Socialism and Modern Science (Darwin, Spencer, Marx)Ferri, Enrico
Philosophy
Socialism and Modern Science (Darwin, Spencer, Marx)
Ferri, Enrico
Evolution; Socialism; Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903
The same rule holds in the case of the two co-existing laws of the
_struggle for existence_ and of _solidarity in the struggle_, the first
of which predominates where the economic conditions are more difficult;
while the second predominates with the growth of the economic security
of the majority. But while this security will become complete under the
regime of socialism, which will assure to every man who works the
material means of life, this will not exclude the intellectual forms of
the struggle for existence which M. Tchisch recently said should be
interpreted not only in the sense of a _struggle for life_, but also in
the sense of a _struggle for the enrichment of life_.[95]
In fact, when once the material life of every one is assured, together
with the duty of labor for _all_ the members of society, man will
continue always to struggle _for the enrichment of life_, that is to
say, for the fuller development of his physical and moral individuality.
And it is only under the regime of socialism that, the predominance of
the law of solidarity being decisive, the struggle for existence will
change its form and substance, while persisting as an eternal striving
toward a better life in the _solidaire_ development of the individual
and the collectivity.
But M. Garofalo devotes more attention to the practical (?) relations
between socialism and the law of evolution. And in _substance_, once
more making use of the objection already so often raised against Marxism
and its tactics, he formulates his indictment thus:
"The new socialists who, on the one hand, pretend to speak in the name
of sociological science and of the natural laws of evolution, declare
themselves politically, on the other hand, as revolutionists. Now,
evidently science has nothing to do with their political action.
Although they take pains to say that by "revolution" they do not mean
either a riot or a revolt--an explanation also contained in the
dictionary[96]--this fact always remains, _viz._: that they are
unwilling to await the _spontaneous_ organization of society under the
new economic arrangement foreseen by them in a more or less remote
future. For if they should thus quietly await its coming, who among them
would survive to prove to the incredulous the truth of their
predictions?
It is a question then of an evolution _artificially hastened_, that is
to say, in other words, of the _use of force_ to transform society in
accordance with their wishes." (p. 30.)
"The socialists of the Marxian school do not expect the transformation
to be effected by a slow evolution, but by a _revolution of the people_,
and they even fix the epoch of its occurence." (p. 53.)
"Henceforth the socialists must make a decision and take one horn of the
dilemma or the other.
"Either they must be _theoretical evolutionists_, WHO WAIT PATIENTLY
until the time shall be ripe;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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