But the organization of labor touches only such labors as others can do
for us, _e. g._ slaughtering, tillage, etc.; the rest remain egoistic,
because, _e. g._, no one can in your stead elaborate your musical
compositions, carry out your projects of painting, etc.; nobody can
replace Raphael's labors. The latter are labors of a unique person,[192]
which only he is competent to achieve, while the former deserved to be
called "human," since what is anybody's _own_ in them is of slight
account, and almost "any man" can be trained to it.
Now, as society can regard only labors for the common benefit, _human_
labors, he who does anything _unique_ remains without its care; nay, he
may find himself disturbed by its intervention. The unique person will
work himself forth out of society all right, but society brings forth no
unique person.
Hence it is at any rate helpful that we come to an agreement about
_human_ labors, that they may not, as under competition, claim all our
time and toil. So far Communism will bear its fruits. For before the
dominion of the commonalty even that for which all men are qualified, or
can be qualified, was tied up to a few and withheld from the rest: it
was a privilege. To the commonalty it looked equitable to leave free all
that seemed to exist for every "man." But, because left[193] free, it
was yet given to no one, but rather left to each to be got hold of by
his _human_ power. By this the mind was turned to the acquisition of the
human, which henceforth beckoned to every one; and there arose a
movement which one hears so loudly bemoaned under the name of
"materialism."
Communism seeks to check its course, spreading the belief that the human
is not worth so much discomfort, and, with sensible arrangements, could
be gained without the great expense of time and powers which has
hitherto seemed requisite.
But for whom is time to be gained? For what does man require more time
than is necessary to refresh his wearied powers of labor? Here Communism
is silent.
For what? To take comfort in himself as the unique, after he has done
his part as man!
In the first joy over being allowed to stretch out their hands toward
everything human, people forgot to want anything else; and they competed
away vigorously, as if the possession of the human were the goal of all
our wishes.
But they have run themselves tired, and are gradually noticing that
"possession does not give happiness." Therefore they are thinking of
obtaining the necessary by an easier bargain, and spending on it only so
much time and toil as its indispensableness exacts. Riches fall in
price, and contented poverty, the care-free ragamuffin, becomes the
seductive ideal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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