PROPOSEDROADSTOFREEDOM1PROPOSEDROADSTOFREEDOMBYBERTRANDRUSSELL,F.R.S.PROPOSEDROADSTOFREEDOM2INTRODUCTIONTHEattempttoconceiveimaginativelyabetterorderingofhumansocietythanthedestructiveandcruelchaosinwhichmankindhashithertoexistedisbynomeansmodern:itisatleastasoldasPlato,whose``Republic''setthemodelfortheUtopiasofsubsequentphilosophers.Whoevercontemplatestheworldinthelightofanideal--whetherwhatheseeksbeintellect,orart,orlove,orsimplehappiness,oralltogether--mustfeelagreatsorrowintheevilsthatmenneedlesslyallowtocontinue,and--ifhebeamanofforceandvitalenergy--anurgentdesiretoleadmentotherealizationofthegoodwhichinspireshiscreativevision.ItisthisdesirewhichhasbeentheprimaryforcemovingthepioneersofSocialismandAnarchism,asitmovedtheinventorsofidealcommonwealthsinthepast.Inthisthereisnothingnew.WhatisnewinSocialismandAnarchism,isthatcloserelationoftheidealtothepresentsufferingsofmen,whichhasenabledpowerfulpoliticalmovementstogrowoutofthehopesofsolitarythinkers.ItisthisthatmakesSocialismandAnarchismimportant,anditisthisthatmakesthemdangeroustothosewhobatten,consciouslyorunconsciouslyupontheevilsofourpresentorderofsociety.Thegreatmajorityofmenandwomen,inordinarytimes,passthroughlifewithoutevercontemplatingorcriticising,asawhole,eithertheirownconditionsorthoseoftheworldatlarge.Theyfindthemselvesbornintoacertainplaceinsociety,andtheyacceptwhateachdaybringsforth,withoutanyeffortofthoughtbeyondwhattheimmediatepresentrequires.Almostasinstinctivelyasthebeastsofthefield,theyseekthesatisfactionoftheneedsofthemoment,withoutmuchforethought,andwithoutconsideringthatbysufficienteffortthewholeconditionsoftheirlivescouldbechanged.Acertainpercentage,guidedbypersonalambition,maketheeffortofthoughtandwillwhichisnecessarytoplacethemselvesamongthemorefortunatemembersofthecommunity;butveryfewamongtheseareseriouslyconcernedtosecureforalltheadvantageswhichtheyseekforthemselves.ItisonlyafewrareandexceptionalmenwhohavethatkindoflovetowardmankindatlargethatmakesthemPROPOSEDROADSTOFREEDOM3unabletoendurepatientlythegeneralmassofevilandsuffering,regardlessofanyrelationitmayhavetotheirownlives.Thesefew,drivenbysympatheticpain,willseek,firstinthoughtandtheninaction,forsomewayofescape,somenewsystemofsocietybywhichlifemaybecomericher,morefullofjoyandlessfullofpreventableevilsthanitisatpresent.Butinthepastsuchmenhave,asarule,failedtointeresttheveryvictimsoftheinjusticeswhichtheywishedtoremedy.Themoreunfortunatesectionsofthepopulationhavebeenignorant,apatheticfromexcessoftoilandweariness,timorousthroughtheimminentdangerofimmediatepunishmentbytheholdersofpower,andmorallyunreliableowingtothelossofself-respectresultingfromtheirdegradation.Tocreateamongsuchclassesanyconscious,deliberateeffortaftergeneralameliorationmighthaveseemedahopelesstask,andindeedinthepastithasgenerallyprovedso.Butthemodernworld,bytheincreaseofeducationandtheriseinthestandardofcomfortamongwage-earners,hasproducednewconditions,morefavorablethaneverbeforetothedemandforradicalreconstruction.ItisabovealltheSocialists,andinalesserdegreetheAnarchists(chieflyastheinspirersofSyndicalism),whohavebecometheexponentsofthisdemand.WhatisperhapsmostremarkableinregardtobothSocialismandAnarchismistheassociationofawidespreadpopularmovementwithidealsforabetterworld.Theidealshavebeenelaborated,inthefirstinstance,bysolitarywritersofbooks,andyetpowerfulsectionsofthewage-earningclasseshaveacceptedthemastheirguideinthepracticalaffairsoftheworld.InregardtoSocialismthisisevident;butinregardtoAnarchismitisonlytruewithsomequalification.Anarchismassuchhasneverbeenawidespreadcreed,itisonlyinthemodifiedformofSyndicalismthatithasachievedpopularity.UnlikeSocialismandAnarchism,Syndicalismisprimarilytheoutcome,notofanidea,butofanorganization:thefactofTradeUnionorganizationcamefirst,andtheideasofSyndicalismarethosewhichseemedappropriatetothisorganizationintheopinionofthemoreadvancedFrenchTradeUnions.Buttheideasare,inthemain,derivedfromAnarchism,andthemenwhogainedacceptanceforthemwere,forthemostpart,Anarchists.ThuswePROPOSEDROADSTOFREEDOM4mayregardSyndicalismastheAnarchismofthemarket-placeasopposedtotheAnarchismofisolatedindividualswhichhadpreservedaprecariouslifethroughoutthepreviousdecades.Takingthisview,wefindinAnarchist-SyndicalismthesamecombinationofidealandorganizationaswefindinSocialistpoliticalparties.Itisfromthisstandpointthatourstudyofthesemovementswillbeundertaken.SocialismandAnarchism,intheirmodernform,springrespectivelyfromtwoprotagonists,MarxandBakunin,whofoughtalifelongbattle,culminatinginasplitinthefirstInternational.Weshallbeginourstudywiththesetwomen--firsttheirteaching,andthentheorganizationswhichtheyfoundedorinspired.ThiswillleadustothespreadofSocialisminmorerecentyears,andthencetotheSyndicalistrevoltagainstSocialistemphasisontheStateandpoliticalaction,andtocertainmovementsoutsideFrancewhichhavesomeaffinitywithSyndicalism--notablytheI.W.W.inAmericaandGuildSocialisminEngland.Fromthishistoricalsurveyweshallpasstotheconsiderationofsomeofthemorepressingproblemsofthefuture,andshalltrytodecideinwhatrespe