Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1901-11-01
NEGOTIATIONS
Of an Old Socialist Individual Parasite on
Society-Felowshp

The business of the slave makers is
now, and ever has been, resolution of
human thoughts, relations and de-
mands into tinalities, whatever is to
be done with the so called final thing
afterwards they will do it for you.
If it is liberty they will make it con-
stitutional, they will interpret it. If
an organization, they will be its ex-
ecutive. If a property relation, they
will hold the deed. If * is a religious
relation, they will make the doctrine;
or if an ethical relation, they will de-
fine it. And if it is q social relation,
they will prepare and present the
scientific formula. But from the out
set the process is invasive as to the
subsequent liberty of the individual
mind
If might dare reduce the art Of in
tellectual selt-detenCe to anything re-
sembling a formula, | would say;
"In all matters pertaining to human
affairs, whatsoever is declared final
is therefore premature" When men
are no longer able or permitted to
think for themselves. let us hope that
the race may receive due warning OF
that coming calamity, and thenWe will
call in the tOrmulators. But till then,
let us do our own thinking. Among
things that are not fnalities, name
here a few. First: The struggle form
dividual superiority over others-the
competitive struggle of ego evolution
lists.
In such a struggle, the whole ques-
ton of the relatiue value of this, OF
that, depends upon some foreseen II.
nalitv, which to the evontionist 81
intdlvluasliisfaa is III H. .,.....,>y
individual over some or all others.
The survival of the fittest To me it
seems that it is not the thing that is
final. And even this evOlItiOnist him.
self apologies for its obvious made
quacy as a final consideration by as
sorting that it tends, in a cosmic sort
of way, at last, to bring the best
groups to the top, to bring the best
to all by the smaller and earlier pro-
cess of bringing the best out of all.
Hence even the SpenCerians abandon
the theory of individual supremacy as
the final good, by iustitying it as only
leading to the larger good of all;
which is therefore itself the thing that
is final.
Necessity IS the mother of 1nven-
ton says the capitalist. eve find
invention profitable; we must have i'll
vention. Therefore also we must
have necessity But invention is not
final, nor profits; neither is necessity
the final condition for the inventive
mind to work its best works.
How to get the best of life for all
of MS, y is the true mother Of iaYeHii9H,
and this alone iustihes, as it mathe-
matically includes all other good.
The greatest perpleNity of life today
is to ascertain relative values, Audit
is a perpleXitv, because it is cOusid-
cred within the bounds OF minor rcla-
tons, and not from the one final alb
solute view point-the good of all.
Truth now is a matter of habit aud
training; of struggle toward this final
view point, and no more. When the
mind is habituated to that one pint
o. rjclr, all the perpleNities of relative
values will then pass away.
know ofn better reason for writ
ing these thoughts than rs a process
of training for You and me to get ON
to that point O, view, and to habitu-
ally recognize the general well being
of all the manhood of the world MS
the thing that is final for the iuiiyid-
ual, MS well as for the social activities.