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Contr'un

Proudhon on Property (1846) – Part 1

May 15, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
THE SYSTEM OF ECONOMIC CONTRADICTIONS CHAPTER XI EIGHTH EPOCH.—PROPERTY 1.—Property is inexplicable apart from the economic series.—Of the organization of common sense, or problem of certainty. The problem of property is, after that of human destiny, the greatest that reason can propose, and the last that it will be able to resolve. Indeed, the theological problem, the enigma of religion, has been explicated; the philosophical problem, which treats the value and legitimacy of knowledge, is resolved: there remains the social problem, which simply joins these two, and the solution of which, as everyone believes, comes essentially from property. I will […]
Contr'un

On Enewetak (from The Distributive Passions)

May 15, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
This immediately follows the section I posted May 2. It originally appeared on the defunct Distributive Passions blog. Bradford Peck was the author of The World A Department Store, and prime mover, along with the Vroomans, in the cooperative movement in New England. Much of this has already taken another shape in the rewriting, but I was reminded of this version by Charles Johnson’s comments on the different ways of envisioning markets. The contrasting visions have certainly been around for a long time… The Canteen It’s more like a swap meet than a food stand or restaurant, with a menu […]
Contr'un

Proudhon on possession, 1840

May 13, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
I see that Francois Tremblay has again raised the issue of the distinction between property and possession, citing db0 (citing Proudhon, and ultimately intervening in an old debate about Kevin Carson’s work on Roderick Long’s blog), as if somewhere in all the citations there was some clear way to distinguish “possession” from “property.” For Francois, the issue seems to be that propertarians “wish to hide the injustices of property theory under the pretense that we have no choice but to have property rights.” db0 argues that “there is a hard core difference which splits the ownership scale in half [between […]
From the Archives

John Beverley Robinson in “The Engineering Magazine” (1891–1896)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
“JOHN BEVERLEY ROBINSON, who takes the radical position of opposition to all building legislation, is an active practising architect of New York, and one whose experience in contact with the intricacies of the New York building law prompted the very striking contribution to our August number which excited the present controversy.”—Engineering Magazine, 1891. John Beverley Robinson, “The Tall Office Buildings of New York,” Engineering Magazine 1 no. 2 (May, 1891): 185–202. John Beverley Robinson, “What is the Use of a Building Law?” Engineering Magazine 1 no. 5 (August, 1891): 656-662. Edward Henry, “What is the Use of Building Laws? Wherein […]
Contr'un

Corvus Editions, the First 150 (+)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
The Corvus Editions catalog passed the 150-title mark sometime over the weekend. Here’s the current list: LeftLiberty 1: The Unfinished Business of Liberty LeftLiberty 2: The Gift Economy of Property Mutualist 1: Two-Gun Mutualism and the Golden Rule The High Tide of Mutualism Songbird 1: Whisper Song of the Catbird Shawn P. Wilbur, Futurist Synthesis Shawn P. Wilbur, Dromologies/Pornologies Shawn P. Wilbur, What Means this Art Strike? Henry Addis, Essays on the Social Problem Stephen Pearl Andrews, Revisal of Kant’s Categories E. Armand, Mini-Manual of the Individualist Anarchist Louisa Sarah Bevington, An Anarchist Manifesto Ernest Howard Crosby, Golden Rules Jones, […]
Contr'un

Transmutation of Virtues into Vices, Charles Erskine Scott Wood

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
Transmutation of Virtues into Vices Charles Erskine Scott Wood I believe a very tolerable essay could be written on the transmutation of virtues into vices—perhaps it has been done. There is no new thing under the sun—a saying I give little adherence to. Proverbs, maxims and such generalizations would find the lie every day, if it were looked for. There is much new under the sun—and it is not impossible that some day an editor may have a principle, and a great daily tell the truth. This old world Is ever new—that Is the fascination of it. Not only new […]
Panarchy

Stephen Pearl Andrews’ “New Rendering of Ten Commandments”

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] New Rendering of Ten Commandments. BY STEPHEN PEARL ANDREWS. I. Thou shalt have no other gods than The Most High (that, whatever it is, that embodies, to thy conception, the supremest excellence). II. Thou shalt not make, unto thee, any sham substitute, or inferior likeness of this thy supreme ideal; whether it be in itself relatively high (in heaven above), or mean (in the earth beneath); or base (in the water under the earth). Thou shalt not degrade (bow down) thyself, in respect to any such, nor come under the yoke […]
Working Translations

To the Point! To Action!! (4 of 4)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
[Part 1] – [Part 2] – [Part 3] XIX With governmental control, such as was held by fallen administrations and as we have preserved until the present time, we can boldly address a challenge to anyone who would seriously accept public functions, and thus diminish the personnel of two formidable armies that weigh on the liberties and the fortunes of France: the army of the offices and that of the barracks. We can challenge them, consequently, not to proclaim liberty—if they do that, I will laugh—but to put that liberty into action, and lead them to be something other than […]
Contr'un

To the Point! To Action!! (3 of 4)

May 9, 2010 Shawn P. Wilbur
[Part 1] – [Part 2] XIII But there are people who are still far from accepting this reasoning. The theoreticians, our masters, find ideas preferable to fact. And this doctrine that they maintain provides them with a dividend which strongly encourages them to continue maintaining it. In their view, provided that tax payments continue and provided that the rain respects the words Republic and Liberty on the front of the public buildings, we are republicans and free. These people are very bright! As bright as that well-advised character in the Arab proverbs who, without touching the contents of a vase […]