In a society ordered on these lines, due regard is paid both to private
initiative on the part of the individual and at the same time to the
social interests of the general community. Indeed the latter receive
their full satisfaction through private initiative being set free to
serve them. Whoever has to entrust his labour to the direction of
another person, can at least know, under such an order of things,
that their joint work will bear fruit to the best advantage of the
community, and therefore of the worker himself.
The social order,--as here conceived,--will establish a proportionate
relation, satisfactory to healthy human sense, between the
prices of manufactured products and the two joint factors of their
production,--namely human labour-power and these rights of use over
capital (embodied in the means of production) which are subject to
the common sense of right. No doubt all sorts of imperfections may
be found in this. Imperfections do not matter. For a mode of thought
that is true to life, what is of importance is not to lay down a
perfect and complete programme for all time, but to point out the
direction for practical work. The special instances, discussed here,
are simply intended as illustrations to map out the direction more
clearly. Any particular illustration may be improved upon; and this
will be all to the good, provided the right direction is observed.
Through social institutions of this kind, personal and family feelings
will admit of being brought into harmony with the claims of general
humanity. It may of course be pointed out, that there will be a
great temptation for people to transfer their property during their
life-time to their descendants, or to some one of them, and that it
is quite easy to give such a person the appearance of a producer,
whilst all the while he may be quite incompetent compared to others,
who would be much better in his place. The temptation to do this,
can however be reduced to a minimum under social institutions of the
above kind. The "rights-State" has only to require, that property,
which is transferred from one member of a family to another, should
under all circumstances, be made over to a corporation of the spiritual
system, after the lapse of a certain period from the first owner's
death. Or an evasion of the rule may be prevented in some other way by
rights-law. The "rights-State" will merely see to it, that the property
is so made over. The spiritual organisation must make provision for
the choice of the person to inherit it. In the fulfillment of these
principles a general sense will grow up, that the next generation
must be trained and educated to fit them for the body social and that
one must not do social mischief by passing capital on to persons who
are non-productive. No one, in whom a real social sense is awakened,
cares to have his own connection with the capital basis of his work
carried on by any individual or group whose personal abilities do
not warrant it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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