Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-09-24
Egoism, Altruism and Socialism.


than one publication, to promote social
advance by means of frankly asserted
egoism. Much more common and more
loudly announced is the claim that So
cial advance involves a largely in
creased altruism. This last theory is
negatively accepted by the mass of peo-
pie, who consider Socialism as sort of
heavenly state, involving continuous
abnegation of self.
AS q sociological fact, the progress of
society from individualism to Socialism
rests upon neither of these feelings, yet
involves both. a Socialistic commu-
nifty is more highly organized than an
individualistic one, but there is neither
vice in the one condition nor virtue in
the other.
A piece of beef is no more virtuous
than a piece of protoplasm, but it is
more highly organized.
What we call altruism-'' bitterness. p"
is in further development only "usness;"
it involves self, it is an extension of
self-consciousness into wider range Of
organic activity.
For two people each to work alone
for himself is low form of production.
For two people each to give all to the
other is no gain on the egoistic process.
But for two people to combine forces
and work for their common interests
produces more benefit for each and is
therefore higher, wiser, better, a later
development of energy.
Such Il union is egoism-each profits
by it. 1t is altruism-each profits the
other. But most distinctively 1t is So
cialism: an organic union, which profits
all its constituents and leads them on
into overwhelming spheres of conscious
ness and activity.
No man can choose whether he will
belong to a society or not-he does be-
long to it by birth.
He can leave it-as soldier leaves
his army, by desertion.
He can corrupt and injure it by NOR
bid action, as a criminal either the
legal, sub-legal, or SUPERFICIAL kind.
He can benefit it by conscious cooper
alton.
But in any case in it he is: and he is
to be rated good or bad by his relation
to society.
Egoism that subtracts from the social
good for the individual is wrong.
Wrong because it is antisocial; because
if all did it there would be no society
and therefore no constituent individuals.
Is any egoist so ignorant as to ina
CINE that men would remain men with
out social relation? Below social rela-
ton are only beasts.
Altruism that subtracts from the So
cial good for any other individual or in
dividuals is wrong for the same reason.
II carried to its logical extreme it
would leave friends, families or groups
struggling against.each other, and tend
to reduce society to such constituent
groups and their limited possibilities.
An altruism which includes all, even
to oneself is Socialism 1t is Justice.
health, common sense. 1t is the kind
of altruism which Jesus taught when
he said, ''Love thy neighbor as myself"
The most aspiring altruist may be
satisfied with Socialism, in which he
can give his whole life to the service
of his whole society. That it profits
himself need not distress him-for
some reactive sense of profit accom-
panies even martyrdom.
The most degraded egoist can take
comfort to his soul in Socialism: for it
will serve his ends, furnish him with
qualification, give room for his pleasures
and ambitions, as no individual effort
ever could,
But when we have grown on to
fuller degree of Socialism than now OBJ
tains, we shall forget these primitive
and unsatisfactory distinctions.
A conscious Socialist-not "class-con-
scious," but wholly conscious -will not
focus his Thoughts on himself or on
other selves: but live in the large sense
of social being to which all selves are
but contributory.
Here shrinks back the egoist, fearing
that he lose his own consciousness in
this vague ''social being"
Friend Egoist, be not alarmed. HUI
man consciousness is lodged in the in
dividual. However wide and full our
realization of the social life. that reali-
cation is in the individual mind.
The effect upon the individual mind
is of enlarged personality
To say THE state-that is |, y is not
to lose ones personality in the state,
but to enclose the state in ones en-
larged personality.
The ultimate Socialist will call the
world 81" Possession does not involve
exclusion.
If there were but one American he
would not own America more, but less.
There is no wise end for conscious