not previously appeared in English. This collection will become an indispensable source book for anyone interested in Proudhon’s ideas and the origins of the socialist and anarchist movements in 19th century Europe.
—Robert Graham, editor of Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas, Vols 1–3
Even Proudhon’s harshest critics, including Marx, agreed that his passion for liberty and equality was inspiring, and it’s time to re-evaluate his substantive work. This reader is the ideal place to begin. Iain McKay’s introduction offers a sure-footed guide through the misconceptions surrounding Proudhon’s thought, and the rich collection spans his years as an activist and theorist. Unlike much of the polemical argument around Proudhon, this volume will open up debate, rather than shut it down; it will let readers make up their own minds about the “father” of anarchism.
—Mark Leier, author of Bakunin: The Creative Passion
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was a hugely influential figure in French working-class history and in the history of the French Left, as well as being widely acknowledged as the “father of anarchy,” as Kropotkin once put it. Yet the precise nature of his political thought, his relation to anarchism as it came to be understood after his death and the value of his contribution have been the focus of much (often acrimonious) debate. He has over the years been accused of being eclectic, inconsistent, self-contradictory and reactionary—not to mention the reductionist Marxist criticism of being a petit bourgeois. A number of scholars in recent years have argued—as does Iain McKay in his introduction to this volume—that much of what has been said about Proudhon has been based on ignorance and received ideas, as well as questionable methodological approaches, and they have proposed a re-evaluation of his ideas. However, one of the problems hitherto for those wishing to return to the sources to see for themselves what Proudhon actually wrote has been the lack of English translations of most of his works. This anthology of Proudhon’s writings, the most comprehensive yet published, is therefore extremely welcome and an important addition to the growing literature on Proudhon, and will hopefully make possible a more rigorous and fruitful engagement with this important figure.
—David Berry, author of A History of the French Anarchist Movement 1917–1945
Publisher, political prisoner, political economist, and (briefly) parliamentarian, Proudhon was a pillar of nineteenth century socialism. His insights into economic and political issues led the young Karl Marx to call him “the most consistent and wisest of socialist writers.” His libertarian vision of an egalitarian society based on self-management and federalism deeply influenced Mikhail Bakunin, founder of anarchism, who called him “the master of us all.” Today, Proudhon’s strategy for change—the creation of an alternative economy, created from below, through co-operatives—influences movements across the world. Yet his enduring influence and importance has been shrouded by caricature and his works remain difficult to obtain. This remarkable collection thus makes a vital contribution to the task of left and labour renewal in the post-Soviet world. Iain McKay has provided, at last, the definitive English-language collection of the master’s masterworks, framed by a powerful introduction and insightful notes.
—Lucien van der Walt, co-author of Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism
In the English-speaking world, Proudhon is one of the best known but least well understood anarchists, largely because the bulk of his work is not available in translation. Iain McKay’s comprehensive anthology, which draws on Proudhon’s correspondence as well as his published work, fills a real gap and should encourage new readers to engage with his work and appreciate both the positive contribution he has made to anarchist thinking and the enormity of his influence on the anarchist movement.
—Ruth Kinna, author of Anarchism: A Beginner’s Guide and editor of Anarchist Studies
From Iain McKay, principal author of the standard anarchist educational resource An Anarchist FAQ, comes Property is Theft! A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Anthology. Besides replacing Stewart Edwards’s Selected Writings as the definitive Proudhon reader after several decades, it is clearly superior to Edwards’s collection. First, instead of Edwards’s unsatisfactory approach of compiling snippets of text under subject headings in a sort of Bartlett’s quotations format, McKay’s anthology provides complete digests of Proudhon’s texts with important passages in unbroken form. Second, this collection includes a wide variety of new texts, many of them translated especially for the present effort. This new anthology may well serve as the definitive reference source for as long as Selected Writings did. This should be cause for excitement and eager anticipation among Proudhon enthusiasts everywhere.
—Kevin Carson, author of Studies in Mutualist Political Economy
I dedicate this book to my daughters.
May it show the importance of being bilingual!
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL IDEA OF THE REVOLUTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
But then came Proudhon: the son of a peasant, and, by his works and instinct, a hundred times more revolutionary than all the doctrinaire and bourgeois Socialists, he equipped himself with a critical point of view, as ruthless as it was profound and penetrating, in order to destroy all their systems. Opposing liberty to authority, he boldly proclaimed himself an Anarchist by way of setting forth his ideas in contradistinction to those of the State Socialists.
—Michael Bakunin1
IN 1840, TWO SHORT EXPRESSIONS, A MERE SEVEN WORDS, TRANSFORMED socialist politics forever. One, only four words long, put a name to a tendency within the working class movement: “I am an Anarchist.” The other, only three words long, presented a critique and a protest against inequality which still rings: “Property is Theft!”
Their author, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865), was a self-educated son of a peasant f
amily and his work, What Is Property?, ensured he became one of the leading socialist thinkers of the nineteenth century. From his works and activity, the libertarian2 movement was born: that form of socialism based on “the denial of Government and of Property.”3 It would be no exaggeration to state that if you do not consider property as “theft” and “despotism” and oppose it along with the state then you are not a libertarian. As George Woodcock summarised:
“What is Property? embraces the core of nineteenth century anarchism... all the rest of later anarchism is there, spoken or implied: the conception of a free society united by association, of workers controlling the means of production. Later Proudhon was to elaborate other aspects: the working class political struggle as a thing of its own, federalism and decentralism as a means of re-shaping society, the commune and the industrial association as the important units of human intercourse, the end of frontiers and nations. But What is Property?... remains the foundation on which the whole edifice of nineteenth century anarchist theory was to be constructed.”4
Michael Bakunin, who considered the “illustrious and heroic socialist”5 as a friend, proclaimed that “Proudhon is the master of us all.”6 For Peter Kropotkin, the leading theoretician of communist-anarchism of his day, Proudhon laid “the foundations of Anarchism”7 and became a socialist after reading his work. Benjamin Tucker, America’s foremost individualist anarchist thinker, considered Proudhon as both “the father of the Anarchistic school of socialism” and “the Anarchist par excellence.”8 Alexander Herzen, leading populist thinker and father of Russian socialism, praised Proudhon’s “powerful and vigorous thought” and stated his “works constitute a revolution in the history not only of socialism but also French logic.”9 Leo Tolstoy greatly admired and was heavily influenced by Proudhon, considering his “property is theft” as “an absolute truth” which would “survive as long as humanity.”10 For leading anarcho-syndicalist thinker Rudolf Rocker, Proudhon was “one of the most intellectually gifted and certainly the most many-sided writer of whom modern socialism can boast.”11