The individualist and society

The individualist and society
Victor Serge (1911).
Translated by Bayron Pascal

The word society is synonymous with grouping. Today most of the men are a huge group, which, although it is divided into an infinite number of sub-groups (races, nationalities, social classes, ideological groups), can nevertheless be considered as a whole. It is this set, this wonderful community we mean by these words: society.

Consider the company as an assemblage of individuals and deny it any importance, any life of its own, as some theorists have pointed is simplistic, too simplistic. It is ignore social psychology, the psychology of crowds, and what is more amazing, the results of the most basic observations. In truth the observation shows us and the study confirms the fact that they are assembled by interests, aspirations, or the similar intermingling, men are changing. A new Psychology develops, common to all members of the association. They now constitute a crowd; and this crowd has a mentality, a life, a separate destiny of individuals of which it is composed.

The existence of a partnership is therefore governed by also immutable laws than the biological laws governing the existence of individuals.

Now ask the question: are these laws favourable to the individual? Are they in harmony with its interests?

In a great little Precis of sociology, Georges Palante wrote: "a company, once formed, tends to keep", whereby "all individual energies will be on all areas - economic, political, legal, moral - closely." subordinate to the common good. Woe to the energies that do not bend to this discipline. Society breaks them or eliminate them without haste as ruthless. She brings this design absolute disregard for the individual. It acts as a blind, irresistible, and relentless instinct. It represents a terribly concrete form this brute force that Schopenhauer described: "the will of life separate from the intellect". " Despite optimistic utopias, any society is and will be exploitative, usurping, domineering and tyrannical. It is not by accident but by essence. »

That's enough - as this "general law of social conservation" accepted by almost all contemporary sociologists, we feel it everyday painfully weight on our shoulders.

And if we add the law of social conformism that any organized society demands of its members a certain similarity of conduct, appearance and even opinions and ideas and resulting as consequence an act of elimination of individuals consisting of rebel against this conformism, the conflict between the individual and society appears to us in all its magnitude.

A glance thrown around us will confirm in a striking way the conclusion to which we are theoretical ways.

What could be more unjust that the so-called social contract, on behalf of which each is crushed by all! You'll be working, you'll be a soldier, you're a prostitute, because social needs so require, and as a contract that no one will never ask to accept you have to. You obey the law; You'll be the servant of the tradition; you live according to usage and custom... Yet tradition, law, use you hinder, impede your development, make you suffer. Obey, bend, abdicates. otherwise your neighbors blame you and bother you: public opinion is gaussera you and claim against your insolence worse punishment, the law will strike you. Hungry, defamed, reviled and disgraced, you'll be the refractory we strangle relentlessly.

This is the reality. "Moi", I have no home, no money, no property to defend. " Never mind my interest to society? She needs to soldiers; so, it imposes is homeland, barracks, uniform...

"Moi", I am more fooled by outdated morals governing the life of the crowds; I aspire to love freely... But it takes the social body of the respectful love of the law and if I don't get married before the Mayor, law and opinion will book me their rigors...

I like the work. But I want to do it freely... The wage system puts me in the alternative to be slave, thief,- or starving...

And that we not criminalize a form of social organization - authoritarian capitalist - rather than any other. Certainly, it is not difficult to conceive of a society incomparably less bad, more logical, more intelligently organized. But also what its more or less distant realization is a more controversial hypothesis, do not hide that it would always present serious obstacles to the development of the individual.

The assumption of a collectivist tomorrow portends us a fierce struggle between the State and a few individuals who want to maintain their independence. Even understood in the broadest sense - that of fellow anarchist-communists - a social group will inevitably tend to impose on its members a single ideological creed... It will still be the struggle between the individual and society. Rather than argue his freedom and his material life, he will play him his intellectual and moral independence. And there's no telling that to the men of the future - if this future must be realized - the adventures of this struggle won't also painful does to the men of those days the battle for bread, for love, for the open air!

In any social group the individualist remains a rebel.

Because we are seeing antagonism between the individual and society, should not believe us unsociable. On several occasions however, opponents have sought to create this confusion.

Life in society has advantages, none of us will ever consider to challenge. Very well. But selfish, willing to live according to our thinking, we are unwilling to accept even inevitable disadvantages. It is one of the characteristic features of the individualist: he is not resigned, even before that is fatal.

If is meant by individual sociable person who doesn't bother, or the least possible discomfort his neighbour, the individualist is sociable primarily. By interest first; way it is most often exposure to be embarrassed. He leaves so the others live on their own, on condition however that they reciprocate him. He was aware of the benefits of "voluntary basis association", temporary association of goodwill, with a goal of utility practice; but he will not be fooled by the idol solidarity and is engulfed by a coterie, a chapel or cult...

Is it is strong - and we believe that it is not possible to assert self without being strong - it is all more sociable.

The forts are generous, being rich enough to be provided: the strongest revolts, the indomitable enemies of society, have always been big hearts.