Revolutionary syndicalism as a result of a coalition in the Confederation--The parties to this _bloc_: anarchists, revolutionary socialists, syndicalists--Formation and strength of the _bloc_--The socialist ideal of a free workshop--Historical traditions and the revolutionary spirit in French workingmen--Causes of the distrust of "politicians" and of parliamentary methods--The antagonism between workingman and intellectual--Revolutionary syndicalists not a minority in General Confederation--Conditions of syndicalism: poverty of French syndicats; psychology of French workingmen--Syndicats loosely held together--Weakness as cause of violent methods--French love of theory and of formulas--Similar actions of revolutionists and reformists in Confederation according to circumstances--Conditions necessary for realization of program of revolutionary syndicalism--Outlook for the future 199 BIBLIOGRAPHY 223 INTRODUCTION The democratic social movement has overleaped its platform and escaped out of the hands of its instigators. It is larger than any school of ideas and will not be bound by any program. It can be analyzed in part, and in general terms described, but it can no longer be defined. Socialism as one phase of this unmanaged and unmanageable tide, has itself been profoundly affected by the magnitude, the complexity, and the waywardness of the mass motion. It now has its "Right" and its "Left." There is a conservative, and there is a radical socialism. Each proclaims the class struggle, and both demand the collective ownership of the chief means of production. But conservative socialism lays stress upon collective ownership, and would move toward it by peaceful, evolutionary steps. It relies on the ballot, believes in legislation, in law, and in government; while radical socialism proclaims "the revolution," plans for the general strike, and preaches the expediency of _sabotage_ and violence. At first sight almost identical with radical socialism is Syndicalism, which, however, proves upon examination to be both more and less than any socialistic program. In its most characteristic expression, syndicalism denies the state and would substitute for it a purely voluntary collectivism. So far it is at one with anarchism, and there are those who conceive of syndicalism as an anarchistic movement in opposition to socialism. The trade-union organization of labor the world over is looked upon by the syndicalist as the natural basis and agency of his enterprise, quite as existing political organizations are accepted by the conservative or parliamentary socialist as the best preliminary norms from which to evolve a new social order.