首页 >出版文学> THE HOUSING QUESTION>第1章
  1887PrefacetotheSecondGermanEditionThefollowingworkisareprintofthreearticleswhichIwrotein1872fortheLeipzigVolksstaat。Justatthattime,theblessingoftheFrenchmilliardswaspouringoverGermany:publicdebtswerepaidoff,fortressesandbarracksbuilt,stocksofweaponsandwarmaterialrenewed;theavailablecapitalnolessthanthevolumeofmoneyincirculationwassuddenlyenormouslyincreased,andallthisjustatatimewhenGermanywasenteringtheworldarenanotonlya"unitedempire",butalsoasagreatindustrialcountry。Thesemilliardsgavethenewlarge-scaleindustryapowerfulimpetus,andabovealltheywereresponsiblefortheshortperiodofprosperity,sorichinillusions,whichfollowedonthewar,andforthegreatcrashwhichcameimmediatelyafterwardsin1873-74,throughwhichGermanyproveditselftobeanindustrialcountrycapableofcompetingontheworldmarket。
  Theperiodinwhichanoldcivilizedcountrymakessuchatransitionfrommanufactureandsmall-scaleproductiontolarge-scaleindustry,atransitionwhichis,moreover,acceleratedbysuchfavorablecircumstance,isalsopredominantlytheperiodof"housingshortage"。Ontheonehand,massesofruralworkersaresuddenlydrawnintothebigtowns,whichdevelopintoindustrialcentres;ontheotherhand,thebuildingplanoftheseoldtownsdoesnotanylongerconformwiththeconditionsofthenewlarge-scaleindustryandthecorrespondingtraffic;streetsarewidenedandnewonescutthrough,andrailwaysrunthroughthecentreofthetown。Attheverytimewhenmassesofworkersarestreamingintothetowns,workers’dwellingsarepulleddownonalargescale。Hencethesuddenhousingshortagefortheworkersandforthesmalltradersandsmallbusinesseswhichdependfortheircustomontheworkers。Inthetownswhichgrewupfromtheverybeginningasindustrialcentres,thishousingshortageisasgoodasunknown——forinstance,Manchester,Leeds,Bradford,Barmen-Elberfeld。Ontheotherhand,inLondon,Paris,Berlin,Vienna,theshortagetookonacuteformsatthetime,forthemostpart,continuedtoexistinachronicform。
  Itwas,therefore,justthisacutehousingshortage,thissymptomoftheindustrialrevolutiontakingplaceinGermany,whichfilledthepressofthedaywithcontributionsonthe"housingquestion",andgaverisetoallsortsofsocialquackery。AseriesofsucharticlesevenfoundtheirwayintotheVolksstaat。Theanonymousauthor,whorevealedhimselflateronasDr。A。MulbergerofWurttemburg,consideredtheopportunityafavorableoneforenlighteningtheGermanworkers,bymeansofthisquestion,onthemiraculouseffectsofProudhon’ssocialpanacea。WhenIexpressedmyastonishmenttotheeditorsattheacceptanceofthesepeculiararticles,Iwascalledupontoanswerthem,andthisIdid。(SeePartOne:HowProudhonSolvestheHousingQuestion。)Thisseriesofarticleswassoonfollowedbyasecondseriesexaminingthephilanthropicbourgeoisviewofthequestion,onthebasisofaworkbyDr。EmilSax。(SeePartTwo:HowtheBourgeoisieSolvestheHousingQuestion。)Afteralongpause,Dr。Mulbergerdidmethehonorofreplyingtomyarticles,andthiscompelledmetomakearejoinder。
  (PartThree:SupplementonProudhonandtheHousingQuestion。)Withthis,however,boththepolemicandalsomyspecialoccupationwiththisquestioncametoanend。Thisisthehistoryoftheoriginofthesethreeseriesofarticles,whichhavealsoappearedasareprintinpamphletform。ThefactthatanewreprinthasnowbecomenecessaryIoweundoubtedlytothebenevolentsolicitudeoftheGermanimperialgovernmentwhich,byprohibitingthework,asusualtremendouslyincreasedthesale,andIherebytakethisopportunityofexpressingmyrespectfulthankstoit。
  Ihaverevisedthetextforthisnewedition,insertedafewadditionsandnotes,andIhavecorrectedasmalleconomicerrorinthefirstedition,asmyopponentDr。Mulbergerunfortunatelyfailedtodiscoverit。
  Duringthisrevision,itwasborneinonemewhatgiganticprogresstheinternationalworkingclassmovementhasmadeduringthepast14years。
  Atthattime,itwasstillafactthat"for20yearstheworkersoftheLatincountrieshadnoothermentalnourishmentthantheworksofProudhon",and,atbest,thestillmoreone-sidedversionofProudhonismpresentedbythefatherof"anarchism",Bakunin,whoregardedProudhonas"notremaitreanoustous",themasterofusall。AlthoughtheProudhonistsinFrancewereonlyasmallsectamongtheworkers,theywerestilltheonlyoneswhohadadefinitelyformulatedprogrammeandwhowereableintheCommunetotakeovertheleadershipontheeconomicfield。InBelgium,ProudhonismreignedunchallengedamongtheWalloonworkers,andinSpainandItaly,withisolatedexceptions,everythingintheworkingclassmovementwhichwasnotanarchistwasdefinitelyProudhonist。Andtoday?InFrance,Proudhonhasbeencompletelydisposedofamongtheworkersandretainssupportersonlyamongtheradicalbourgeoisandpettybourgeois,who,asProudhonists,alsocallthemselves"socialists",butagainstwhomthemostenergeticfightiscarriedonbythesocialistworkers。InBelgium,theFlemishhaveoustedtheWalloonsfromtheleadership,deposedProudhonism,andgreatlyraisedthelevelofthemovement。InSpain,asinItaly,theanarchisthightideofthe’70shasrecededandsweptawaywithittheremnantsofProudhonism。WhileinItaly,thenewpartyisstillinprocessofclarificationandformation,inSpainthesmallnucleus,whichastheNeuvaFederacionMadrilenaremainedloyaltotheGeneralCounciloftheInternational,hasdevelopedintoastrongpartywhich——ascanbeseenfromtherepublicanpressitself——isdestroyingtheinfluenceofthebourgeoisrepublicansontheworkersfarmoreeffectivelythanitsnoisyanarchistpredecessorswereeverabletodo。AmongmostLatinworkers,theforgottenworksofProudhonhavebeenreplacedbyCapital,TheCommunistManifesto,andaseriesofotherworksoftheMarxistschool,andthemaindemandofMarx——theseizureofallmeansofproductioninthenameofsocietybytheproletariat,whichhasattainedthemonopolyofpoliticalpower——isnowthedemandofthewholerevolutionaryworkingclassintheLatincountriesalso。
  IfthereforeProudhonismhasbeenfinallysupplantedamongtheworkersoftheLatincountriesalso,ifit——inaccordancewithitsrealsignificance——onlyservesFrench,Spanish,ItalianandBelgianbourgeoisradicalsasanexpressionoftheirbourgeoisandpetty-bourgeoisdesires,whybotheraboutittoday?Whycombatanewadeadopponentbyreprintingthesearticles?
  Firstofall,becausethesearticlesdonotconfinethemselvestoamerepolemicagainstProudhonandhisGermanrepresentatives。AsaconsequenceofthedivisionoflabourthatexistedbetweenMarxandmyself,itfelltometopresentouropinionsintheperiodicalpress,thatistosay,particularlyinthefightagainstopposingviews,inorderthatMarxshouldhavetimefortheelaborationofhisgreatbasicwork。Thusitbecamemytasktopresentourviews,forthemostpartinapolemicalform,inoppositiontootherkindsofviews。Soalsohere。PartsOneandTwocontainnotonlyacriticismoftheProudhonistconceptionofthequestion,butalsoapresentationofourownconception。
  Secondly,however,ProudhonplayedmuchtoosignificantaroleinthehistoryoftheEuropeanworkingclassmovementforhimtofallintooblivionwithoutmoreado。Refutedtheoreticallyanddiscardedpractically,hestillretainshishistoricalinterest。Whoeveroccupieshimselfinanydetailwithmodernsocialismmustalsoacquainthimselfwiththe"vanquishedstandpoints"ofthemovement。Marx’sPovertyofPhilosophyappearedseveralyearsbeforeProudhonputforwardhispracticalproposalsforsocialreform。InthisworkMarxwasabletodonomorethandiscoverandcriticisethegermofProudhon’sexchangebank。Fromthisangle,therefore,thisworkofminesupplements,unfortunatelyimperfectlyenough,Marx’swork。
  Marxwouldhaveaccomplishedallthismuchbetterandmoreconvincingly。
  Andfinally,bourgeoisandpetty-bourgeoissocialismisstronglyrepresentedinGermanydowntothisveryhour;ontheonehandbyprofessorialsocialistsandphilanthropistsofallsortswithwhomthewishtoturntheworkersintoownersoftheirdwellingsstillplaysagreatroleandagainstwhom,therefore,myworkisstillappropriate;andontheotherhand,intheSocial-DemocraticPartyitself,andevenintheranksoftheReichstagfraction,acertainpetty-bourgeoissocialismfindsavoice。
  Thistakestheformthatwhilethefundamentalviewsofmodernsocialismandthedemandforthetransformationofallthemeansofproductionintosocialpropertyarerecognisedasjustified,however,therealisationofthisisdeclaredpossibleonlyinthedistantfuture,afuturewhichforallpracticalpurposesisquiteoutofsight。Thus,forthepresenttime,onehastohaverecoursetomeresocialpatchwork,andsympathycanbeshown,accordingtocircumstances,evenwiththemostreactionaryeffortsforso-called"upliftingtheworkingclasses。"TheexistenceofsuchatendencyisquiteinevitableinGermany,thelandofphilistinismparexcellence,particularlyatatimewhenindustrialdevelopmentisviolentlyandonamassscaledoingawaywiththisoldanddeeply-rootedphilistinism。
  Thetendencyisalsoquiteharmlesstothemovement,inviewofthewonderfulcommonsenseofourworkerswhichhasbeendemonstratedsomagnificentlyduringthelasteightyearsofthestruggleagainsttheanti-socialistlaw,thepoliceandthecourts。Butitisnecessarythatitshouldbeclearlyrealisedthatsuchatendencyexists。Andwhenlateronthistendencytakesonafirmershapeandmoreclearlydefinedcontours,asitisnecessaryandevendesirablethatitshoulddo,itwillhavetogobacktoitspredecessorsinordertoformulateitsprogrammeandindoingsoitwillhardlybeabletoavoidProudhon。
  Theessenceofboththebigbourgeoisandpetty-bourgeoissolutionsofthe"housingquestion"isthattheworkershouldownhisowndwelling。
  However,thisisapointwhichhasbeenshowninaverypeculiarlightbytheindustrialdevelopmentofGermanyduringthepasttwentyyears。
  Innoothercountrydothereexistsomanywageworkerswhoownnotonlytheirowndwellingsbutalsoagardenorfieldaswell。Besidestheseworkerstherearenumerousotherswhoholdhouseandgardenorfieldastenants,with,infact,fairlysecurepossession。Ruraldomesticindustrycarriedoninconjunctionwithhorticultureorsmall-scaleagricultureformsthebroadbasisofGermany’snewlarge-scaleindustry。Inthewesttheworkersareforthemostparttheownersoftheirdwellings,andintheeasttheyarechieflytenants。Wefindthiscombinationofdomesticindustrywithhorticultureandsmall-scaleagricultureandthereforewithsecurepossessionofadwellingnotonlywhereverhandweavingstillfightsagainstthemechanicalloom:intheLowerRhinelandandinWestphalia,intheSaxonErzgebirgeandinSilesia,butalsowhereverdomesticindustryofanysorthasestablisheditselfasaruraloccupation:intheThuringiaForestandintheRhön。
  Atthetimeofthedebatesonthetobaccomonopoly,itwasrevealedtowhatextentcigarmakingwasalreadybeingcarriedonasaruraldomesticindustry。Whereveranyconditionofdistressoccursamongthesmallpeasants,asforinstanceafewyearsagointheEifel,thebourgeoispressimmediatelyraisesanoutcryfortheintroductionofasuitabledomesticindustryastheonlyremedy。AndinfactboththegrowingstateofwantoftheGermansmallpeasantsandthegeneralsituationofGermanindustryleadstoacontinualextensionofruraldomesticindustry。ThisisaphenomenonpeculiartoGermany。OnlyveryexceptionallydowefindasimilarphenomenoninFrance,forinstanceintheregionsofsilkcultivation。InEngland,wheretherearenosmallpeasants,ruraldomesticindustrydependsonthelabourpowerofthewivesandchildrenoftheagriculturallabourers。OnlyinIrelandcanweobservetheruraldomesticindustryofgarmentmakingbeingcarriedon,asinGermany,byrealpeasantfamilies。NaturallywedonotspeakhereofRussiaandothercountriesnotrepresentedontheindustrialworldmarket。
  ThusasregardsindustrythereexiststodayastateofaffairsoverwidespreadareasinGermanywhichappearsatfirstglancetoresemblethatwhichprevailedgenerallybeforetheintroductionofmachinery。However,thisissoonlyatfirstglance。Theruraldomesticindustryofearliertimes,combinedwithhorticultureandagriculture,was,atleastinthecountriesinwhichindustrywasdeveloping,thebasisofatolerableandinsomecasesevencomfortablematerialsituationfortheworkingclass,butatthesametimethebasisofitsintellectualandpoliticalnullity。
  Thehand-madeproductanditscostdeterminedthemarketprice,andowingtotheinsignificantlysmallproductivityoflabour,comparedwiththepresentday,themarketgrewfasterthanthesupplyasarule。ThisheldgoodataboutthemiddleofthelastcenturyforEngland,andpartlyforFrance,andparticularlyinthetextileindustry。InGermany,however,whichwasatthattimeonlyjustrecoveringfromthedevastationoftheThirtyYearsWarandworkingitswayupundermostunfavourablecircumstances,thesituationwasquitedifferent。TheonlydomesticindustryinGermanyproducingfortheworldmarket,linenweaving,wassoburdenedbytaxesandfeudalexactionsthatitdidnotraisethepeasantweaversabovetheverylowleveloftherestofthepeasantry。But,nevertheless,atthattimetheruralindustrialworkerenjoyedacertainsecurityofexistence。
  Withtheintroductionofmachineryallthiswasaltered。Priceswerenowdeterminedbythemachine-madeproduct,andthewageofthedomesticindustrialworkerfellwiththisprice。However,theworkerhadtoacceptitorlookforotherwork,andhecouldnotdothatwithoutbecomingaproletarian,thatiswithoutgivinguphislittlehousegardenandfield,whetherhisownpropertyorheldbyhimastenant。Onlyintherarestcaseswashereadytodothis。AndthusthehorticultureandagricultureoftheoldruralhandweaversbecamethecausebyvirtueofwhichthestruggleofthehandloomagainstthemechanicalloomwassoprotractedandhasnotyetbeenfoughttoaconclusioninGermany。Inthisstruggleitwasshownforthefirsttime,especiallyinEngland,thatthesamecircumstancewhichformerlyservedasabasisforacomparativelycomfortablematerialsituationoftheworkers——theownershipbytheworkerofhismeansofproduction——hadnowbecomeahindranceandamisfortuneforthem。Inindustrythemechanicalloomdefeatedthehandloom,andinagriculturelarge-scalemethods(agriculturecarriedoninaccordancewithscientificprinciplesandwithtechnicallyperfectedtools)drovesmall-scalecultivationfromthefield。However,whilecollectivelabourandtheapplicationofmachineryandsciencebecamethesocialruleonbothfieldsofproduction,theworkerwaschainedtotheantiquatedmethodofindividualproductionandhandlabourbyhislittlehouse,garden,fieldandhandloom。Thepossessionofhouseandgardenwasnowofmuchlessadvantagethanthepossessionofcompletefreedomofmovement。Nofactoryworkerwouldhavechangedplaceswiththeslowlybutsurelystarvingruralhandweaver。
  Germanyappearedlateontheworldmarket。Ourlarge-scaleindustrydatesfromthe’forties;itreceiveditsfirstimpetusfromtheRevolutionof1848,andwasabletodevelopfullyonlyaftertheRevolutionsof1866and1870hadclearedatleasttheworstpoliticalobstaclesoutofitsway。Buttoalargeextentitfoundtheworldmarketalreadyoccupied。
  ThearticlesofmassproductionweresuppliedbyEnglandandtheelegantluxuryarticlesbyFrance。Germanycouldnotbeattheformerinpriceorthelatterinquality。Forthemoment,therefore,nothingelseremainedbut,inaccordancewiththetendencyofGermanproductionuptothattime,tosqueezeintotheworldmarketwitharticleswhichweretoopettyfortheEnglishandtooshoddyfortheFrench。OfcoursethepopularGermancustomofcheating,byfirstsendinggoodsamplesandafterwardsinferiorarticles,soonmetwithsufficientlyseverepunishmentontheworldmarketandwasprettywellabandoned。Ontheotherhand,thecompetitionofoverproductionisgraduallyforcingeventherespectableEnglishalongthedownwardpathofqualitydeteriorationandsohasgivenanadvantagetotheGermans,whoareunbeatableonthisfield。Andthuswefinallycametopossessalarge-scaleindustryandtoplayaroleontheworldmarket。Butourlarge-scaleindustryworksalmostexclusivelyforthehomemarket(withtheexceptionoftheironindustrywhichproducesfarbeyondthelimitsofhomedemand),andourmassexportconsistsofatremendousnumberofsmallarticles,forwhichlarge-scaleindustryprovidesatmostthehalf-finishedmanufactures,whichsmallarticles,however,aresuppliedchieflybyruraldomesticindustry。
  Andhereisseeninallitsglorythe"blessing"ofhouse-andland-ownershipforthemodernworker。Nowhere,hardlyexceptingeventheIrishdomesticindustries,aresuchinfamouslylowwagespaidasintheGermandomesticindustries。Competitionpermitsthecapitalisttodeductfromthepriceoflabourpowerthatwhichthefamilyearnsfromitsownlittlegardenorfield;theworkersarecompelledtoacceptanypiecewagesofferedtothem,becauseotherwisetheywouldgetnothingatall,andtheycouldnotlivefromtheproductsoftheirsmall-scaleagriculturealone,andbecause,ontheotherhand,itisjustthisagricultureandlandownershipwhichchainsthemtothespotandpreventsthemfromlookingaroundforotheremployment。ThisisthebasiswhichupholdsGermany’scapacitytocompeteontheworldmarketinawholeseriesofsmallarticles。Thewholecapitalprofitisderivedfromadeductionfromnormalwagesandthewholesurplusvaluecanbepresentedtothepurchaser。ThatisthesecretoftheextraordinarycheapnessofmostoftheGermanexportarticles。
  ItisthiscircumstancemorethananyotherwhichkeepsthewagesandthelivingconditionsoftheGermanworkersonotherindustrialfieldsalsobelowtheleveloftheWesternEuropeancountries。Thedeadweightofsuchpricesforlabour,kepttraditionallyfarbelowthevalueoflabourpower,depressesthewagesoftheurbanworkersalso,evenoftheworkersinthebigtowns,belowthevalueoflabourpower;andthisisallthemorethecasebecausepoorly-paiddomesticindustryhastakentheplaceoftheoldhandicraftsinthetownsalso,andhere,too,depressesthegenerallevelofwages。
  Hereweseeclearly:thatwhichatanearlierhistoricalstagewasthebasisofrelativewell-beingfortheworkers,namely,thecombinationofagricultureandindustry,theownershipofhouse,gardenandfield,andsecurityoftenureinthedwelling-place,isbecomingtoday,undertheruleoflarge-scaleindustry,notonlytheworsthindrancetotheworker,butthegreatestmisfortuneforthewholeworkingclass,thebasisforanunexampleddepressionofwagesbelowtheirnormallevel,andthatnotoilyforindividualdistrictsandbranchesofenterprise,butforthewholecountry。Nowonderthatthebigbourgeoisieandpettybourgeoisiewholiveandgrowrichfromtheseabnormaldeductionsfromwagesareenthusiasticoverruralindustryandtheworkersowningtheirownhouses,andthattheyregardtheintroductionofnewdomesticindustriesasthesoleremedyforallruraldistress。
  Thatisonesideofthematter,butitalsohasitsreverseside。
  DomesticindustryhasbecomethebroadbasisoftheGermanexporttradeandthereforeofthewholeoflarge-scaleindustry。ItisthusspreadoverwideareasofGermanyandisextendingstillfurtherdaily。Theruinofthesmallpeasant,inevitablefromthetimewhenhisindustrialdomesticproductionforhisownusewasdestroyedbythecheap,hand-madeandmachineproduct,andhiscattlebreeding,andthushismanureproductionalso,wasdestroyedbythedissolutionoftheoldMarksystem,theabolitionofthecommonMarkandofcompulsorylandtillage——thisruinforciblydrivesthesmallpeasant,fallenvictimtotheusurer,intothearmsofmoderndomesticindustry。LikethegroundrentofthelandlordinIreland,theinterestofthemortgageusurerinGermanycannotbepaidfromtheyieldofthesoil,butonlyfromthewagesoftheindustrialpeasant。However,withtheexpansionofdomesticindustry,onepeasantareaaftertheotherisbeingdrawnintothepresent-dayindustrialmovement。ItisthisrevolutionisationoftheruralareasbydomesticindustrywhichspreadstheindustrialrevolutioninGermanyoverafarwiderterritorythanisthecaseinEnglandandFrance;
  itisthecomparativelylowlevelofourindustrywhichmakesitsextensioninareaallthemorenecessary。ThisexplainswhyinGermany,incontrasttoEnglandandFrance,therevolutionaryworkingclassmovementhasspreadsotremendouslyoverthegreaterpartofthecountryinsteadofbeingconfinedexclusivelytotheurbancentres。Andthisfurtherexplainsthesteady,certainandirresistibleprogressofthemovement。ItisperfectlyclearthatinGermanyavictoriousrisinginthecapitalandintheotherbigtownswillbepossibleonlywhenthemajorityofthesmallertownsandagreatpartoftheruralareashavebecomeripeforthechange。Givenanythinglikenormaldevelopment,weshallneverbeinapositiontowinworkingclassvictorieslikethoseoftheParisiansin1848and1871,butforthesamereasonweshallnotsufferdefeatsoftherevolutionarycapitalbythereactionaryprovincesasParissufferedtheminbothcases。InFrance,themovementalwaysoriginatedinthecapital;inGermany,itoriginatedintheareasofbigIndustry,Ofmanufactureandofdomesticindustry;
  thecapitalwasconqueredonlylater。Therefore,perhaps,inthefuturealsotheinitiativewillcontinuetorestwiththeFrenchbutthedecisioncanbefoughtoutonlyinGermany。
  However,thisruraldomesticindustryandmanufacture,whichinitsexpansionhasbecomethedecisivebranchofGermanproductionandthusrevolutionisesmoreandmoretheGermanpeasantry,isitselfonlythepreliminarystageofafar-reachingrevolution。AsMarxhasalreadyproved(Capital,Vol。I,page514,etseq。),atacertainstageofdevelopmentthehourofitsdownfallowingtomachineryandfactoryproductionwillsoundforitalso。Andthishourwouldappeartobeathand。ButinGermanythedestructionofruraldomesticindustryandmanufacturebymachineryandfactoryproductionmeansthedestructionofthelivelihoodofmillionsofruralproducers,theexpropriationofalmosthalftheGermansmallpeasantry;
  thetransformationnotonlyofdomesticindustryintofactoryproduction,butalsoofpeasantagricultureintolarge-scalecapitalistagriculture,ofsmalllandedpropertyintobigestates——anindustrialandagriculturalrevolutioninfavourofcapitalandbiglandownershipatthecostofthepeasants。ShoulditbeGermany’sfatealsotoundergothistransformationwhilestillundertheoldsocialconditionsthenitwillunquestionablybetheturningpoint。Iftheworking,classofnoothercountryhastakentheinitiativebythattime,thenGermanywillcertainlystrikefirst,andthepeasantsonsofthe"gloriousarmy"willbravelyassist。
  Andwiththisthebourgeoisandpetty-bourgeoisutopiawhichwouldgiveeachworkertheownershipofhisowndwellingandthuschainhiminsemi-feudalfashiontohisownparticularcapitaliststakesonaverydifferentcomplexion。Itsrealisationisseentobethetransformationofallthesmallruralhouseownersintoindustrialdomesticworkers;thedestructionoftheoldisolationandwithitthedestructionofthepoliticalinsignificanceofthesmallpeasantswhowouldbedraggedintothe"socialwhirlpool";
  theextensionoftheindustrialrevolutionovertheruralareasandthusthetransformationofthemoststableandconservativeclassofthepopulationintoarevolutionaryhotbed;and,astheculminationofthewholeprocess,theexpropriationbymachineryofthepeasantsengagedinhomeindustry,drivingthemforciblyintoinsurrection。
  Wecanreadilyallowthebourgeois-socialistphilanthropiststheprivateenjoymentoftheiridealsolongastheycontinueintheirpublicfunctionascapitaliststorealiseitinthisinvertedfashiontothebenefitofthesocialrevolution。
  FREDERICKENGELS
  London,January101887。
  TheHousingQuestion——PartITHEHOUSINGQUESTIONPARTONEHOWPROUDHONSOLVESTHEHOUSINGQUESTIONbyFREDERICKENGELSInNo。10andthefollowingnumbersoftheVolksstaatappearsaseriesofsixarticlesonthehousingquestion。Thesearticlesareonlyworthyofattentionbecause,apartfromsomelong-forgottenwould-beliterarywritingsofthe’forties,theyarethefirstattempttotransplanttheProudhonistschooltoGermany。ThisrepresentssuchanenormousstepbackwardincomparisonwiththewholecourseofdevelopmentofGermansocialism,whichdeliveredadecisiveblowparticularlytotheProudhonistideasasfarbackastwenty-fiveyearsago,[InMarx:MiseredelaPhilosophie,etc。,BruxellesetParis,1847(ThePovertyofPhilosophy,etc。)。
  ——[NotebyF。Engels。]thatitisworthwhileansweringitimmediately。
  Theso-calledhousingshortage,whichplayssuchagreatroleinthepressnowadays,doesnotconsistinthefactthattheworkingclassgenerallylivesinbad,overcrowdedandunhealthydwellings。Thisshortageisnotsomethingpeculiartothepresent;itisnotevenoneofthesufferingspeculiartothemodernproletariatincontradistinctiontoallearlieroppressedclasses。Onthecontrary,alloppressedclassesinallperiodssufferedmoreorlessuniformlyfromit。Inordertomakeanendofthishousingshortagethereisonlyonemeans:toabolishaltogethertheexploitationandoppressionoftheworkingclassbytherulingclass。Whatismeanttodaybyhousingshortageisthepeculiarintensificationofthebadhousingconditionsoftheworkersastheresultofthesuddenrushofpopulationto,thebigtowns;acolossalincreaseinrents,astillfurtheraggravationofovercrowdingintheindividualhouses,and,forsome,theimpossibilityoffindingaplacetoliveinatall。Andthishousingshortagegetstalkedofsomuchonlybecauseitdoesnotlimititselftotheworkingclassbuthasaffectedthepettybourgeoisiealso。
  Thehousingshortagefromwhichtheworkersandpartofthepettybourgeoisiesufferinourmodembigcitiesisoneofthenumeroussmaller,secondaryevilswhichresultfromthepresent-daycapitalistmodeofproduction。
  Itisnotatalladirectresultoftheexploitationoftheworkerasaworkerbythecapitalists。Thisexploitationisthebasicevilwhichthesocialrevolutionstrivestoabolishbyabolishingthecapitalistmodeofproduction。Thecornerstoneofthecapitalistmodeofproductionis,however,thefactthatourpresentsocialorderenablesthecapitaliststobuythelabourpoweroftheworkeratitsvalue,buttoextractfromitmuchmorethanitsvaluebymakingtheworkerworklongerthanisnecessaryinordertoreproducethepricepaidforthelabourpower。Thesurplusvalueproducedinthisfashionisdividedamongthewholeclassofcapitalistsandlandownerstogetherwiththeirpaidservants,fromthePopeandtheKaiser,downtothenightwatchmanandbelow。Wearenotconcernedhereastohowthisdistributioncomesabout,butthismuchiscertain:thatallthosewhodonotworkcanliveonlyfromfragmentsofthissurplusvaluewhichreachtheminonewayoranother。(SeeMarx’sCapitalwherethiswasworkedoutforthefirsttime。)
  Thedistributionofthissurplusvalue,producedbytheworking。classandtakenfromitwithoutpayment,amongthenon-workingclassesproceedsamidextremelyedifyingsquabblingsandmutualswindling。Insofarasthisdistributiontakesplacebymeansofbuyingandselling,oneofitschiefmethodsisthecheatingofthebuyerbytheseller,andinretailtrade,particularlyinthebigtowns,thishasbecomeanabsoluteconditionofexistenceforthesellers。When,however,theworkerischeatedbyhisgrocerorhisbaker,eitherinregardtothepriceorthequalityofthecommodity,thisdoesnothappentohiminhisspecificcapacityasaworker。Onthecontrary,assoonasacertainaveragelevelofcheatinghasbecomethesocialruleinanyplace,itmustinthelongrunbeleveledoutbyacorrespondingincreaseinwages。Theworkerappearsbeforethesmallshopkeeperasabuyer,thatis,astheownerofmoneyorcredit,andhencenotatallinhiscapacityasaworker,thatis,asaselleroflabourpower。Thecheatingmayhithim,andthepoorerclassasawhole,harderthanithitstherichersocialclasses,butitisnotanevilwhichhitshimexclusivelyorispeculiartohisclass。
  Anditisjustthesamewiththehousingshortage。Thegrowthofthebigmoderncitiesgivesthelandincertainareas,particularlyinthosewhicharecentrallysituated,anartificialandoftencolossallyincreasingvalue;thebuildingserectedontheseareasdepressthisvalue,insteadofincreasingit,becausetheynolongercorrespondtothechangedcircumstances。Theyarepulleddownandreplacedbyothers。Thistakesplaceaboveallwithworkers’houseswhicharesituatedcentrallyandwhoserents,evenwiththegreatestovercrowding,cannever,oronlyveryslowly,increaseaboveacertainmaximum。Theyarepulleddownandintheirsteadshops,warehousesandpublicbuildingsareerected。ThroughitsHaussmanninParis,Bonapartismexploitedthistendencytremendouslyforswindlingandprivateenrichment。[HaussmannwasPrefectoftheSeineDepartmentintheyears1853-70andcarriedonbigbuildingalterationsinParisintheinterestsofthebourgeoisie。Hedidnotfailtoprofithimselfalso-
  Ed。]ButthespiritofHaussmannhasalsobeenabroadinLondon,ManchesterandLiverpool,andseemstofeelitselfjustasmuchathomeinBerlinandVienna。Theresultisthattheworkersareforcedoutofthecentreofthetownstowardstheoutskirts;thatworkers’dwellings,andsmalldwellingsingeneral,becomerareandexpensiveandoftenaltogetherunobtainable,forunderthesecircumstancesthebuildingindustry,whichisofferedamuchbetterfieldforspeculationbymoreexpensivehouses,buildsworkers’
  dwellingsonlybywayofexception。
  Thishousingshortagethereforecertainlyhitstheworkerharderthanithitsanymoreprosperousclass,butitisjustaslittleanevilwhichburdenstheworkingclassexclusivelyasthecheatingoftheshopkeeper,anditmust,asfarastheworkingclassisconcerned,whenitreachesacertainlevelandattainsacertainpermanencysimilarlyfindacertaineconomicadjustment。
  Itiswithjustsuchsufferingsasthese,whichtheworkingclassenduresincommonwithotherclasses,andparticularlythepettybourgeoisie,thatpetty-bourgeoissocialism,towhichProudhonbelongs,preferstooccupyitself。AndthusitisnotatallaccidentalthatourGermanProudhonistoccupieshimselfchieflywiththehousingquestion,which,aswehaveseen,isbynomeansexclusivelyaworkingclassquestion;andthat,onthecontrary,hedeclaresittobeatrue,exclusivelyworkingclassquestion。
  "Asthewageworkerinrelationtothecapitalist,soisthetenantinrelationtothehouseowner。"
  Thisistotallyuntrue。
  Inthehousingquestionwehavetwopartiesconfrontingeachother:
  thetenantandthelandlordorhouseowner。Theformerwishestopurchasefromthelatterthetemporaryuseofadwelling;hehasmoneyorcredit,evenifhehastobuythiscreditfromthehouseownerhimselfatausuriouspriceasanadditiontotherent。Itissimplecommoditysale;itisnotanoperationbetweenproletarianandbourgeois,betweenworkerandcapitalist。
  Thetenant——evenifheisaworker——appearsasamanwithmoney;hemustalreadyhavesoldhisownparticularcommodity,hislabourpower,inordertoappearwiththeproceedsasthebuyeroftheuseofadwelling,orhemustbeinapositiontogiveaguaranteeoftheimpendingsaleofthislabourpower。Thepeculiarresultswhichattendthesaleoflabourpowertothecapitalistarecompletelyabsenthere。Thecapitalistcausesthepurchasedlabourpowerfirstlytoproduceitsownvalueandsecondlytoproduceasurplusvaluewhichremainsinhishandsforthetimebeing,subjecttoitsdistributionamongthecapitalistclass。Inthiscasethereforeanextravalueisproduced,thetotalsumoftheexistingvalueisincreased。
  Intherenttransactionthesituationisquitedifferent。Nomatterhowmuchthelandlordmayoverreachthetenantitisstillonlyatransferofalreadyexisting,previouslyproducedvalue,andthetotalsumofvaluespossessedbythelandlordandthetenanttogetherremainsthesameafterasitwasbefore。Theworkerisalwayscheatedofapartoftheproductofhislabour,whetherthatlabourispaidforbythecapitalistbelow,above,oratitsvalue。
  Thetenant,ontheotherhand,ischeatedonlywhenheiscompelledtopayforthedwellingaboveitsvalue。Itis,therefore,acompletemisrepresentationoftherelationbetweenlandlordandtenanttoattempttomakeitequivalenttotherelationbetweenworkerandcapitalist。Onthecontrary,wearedealingherewithaquiteordinarycommoditytransactionbetweentwocitizens,andthistransactionproceedsaccordingtotheeconomiclawswhichgovernthesaleofcommoditiesingeneralandinparticularthesaleofthecommodity,landproperty。Thebuildingandmaintenancecostsofthehouse,orofthepartofthehouseinquestion,entersfirstofallintothecalculation;
  thelandvalue,determinedbythemoreorlessfavourablesituationofthehouse,comesnext;thestateoftherelationbetweensupplyanddemandexistingatthemomentisfinallydecisive。ThissimpleeconomicrelationexpressesitselfinthemindofourProudhonistasfollows:
  "Thehouse,onceithasbeenbuilt。servesasaperpetuallegaltitletoadefinitefractionofsociallabouralthoughtherealvalueofthehousehasalreadylongagobeenmorethanpaidoutintheformofrenttotheowner。Thusitcomesaboutthatahousethat,forinstance,wasbuiltfiftyyearsago,duringthisperiodcoverstheoriginalcosttwo,three,five,tenandmoretimesoverinitsrentyield。"HerewehaveatoncethewholeProudhon。Firstly,itisforgottenthattherentmustnotonlypaytheinterestsonthebuildingcosts,butmustalsocoverrepairsandtheaveragesumofbad’debts,unpaidrents,aswellastheoccasionalperiodswhenthehouseisuntenanted,andfinallypayoffinannualsumsthebuildingcapitalwhichhasbeeninvestedinahousewhichisperishableandwhichintimebecomesuninhabitableandworthless。Secondly,itisforgottenthattherentmustalsopayinterestontheincreasedvalueofthelanduponwhichthebuildingiserectedandthatthereforeapartofitconsistsofgroundrent。OurProudhonistimmediatelydeclares,itistrue,thatthisincreaseofvaluedoesnotequitablybelongtothelandowner,sinceitcomesaboutwithouthisco-operation,buttosocietyasawhole。However,heoverlooksthefactthatwiththisheisinrealitydemandingtheabolitionoflandedproperty,apointwhichwouldleadustoofarifwewentintoithere。Andfinallyheoverlooksthemfactthatthewholetransactionisnotoneofbuyingthehousefromitsowner,butofbuyingitsuseforacertaintime。Proudhon,whoneverbotheredhimselfabouttherealandactualconditionsunderwhichanyeconomicphenomenonoccurs,isnaturallyalsounabletoexplainhowtheoriginalcostpriceofahouseispaidbacktentimesoverinthecourseoffiftyyearsintheformofrent。Insteadofexaminingandestablishingthisnotatalldifficultquestioneconomically,anddiscoveringwhetheritisreallyincontradictiontoeconomiclaws,andifsohow,Proudhonrescueshimselfbyaboldleapfromeconomicsintolegaltalk:"Thehouse,onceithasbeenbuilt,servesasaperpetuallegaltitle"toacertainannualpayment。
  Howthiscomesabout,howthehousebecomesalegaltitle,onthisProudhonissilent。Andyet——thatisjustwhatheshouldhaveexplained。Hadheexaminedit,hewouldhavefoundthatnotallthelegaltitlesintheworld,nomatterhowperpetual,couldgiveahousethepowerofobtainingitscostpricebacktentimesoverinthecourseoffiftyyearsintheformofrent,butthatonlyeconomicconditions(whichmayhavesocialrecognitionintheformoflegaltitles)canaccomplishthis。Andwiththishewouldagainbeasfarasatthestart。
  ThewholeProudhonistteachingrestsonthissavingleapfromeconomicrealityintolegalphraseology。EverytimeourgoodProudhonlosestheeconomichangofthings——andthishappenstohimwitheveryseriousproblem——hetakesrefugeinthesphereoflawandappealstoeternaljustice。
  "Proudhonbeginsbytakinghisidealofjustice,of’justiceeternelle,’fromthejuridicalrelationsthatcorrespondtotheproductionofcommodities:thereby,itmaybenoted,heproves,totheconsolationofallgoodcitizens,thattheproductionofcommoditiesisaformofproductionaseverlastingasjustice。
  Thenheturnsroundandseekstoreformtheactualproductionofcommodities,andtheactuallegalsystemcorrespondingthereto,inaccordancewiththisideal。Whatopinionshouldwehaveofachemist,who。insteadofstudyingtheactuallawsofthemolecularchangesinthecompositionanddecompositionofmatter,andonthatfoundationsolvingdefiniteproblems,claimedtoregulatethecompositionanddecompositionofmatterbymeansofthe’eternalideas,’of’naturaliteandaffinite’?Dowereallyknowanymoreabout’usury,’whenwesayitcontradicts’justicekernel,’
  ’equiteeternelle,’’mutualiteeternelle,’andother’veriteseternelles’thanthefathersofthechurchdidwhentheysaditwasincompatiblewith’graceeternelle,’’foieternelle,’and’lavolonteeternelledeDieu’?"[Marx,Capital,Vol。1,Kerredition,footnote,pp。96-97-Ed。]OurProudhonistdoesnotfareanybetterthanhislordandmaster:
  "Therentagreementisoneofthethousandexchangeswhichareasnecessaryinthelifeofmodemsocietyasthecirculationofthebloodinthebodieso(animals。Naturally,itwouldbeintheinterestsofthissocietyifalltheseexchangeswerepervadedbyaconceptionofjustice,thatistosay,iftheytookplacealwaysaccordingtothestrictdemandsofjustice。Inaword,theeconomiclifeofsocietymust,asProudhonsays,raiseitselftotheheightsofeconomicjustice。Inreality,asweknow,exactlytheoppositetakesplace。"Isitcrediblethat,fiveyearsafterMarxhadcharacterisedProudhonismsosummarilyandconvincinglypreciselyfromthisdecisiveangle,itshouldbepossibletoprintsuchconfusedstuffintheGermanlanguage。Whatdoesthisrigmarolemean?Nothingmorethanthatthepracticaleffectsoftheeconomiclawswhichgovernpresent-daysocietyruncontrarytotheauthor’ssenseofjusticeandthathecherishesthepiouswishthattheaffairmightbesoarrangedthatthiswouldthennolongerbethecase。Yes,butiftoadshadtailstheywouldnolongerbetoads!Andisthenthecapitalistmodeofproductionnot"pervadedbyaconceptionofjustice,"namely,thatofitsownrighttoexploittheworkers?Andiftheauthortellsusthatthatisnothisideaofjustice,areweonestepfurther?
  Butlotusgobacktothehousingquestion。OurProudhonistnowgiveshis"conceptionofjustice"freereinandtreatsustothefollowingmovingdeclamation:
  "Wedonothesitatetoassertthatthereisnomoreterriblemockeryofthewholecultureofourlaudedcenturythanthefactthatinthebigcities90percentandmoreofthepopulationhavenoplacethattheycancalltheirown。Therealkeypointofmoralandfamilyexistence,hearthandhome,isbeingsweptawaybythesocialwhirlpool……Inthisrespectwearefarbelowthesavages。
  Thetroglodytehashiscave,theAustralianaboriginehashisclayhut,theIndianhashisownhearth——themodernproletarianispracticallysuspendedinmidair,"etc。InthisjeremiadwehaveProudhonisminitswholereactionaryform。Inordertocreatethemodemrevolutionaryclassoftheproletariatitwasabsolutelynecessarytocuttheumbilicalcordwhichstillboundtheworkerofthepasttotheland。Thehandweaverwhohadhislittlehouse,gardenandfieldalongwithhisloom,wasaquiet,contentedman"inallgodlinessandrespectability"despiteallmiseryanddespiteallpoliticalpressure;
  hedoffedhiscaptotherich,tothepriestsandtotheofficialsofthestate;andinwardlywasaltogetheraslave。Itispreciselymodemlarge-scaleindustry,whichhasturnedtheworker,formerlychainedtotheland,intoacompletelypropertylessproletarian,liberatedfromalltraditionalfettersandfreeasabird;itispreciselythiseconomicrevolutionwhichhascreatedthesoleconditionsunderwhichtheexploitationoftheworkingclassinitsfinalform,inthecapitalistmodeofproduction,canbeoverthrown。
  AndnowcomesthistearfulProudhonistandbewailsthedrivingoftheworkersfromhearthandhomeasthoughitwereagreatretrogressioninsteadofbeingtheveryfirstconditionfortheirintellectualemancipation。
  Twenty-sevenyearsagoIdescribedinTheConditionoftheWorkingClassinEnglandthemainfeaturesofjustthisprocessofdrivingtheworkersfromhearthandhomeasittookplaceintheeighteenthcenturyinEngland。Theinfamiesofwhichthelandownersandfactoryownerswereguiltyinsodoing,andthedeleteriouseffects,materialandmoral,whichthisexpulsioninevitablyhadontheworkersconcernedinthefirstplace,aretherealsodescribedastheydeserve。Butcoulditentermyheadtoregardthis,whichwasinthecircumstancesanabsolutelynecessaryhistoricalprocessofdevelopment,asaretrogression"belowthesavages"?Impossible!
  TheEnglishproletarianof1872isonaninfinitelyhigherlevelthantheruralweaverof1772withhis"hearthandhome。"Willthetroglodytewithhiscave,theAustralianaboriginewithhisclayhut,andtheIndianwithhisheartheveraccomplishaJuneinsurrectionandaParisCommune?
  Thatthesituationoftheworkershasingeneralbecomemateriallyworsesincetheintroductionofcapitalistproductiononalargescaleisdoubtedonlybythebourgeoisie。Butshouldthereforelookbackwardlonginglytothe(likewiseverymeagerflesh-potsofEgypt,toruralsmall-scaleindustry,whichproducedonlyservilesouls,orto"thesavages"?Onthecontrary。
  Onlytheproletariatcreatedbymodernlarge-scaleindustry,liberatedfromallinheritedfetters,includingthosewhichchainedittotheland,anddriveninherdsintothebigtowns,isinapositiontoaccomplishthegreatsocialtransformationwhichwillputanendtoallclassexploitationandallclassrule。Theoldruralhandweaverswithhearthandhomewouldneverhavebeenabletodoit;theywouldneverhavebeenabletoconceivesuchanidea,muchlessabletodesiretocarryitout。
  ForProudhon,ontheotherhand,thewholeindustrialrevolutionofthelasthundredyears,theintroductionofsteampowerandlarge-scalefactoryproductionwhichsubstitutedmachineryforhandlabourandincreasedtheproductivityoflabourathousandfold,isahighlyrepugnantoccurrence,somethingwhichreallyoughtnevertohavetakenplace。Thepetty-bourgeoisProudhondemandsaworldinwhicheachpersonturnsoutaseparateandindependentproductthatisimmediatelyconsumableandexchangeableinthemarket。Then,aslongaseachpersononlyreceivesbackthefullvalueofhislabourintheformofanotherproduct,"eternaljustice"issatisfiedandthebestpossibleworldcreated。ButthisbestpossibleworldofProudhonhasalreadybeennippedinthebudandtroddenunderfootbytheadvanceofindustrialdevelopmentwhichhaslongagodestroyedindividuallabourinallthebigbranchesofindustriesandwhichisdestroyingitdailymoreandmoreinthesmallerandsmallestbrancheswhichhassetsociallaboursupportedbymachineryandtheharnessedforcesofnatureinitsplace,andwhosefinishedproductimmediatelyexchangeableorconsumable,isthejointworkofmanyindividualsthroughwhosehandsithastopass。
  Anditispreciselythisindustrialrevolutionwhichhasraisedtheproductivepowerofhumanlabourtosuchahighlevelthat——forthefirsttimeinthehistoryofhumanity——thepossibilityexists,givenarationaldivisionoflabouramongall,toproducenotonlyenoughfortheplentifulconsumptionofallmembersofsocietyandforanabundantreservefund,butalsotoleaveeachindividualsufficientleisuresothatwhatisreallyworthpreservinginhistoricallyinheritedculture——science,art,humanrelationsisnotonlypreserved,butconvertedfromamonopolyoftherulingclassintothecommonpropertyofthewholeofsociety,andfurtherdeveloped。Andhereisthedecisivepoint:assoonastheproductivepowerofhumanlabourhasdevelopedtothisheight,everyexcusedisappearsfortheexistenceofarulingclass。Wasnotthefinalreasonwithwhichclassdifferencesweredefendedalways:theremustbeaclasswhichneednotplagueitselfwith,heproductionofitsdailysubsistence,inorderthatitmayhavetimetolookaftertheintellectualworkofsociety?Thistalk,whichuptonowhaditsgreathistoricaljustification,hasbeencutoffattherootonceandforallbytheindustrialrevolutionofthelasthundredyears。Theexistenceofarulingclassisbecomingdailymoreandmoreahindrancetothedevelopmentofindustrialproductivepower,andequallysotoscience,artandespeciallyculturalhumanrelations。Thereneverweregreaterboorsthanourmodernbourgeois。
  ButallthisisnothingtofriendProudhon。Hewants"eternaljustice"andnothingelse。Eachshallreceiveinexchangeforhisproductthefullproceedsofhislabour,thefullvalueofhislabour。Buttoreckonthatoutinaproductofmodernindustryisacomplicatedmatter。Formodernindustryobscurestheparticularshareoftheindividualinthetotalproduct,whichintheoldindividualhandicraftwasobviouslyrepresentedbythefinishedproduct。Further,modernindustryabolishesmoreandmoretheindividualexchangeonwhichProudhon’swholesystemisbuiltup,namelydirectexchangebetweentwoproducers,eachofwhomtakestheproductoftheotherinordertoconsumeit。ConsequentlyareactionarycharacterrunsthroughoutthewholeofProudhonism;anaversiontotheindustrialrevolution,andthedesire,sometimesovertly,sometimescovertlyexpressed,todrivethewholeofmodernindustryoutofthetemple,steamengines,mechanicalloomsandtherestoftheswindle,andtoreturntotheold,respectablehandlabour。Thatwewould-thenloseninehundredandninety-ninethousandthsofourproductivepower,thatthewholeofhumanitywouldbecondemnedtotheworstpossiblelabourslavery,thatstarvationwouldbecomethegeneralrule——whatdoesallthatmatterifonlywesucceedinorganisingexchangeinsuchafashionthateachreceives"thefullproceedsofhislabour,"andthat"eternaljustice"isrealized?Fiatjustitia,pereatmundus!
  Justicemustprevailthoughthewholeworldperish!
  AndtheworldwouldperishinthisProudhonistcounter-revolutionifitwereatallpossibletocarryitout。
  Itis,moreover,self-evidentthat,withsocialproductionconditionedbymodernlarge-scaleindustry,itispossibletoassureeachperson"thefullproceedsofhislabour,"sofarasthisphrasehasanymeaningatall。Andithasameaningonlyifitisextendedtomeannotthateachindividualworkerbecomesthepossessorof66thefullproceedsofhislabour,"butthatthewholeofsociety,consistingentirelyofworkers,becomesthepossessorofthetotalproceedsofitslabour,whichitpartlydistributesamongitsmembersforconsumption,partlyusesforreplacingandincreasingthemeansofproduction,andpartlystoresupasareservefundforproductionandconsumption。
  Afterwhathasbeensaidabove,wealreadyknowinadvancehowourProudhonistwillsolvethegreathousingquestion。Ontheonehand,wehavethedemandthateachworkerownhisownhomeinorderthatwemaynotremain"belowthesavages。"Ontheotherhand,wehavetheassurancethatthetwo,three,fiveortenfoldrepaymentoftheoriginalcostpriceofahouseintheformofrent,asitactuallytakesplace,isbasedona"legaltitle"andthatthislegaltitleisincontradictionto"eternaljustice"。Thesolutionissimple:weabolishthelegaltitleanddeclare,invirtueofeternaljustice,therentpaidtobeapaymentonaccountofthecostofthedwellingitself。Ifonehassoarrangedonpremisesthattheyalreadycontaintheconclusioninthem,thenofcourseitdemandsnogreaterskillthananycharlatanpossessestoproducethealreadypreparedresultfromthebagandtopointtounshakablelogicwhoseresultitis。
  Andsoithappenshere。Theabolitionofrented>Transferinterrupted!y,andindeedintheformthatthedemandisputforwardfortheconversionofeverytenantintotheownerofhisowndwelling。Howarewetodothat?
  Verysimply:
  "Renteddwellingswillberedeemed……TheprevioushouseownerwillbepaidthevalueofWshousetothelastfarthing。Rent,insteadofbeingaspreviouslythetributewhichthetenantmustpaytotheperpetualtitleofcapital,willbe,fromthedaywhentheredemptionofrenteddwellingsisproclaimed,theexactlyfixedsumpaidbythetenanttoprovidetheannualinstallmentforthepaymentofthedwellingwhichhaspassedintothepossessionofthetenant……Society……transformsitselfinthiswayintoatotalityofindependentandfreeownersofdwellings。"TheProudhonistfindsitacrimeagainsteternaljusticethat,thehouseownercanwithoutworkingobtaingroundrentandinterestoutofthecapitalhehasinvestedinthehouse。Hedecreesthat,thismustcease,thatcapitalinvestedinhousesshallproducenointerest,andsofarasitrepresentspurchasedlandedproperty,nogroundrenteither。Nowwehaveseenthatherebythecapitalistmodeofproduction,thebasisofpresent-daysociety,isinnowayaffected。Thepivotonwhichtheexploitationoftheworkerturnsisthesaleoflabourpowertothecapitalistandtheusewhichthecapitalistmakesofthistransactioninthathecompelstheworkertoproducefarmorethanthepaidvalueofthelabourpower,amountsto。Itisthistransactionbetweencapitalistandworkerwhichproducesallthesurplusvaluewhichisafterwardsdividedintheformofgroundrent,commercialprofit,interestoncapital,taxes,etc。,amongthevarioussub-speciesofcapitalistsandtheirservants。AndnowourProudhonistcomesalongandbelievesthatifweweretoforbidonesinglesub-speciesofcapitalists,andatthatofsuchcapitalistswhopurchasenolabourpowerdirectlyandthereforealsocausenosurplusvaluetobeproduced,toreceiveprofitorinterest,itwouldbeastepforward!Themassofunpaidlabourtakenfromtheworkingclasswouldremainexactlythesameevenifhouseownersweretobedeprivedtomorrow。,ofthepossibilityofreceivinggroundrentandinterest。However,thisdoesnotpreventourProudhonistfromdeclaring:
  "TheabolitionofrentdwellingsisthusoneofthemostfruitfulandmagnificenteffortswhichhaseversprungfromthewomboftherevolutionaryideaanditmustbecomeoneoftheprimarydemandsofSocial-Democracy。"ThisisexactlythetypeofmarketcryofthemasterProudhonhimself,whosecacklingwasalwaysininverseratiotothesizeoftheeggslaid。
  Andnowimaginethefinestateofthingsifeachworker,pettybourgeoisandbourgeoiswerecompelledbypayingannualinstallmentstobecomefirstpartownerandthenfullownerofhisdwelling!IntheindustrialdistrictsinEngland,wherethereislarge-scaleindustrybutsmallworkers’
  housesandeachmarriedworkeroccupiesalittlehouseofhisown,theremightpossiblybesomesenseinit。Butthesmall-scaleindustryinParisandinmostofthebigtownsonthecontinentisaccompaniedbylargehousesineachofwhichten,twentyorthirtyfamilieslivetogether。Onthedayoftheworld-deliveringdecree,whentheredemptionofrentdwellingsisproclaimed,PeterisworkinginanengineeringworksinBerlin。Ayearlaterheisownerof,ifyoulike,thefifteenthpartofhisdwellingconsistingofalittleroomonthefifthfloorofahousesomewhereintheneighborhoodofHamburgerTor。HethenloseshisworkandsoonfindshimselfinasimilardwellingonthethirdfloorofahouseinthePothofinHanoverwithawonderfulviewontothecourtyard。Afterfivemonths’staytherehehasjustacquiredonethirty-sixthpartofthispropertywhenastrikesendshimtoMunichandcompelshimbyastayofelevenmonthstotakeonhimselfownershipinexactlyelevenone-hundred-and-eightiethsofarathergloomypropertyonthestreetlevelbehindtheOber-Angergasse。Furtherremovalssuchasnowadayssooftenoccurtoworkerssaddlehimfurtherwithseventhree-hundred-and-sixtiethsofanolessdesirableresidenceinSt。Gallen,twenty-threeone-hundred-and-eightiethsofanotheroneinLeeds,andthreehundredandforty-sevenfifty-six-thousand-two-hundred-and-twenty-thirds,toreckonitoutexactlyinorderthat"eternaljustice"mayhavenothingtocomplainabout,ofathirddwellinginSeraing。AndnowwhatistheuseforourPeterofallthesesharesindwellings?Whoistogivehimtherealvalueoftheseshares?Whereishetofindtheownerorownersoftheremainingsharesinhisvariousone-timedwellings?Andwhatexactlyarethepropertyrelationsofanybighousewhosefloorshold,letussay,twentydwellingsandwhich,whentheredemptionperiodhaselapsedandrenteddwellingsareabolished,belongsperhapstothreehundredpartownerswhoarescatteredinallquartersoftheglobe。OurProudhonistwillanswerthatbythattimetheProudhonistexchangebankwillexistandwillpaytoanyoneatanytimethefulllabourproceedsforanylabourproduct,andwillthereforepayoutalsothefullvalueofashareinadwelling。
  ButinthefirstplacewearenotatallconcernedherewiththeProudhonistexchangebanksinceitisnowhereevenmentionedinthearticlesonthehousingquestion,andsecondlyitrestsonthepeculiarerrorthatifsomeonewantstosellacommodityhewillnecessarilyalsofindabuyerforitsfullvalueandthirdlyithasalreadygonebankruptinEnglandmorethanonceunderthenameofLabourExchangeBazaar,beforeProudhoninventedit。
  ThewholeconceptionthattheworkershouldbuyhisdwellingrestsinitsturnonthereactionarybasicoutlookofProudhonism,alreadyemphasized,accordingtowhichtheconditionscreatedbymodernlarge-scaleindustryarediseasedexcrescences,andthatsocietymustbeledviolently,i。e。,againstthetrendwhichithasbeenfollowingforahundredyears,toaconditioninwhichtheoldstablehandicraftoftheindividualistherule,whichasawholeisnothingbuttheidealizedrestorationofsmall-scaleenterprise,whichhasbeenruinedandisstillbeingruined。Iftheworkersareonlyflungbackintothesestableconditions,ifthe"socialwhirlpool"
  hasbeenhappilyabolished,thentheworkernaturallycouldalsoagainmakeuseofpropertyin"hearthandhome,"andtheaboveredemptiontheoryappearslessridiculous。Proudhononlyforgetsthatinordertoaccomplishallthishemustfirstofallputbacktheclockofworldhistorybyahundredyears,andthattherebyhewouldmakethepresent-dayworkersintojustsuchnarrow-minded,crawling,sneakingslavesastheirgreat-grandfatherswere。
  Asfar,however,asthisProudhonistsolutionofthehousingquestioncontainsanyrationalandpracticallyapplicablecontentitisalreadybeingcarriedouttoday,butthisrealizationdoesnotspringfrom"thewomboftherevolutionaryidea,"butfromthebigbourgeoishimself。LetuslistentoanexcellentSpanishnewspaper,LaEmancipacion,ofMadridofMarch16,1872:
  "Thereisstillanothermeansofsolvingthehousingquestion,thewayproposedbyProudhon,whichdazzlesatfirstglance,butoncloserexaminationrevealsitsutterimpotence。Proudhonproposedthatthetenantsshouldbeconvertedintopurchasersbyinstallments,sothattherentpaidannuallywouldbereckonedasaninstallmentonthepaymentofthevalueofthedwelling,and,afteracertaintime,thetenantwouldbecometheownerofthedwelling。Thismeans,whichProudhonconsideredveryrevolutionary,isbeingputintooperationinallcountriesbycompaniesofspeculatorswhothussecuredoubleandtreblepaymentofthevalueofthehousesbyraisingtherents。M。DollfusandotherbigmanufacturersinNortheasternFrancehavecarriedoutthissystemnotonlyinordertomakemoney,butinaddition,withapoliticalideaatthebackoftheirminds。"Thecleverestleadersoftherulingclasshavealwaysdirectedtheireffortstowardsincreasingthenumberofsmallpropertyownersinordertobuildanarmyforthemselvesagainsttheproletariat。Thebourgeoisrevolutionsofthelastcenturydividedupthebigestatesofthenobilityandthechurchintosmallproperties,justastheSpanishrepublicansproposetodotodaywiththestillexistinglargeestates,andcreatedtherebyaclassofsmalllandownerswhichhassincebecomethemostreactionaryelementinsocietyandapermanenthindrancetotherevolutionarymovementoftheurbanproletariat。NapoleonIIIaimedatcreatingasimilarclassinthetownsbyreducingthesizeoftheindividualbondsofthepublicdebt,andM。Dollfusandhiscolleaguessoughttostifleallrevolutionaryspiritintheirworkersbysellingthemsmalldwellingstobepaidforinannualinstallments,andatthesametimetochaintheworkersbythispropertytothefactoryinwhichtheywork。ThusweseethattheProudhonplanhasnotmerelyfailedtobringtheworkingclassanyrelief,ithaseventurneddirectlyagainstit。"*
  [Howthissolutionofthehousingquestionbymeansofchainingworkertohisown"home"isarisingspontaneouslyintheneighborhoodofbigorgrowingAmericantownscanbeseenfromthefollowingpassageofaletterbyEleanorMarx-Aveling,Indianapolis,November28,1886:"In,orrathernearKansasCitywesawsomemiserablelittlewoodenhuts,containingaboutthreeroomseach,stillinthewilds;thelandcost600dollarsandwasjustenoughtoputthelittlehouseonit;thelattercostafurther600dollars,thatistogetherabout4,800marks[L240]foramiserablelittlething,anhourawayfromthetown,inamuddydesert。"Inthiswaytheworkersmustshoulderheavymortgagedebtsinordertoobtaineventhesehousesandthustheybecomecompletelytheslavesoftheiremployers;
  theyareboundtotheirhouses,theycannotgoaway,andtheyarecompelledtoputupwithwhateverworkingconditionsareofferedthem。[NotebyF。
  EngelstothesecondGermanedition。]Howisthehousingquestiontobesolvedthen?Inpresent-daysocietyjustasanyothersocialquestionissolved:bythegradualeconomicadjustmentofsupplyanddemand,asolutionwhicheverreproducesthequestionitselfanewandthereforeisnosolution。
  Howasocialrevolutionwouldsolvethisquestiondependsnotonlyonthecircumstanceswhichwouldexistineachcase,butisalsoconnectedwithstillmorefar-reachingquestions,amongwhichoneofthemostfundamentalistheabolitionoftheantithesisbetweentownandcountry。Asitisnotourtasktocreateutopiansystemsforthearrangementofthefuturesociety,itwouldbemorethanidletogointothequestionhere。Butonethingiscertain:therearealreadyinexistencesufficientbuildingsfordwellingsinthebigtownstoremedyimmediatelyanyreal"housingshortage,"givenrationalutilizationofthem。Thiscannaturallyonlytakeplacebytheexpropriationofthepresentownersandbyquarteringintheirhousesthehomelessorthoseworkersexcessivelyovercrowdedintheirformerhouses。