登陆注册
4245700000014

第14章

Therefore Anarchism represents to the unthinking what the proverbial bad man does to the child,--a black monster bent on swallowing everything; in short, destruction and violence.

Destruction and violence! How is the ordinary man to know that the most violent element in society is ignorance; that its power of destruction is the very thing Anarchism is combating? Nor is he aware that Anarchism, whose roots, as it were, are part of nature's forces, destroys, not healthful tissue, but parasitic growths that feed on the life's essence of society. It is merely clearing the soil from weeds and sagebrush, that it may eventually bear healthy fruit.

Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think. The widespread mental indolence, so prevalent in society, proves this to be only too true. Rather than to go to the bottom of any given idea, to examine into its origin and meaning, most people will either condemn it altogether, or rely on some superficial or prejudicial definition of non-essentials.

Anarchism urges man to think, to investigate, to analyze every proposition; but that the brain capacity of the average reader be not taxed too much, I also shall begin with a definition, and then elaborate on the latter.

ANARCHISM:--The philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary.

The new social order rests, of course, on the materialistic basis of life; but while all Anarchists agree that the main evil today is an economic one, they maintain that the solution of that evil can be brought about only through the consideration of EVERY PHASE of life,--individual, as well as the collective; the internal, as well as the external phases.

A thorough perusal of the history of human development will disclose two elements in bitter conflict with each other; elements that are only now beginning to be understood, not as foreign to each other, but as closely related and truly harmonious, if only placed in proper environment: the individual and social instincts. The individual and society have waged a relentless and bloody battle for ages, each striving for supremacy, because each was blind to the value and importance of the other. The individual and social instincts,--the one a most potent factor for individual endeavor, for growth, aspiration, self-realization; the other an equally potent factor for mutual helpfulness and social well-being.

The explanation of the storm raging within the individual, and between him and his surroundings, is not far to seek. The primitive man, unable to understand his being, much less the unity of all life, felt himself absolutely dependent on blind, hidden forces ever ready to mock and taunt him. Out of that attitude grew the religious concepts of man as a mere speck of dust dependent on superior powers on high, who can only be appeased by complete surrender. All the early sagas rest on that idea, which continues to be the LEIT-MOTIFof the biblical tales dealing with the relation of man to God, to the State, to society. Again and again the same motif, MAN IS NOTHING, THE POWERS ARE EVERYTHING. Thus Jehovah would only endure man on condition of complete surrender. Man can have all the glories of the earth, but he must not become conscious of himself. The State, society, and moral laws all sing the same refrain: Man can have all the glories of the earth, but he must not become conscious of himself.

Anarchism is the only philosophy which brings to man the consciousness of himself; which maintains that God, the State, and society are non-existent, that their promises are null and void, since they can be fulfilled only through man's subordination.

Anarchism is therefore the teacher of the unity of life; not merely in nature, but in man. There is no conflict between the individual and the social instincts, any more than there is between the heart and the lungs: the one the receptacle of a precious life essence, the other the repository of the element that keeps the essence pure and strong. The individual is the heart of society, conserving the essence of social life; society is the lungs which are distributing the element to keep the life essence--that is, the individual--pure and strong.

"The one thing of value in the world," says Emerson, "is the active soul; this every man contains within him. The soul active sees absolute truth and utters truth and creates." In other words, the individual instinct is the thing of value in the world. It is the true soul that sees and creates the truth alive, out of which is to come a still greater truth, the re-born social soul.

Anarchism is the great liberator of man from the phantoms that have held him captive; it is the arbiter and pacifier of the two forces for individual and social harmony. To accomplish that unity, Anarchism has declared war on the pernicious influences which have so far prevented the harmonious blending of individual and social instincts, the individual and society.

Religion, the dominion of the human mind; Property, the dominion of human needs; and Government, the dominion of human conduct, represent the stronghold of man's enslavement and all the horrors it entails.

Religion! How it dominates man's mind, how it humiliates and degrades his soul. God is everything, man is nothing, says religion. But out of that nothing God has created a kingdom so despotic, so tyrannical, so cruel, so terribly exacting that naught but gloom and tears and blood have ruled the world since gods began. Anarchism rouses man to rebellion against this black monster. Break your mental fetters, says Anarchism to man, for not until you think and judge for yourself will you get rid of the dominion of darkness, the greatest obstacle to all progress.

同类推荐
  • 犹龙传

    犹龙传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中山诗话

    中山诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 轩岐救正论

    轩岐救正论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鼓琴训论

    鼓琴训论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上长文大洞灵宝幽玄上品妙经

    太上长文大洞灵宝幽玄上品妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 福女降农门之痞夫来缠

    福女降农门之痞夫来缠

    唐家庄的唐甜甜家一门子的克星,克死了亲爹,克病了爷奶,克坏了地里庄稼,克糊人家锅里的饭,克傻了村头的翠花,克丢了隔壁二大爷家的狗!是活该被欺压挤兑,挨骂受苦的一窝子,更没资格有吃有穿有钱花!不过这都是村子里的传言,唐甜甜咬牙切齿,她娘是温柔善良,不是心思恶毒的扫把星!她大哥敦厚老实,不是没头没脑的丧门星!她自己活泼睿智,不是有娘没爹的小克星!唐甜甜握紧拳头,致富挣钱把糖造,日子红火添热闹!关起门,悄悄的发财,打枪地不要!——————哪知道,寡妇门前是非多,极品亲戚鼻子灵!红火日子刚冒头,各方极品来驾到!七大姑八大姨齐声嚷嚷:“你们家以前日子过不下去,全靠我们帮忙才活了下来,现在要点银钱,不过是小小的回报一下,都是你们家欠我们的!”“你哥文海和他表妹从小就感情好,青梅竹马,天生一对!文海太老实,就该找个厉害的撑门户!”“女大三抱金砖,这如花表姐才是你哥文海的良配,实在不行,就把甜甜嫁过来吧!大八岁不算大,大了知道疼人!”无耻爷奶一声吼:这个家里我来做主!都得听他们的!——————唐甜甜拿着扫把还没发飙,某男死皮赖脸凑上来,“这些刁民,本大爷帮你摆平!滴水之恩不要涌泉相报,在你家住几天就行!”谁知道几天几天又几天,竟然撵不走了!还吵着要她负责!
  • 既不能反抗那就闭眼享受

    既不能反抗那就闭眼享受

    从头到尾我只是一颗棋子……我以为努力过他会懂我以为只要我付出的够多他就能多看我一眼谁曾想不论我多努力永远也比不上她。
  • 蚌妃驾到:王爷水中捞

    蚌妃驾到:王爷水中捞

    瓷清竹落水穿越成了河蚌,不过好在老天有眼,这是一只即将成精的河蚌,那她就坐等成精好了。小场景:瓷清竹纵身一跃跳进了水里,某男过来:“你上来!”,瓷清竹:“我不”某男也跳进了水里:“那我捞你上来。”瓷清竹诡异一笑。某男看着手里抱着的硕大河蚌一脸黑线。
  • 繁花浮生乱

    繁花浮生乱

    她的一生,将倾尽一世的焚心爱恋,付诸了那一场年少的繁花之焰中,却是烧成了炙白色的冷灰,随着乱世的烽火与宫阙的诡谲,轻轻地飘散在了漫漫的无情冷风中,坠落入泥地,化作低贱又卑微的尘埃……身已灭,心已死。浮生图录,京华若梦,命若蒲萋,疏雨惜寒,零落萧尘,春凄西冷,孤锁宫柳,乱花残尽。醉魂惊梦愁风起,寒鸦染烟倚轻楼。
  • 绿茵雇佣兵

    绿茵雇佣兵

    那一年,小飞侠还没有秃顶,切赫还没有头盔,范尼刚刚加盟红魔,而中国队,第一次参加世界杯……萌新写手,坚持完本。多多体谅,感谢支持。群号:946806973,欢迎大家围观,求支持,求收藏,求推荐!真好~
  • 漫天星辰下的爱恋

    漫天星辰下的爱恋

    他在姐姐的婚礼上向她求婚、娶她进门!她在亲情与爱情之间艰难抉择……“女人,你生是我的人,死也只能是我的鬼!”她被逼无奈,只得委屈求全签下契约,没想到居然假婚成真,无法自拔……
  • 九章算经

    九章算经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 美人吟(飞花弄影+陌生花开·两册装)

    美人吟(飞花弄影+陌生花开·两册装)

    第一世,她冷漠,他强势,棋逢对手。可是当她的珠钗刺穿他的心脏,她冰冷的心终于体会到,那比血更灼热的,其实是感情;第二世,她聪颖,他勇猛,英雄美人。当千军万马隐遁而去,她在他身侧抚琴而歌,终还是换来了他一句痛彻心扉的“虞兮虞兮奈若何?”第三世,她善变,他纯粹,天壤之别。虽入了深宫,地位尊贵殊荣都不在她的眼底,她要的,仅仅是他的爱情,可唯独这一项,竟是奢望。第四世,她是入选的良家子,他是花心不专的帝王,这一次,他们能否得偿心愿?
  • 佛养心 道养性:心中有佛人自安

    佛养心 道养性:心中有佛人自安

    本书共分十篇,分别是:慈悲为本,为善心安;诸恶莫作,无恶心安;放下诸多事,心中自然安;无求则无敌,无敌则心安;平常心是道,道在心自安;超然洒脱,豁达心安;宽容即是福,度大心自安;常怀感恩情,心中自然安;看透释然,自在心安;随缘而行,随遇而安。本书以佛的理念通俗而又深刻地阐述了“心中有佛人自安”这个主题。书中还着重例举了一些生活中让人难以心安的就发生在我们身边的事俗之事,并指出了解决之道。另外,为了让读者更好地了解佛理知识,书中还穿插了“拈花一笑”、“佛心慧语”、“世俗佛理”、“佛心故事”、“佛语今译”、“佛趣轶事”等版块内容。通过阅读本书,你会感到:只要我们心中有佛,佛就与我们同在。
  • 深雪落,卿未归

    深雪落,卿未归

    奈何桥上,深雪飘零零而至。三生石旁,她许下唯一的愿望:“上一世,琴师令我多活三年,下一世,我奉上三年的美好。”经年,两世,换命,易心。我曾以为,这世间最哀伤的感情,莫过于生生世世不再相见;今日方知,最哀伤的实是一句“再无生生世世。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿