Bydeclaringthistobe66absurd，"Mulbergerputshimselfoutsidetheproletarianmovementandintothecampofpetty-bourgeoissocialism。
Thehousingquestionhastheadvantagethatitisnotanexclusivelyworkingclassquestion，butaquestionwhich"intereststoaquiteoutstandingextent"thepettybourgeoisie，inthat，"theactualmiddleclasses"sufferfromit"justasmuchas，andperhapsevenmorethan，theproletariat。"
Ifanyonedeclaresthatthepettybourgeoisiesuffers，evenifinoneconnectiononly，"perhapsevenmorethantheproletariat，"thenhecanhardlycomplainwhenonecountshimamongthepetty-bourgeoissocialists。HasMulbergerthereforeanygroundsforcomplaintwhenIsay：
"Itiswithjustsuchsufferingsasthese，whichtheworkingclassenduresincommonwithotherclasses，andparticularlythepettybourgeoisie，thatpetty-bourgeoissocialism，towhichProudhonbelongs，preferstooccupyitself。AndthusitisnotatallaccidentalthatourGermanProudhonistoccupieshimselfchieflywiththehousingquestion，which，aswehaveseen，isbynomeansexclusivelyaworkingclassquestion。"Thereisan"absoluteinneridentity"betweentheinterestsof"theactualmiddleclassesofsociety"andtheinterestsoftheproletariat，anditisnottheproletariat，buttheseactualmiddleclasseswhowill"enjoyaboveall"the"blessings"ofthecomingtransformationofsociety。
Theworkers，therefore，aregoingtomakethecomingsocialrevolution"aboveall"intheinterestsofthepettybourgeoisie。Andfurther，thereisanabsoluteinneridentityoftheinterestsofthepettybourgeoisieandthoseoftheproletariat。Iftheinterestsofthepettybourgeoisiehaveaninneridentitywiththoseoftheworkers，thentheinterestsoftheworkershaveaninneridentitywiththoseofthepettybourgeoisie。
Thepetty-bourgeoisstandpointhasthusasmuchrighttoexistinthemovementastheproletarianstandpointhas，anditispreciselytheassertionofthisequalityofrightthatiscalledpetty-bourgeoissocialism。
Itis，thereforealsoperfectlylogicalwhen，onpage25ofthereprint，Mulbergerextols"smallenterprise"asthe"actualbuttressofsociety，"because"inaccordancewithitsownnature，itunitesthethreefactors：labor——acquisition——property，andbecauseintheunificationofthesethreefactorsitplacesnoboundstothecapacityfordevelopmentoftheindividual，"andwhenhereproachesmodernindustryinparticularwithdestroyingthisnurseryfortheproductionofnormalhumanbeingsand"makingoutofavigorousclasscontinuallyreproducingitself，ahelplessmassofhumanbeingswhodonotknowwhithertodirecttheiranxiousglances。"
ThepettybourgeoisisthusMulberger’smodelhumanbeingandsmall-scaleenterpriseisMulberger’smodelmodeofproduction。DidIdefamehimthereforewhenIputhimamongthepetty-bourgeoissocialists？
AsMulbergerrejectsallresponsibilityforProudhon，itwouldbesuperfluoustodiscusshereanyfurtherhowProudhon’sreformplansaimattransformingallmembersofsocietyintopettybourgeoisandsmallpeasants。Itwillbejustasunnecessarytodealherewiththeallegedidentityoftheinterestsofthepettybourgeoisieandtheworkers。WhatisnecessaryistobefoundalreadyinTheCommunistManifesto。（LeipzigEdition，1872，pp。12，21。）
Theresultofourexaminationisthereforethatsidebysidewiththe"mythofthepettybourgeoisProudhon"appearstherealityofthepettybourgeoisMulberger。
II
Wenowcometooneofthemainpoints。IaccusedMulberger’sarticlesoffalsifyingeconomicrelationshipsafterthemannerofProudhonbytranslatingthemintolegalterminology。Asanexampleofthis，IpickedoutthefollowingpassageofMulberger：
"Thehouse，onceithasbeenbuilt，servesasaperpetuallegaltitletoadefinitefractionofsociallaboralthoughtherealvalueofthehousehasalreadylongagobeenmorethanpaidoutintheformofrenttotheowner。Thusitcomesaboutthatahousethat，forinstance，wasbuiltfiftyyearsago，duringthisperiodcoverstheoriginalcosttwo，three，five，tenormoretimesoverinitsrentyield。"Mulbergernowcomplainsasfollows：
"Thissimple，soberstatementoffactcausesEngelstoenlightenmetotheeffectthatIshouldhaveexplainedhowthehousebecamea’legaltitle’——somethingwhichwasquiteoutsidethescopeofmytask……Adescriptionisonething，anexplanationanother。
WhenIsaywithProudhonthattheeconomiclifeofsocietyshouldbepervadedbyaconceptionofjustice，thenIamdescribingpresent-daysocietyasoneinwhich，itistrue，notallconceptionsofjusticeareabsent，butinwhichtheconceptionofjusticeoftherevolutionisabsent，afactwhichevenEngelswilladmit。"Letuskeepforthemomenttothehousewhichhasbeenbuilt。Thehouse，onceithasbeenlet，bringsinforitsbuildergroundrent，repairingcosts，andinterestonthebuildingcapitalinvested，aswellastheprofitmadethereonintheformofrent，and，accordingtothecircumstances，therentinstallmentscangraduallyamounttotwice，thrice，fivetimes，ortentimesasmuchastheoriginalcostpriceofthehouse。This，friendMulberger，isthe66simple，soberstatementoffact，"aneconomicfact，andifwewanttoknow"howithappens"thatitexists，thenwemustconductourexaminationontheeconomicfield。Letus，therefore，lookalittlecloseratthefactsothatnotevenachildmaymisunderstanditanylonger。
Asisknown，thesaleofacommodityconsistsinthefactthatitsownerrelinquishesitsusevalueandputsitsexchangevalueintohispocket。
Theusevaluesofcommoditiesdifferfromoneanotheramongotherthingsinthevaryingperiodsoftimerequiredfortheirconsumption。Aloafofbreadisconsumedinaday，apairoftrouserswillbewornoutinayear，andahouse，ifyoulike，inahundredyears。Hence，inthecaseofcommoditieswithalongperiodofwear，thepossibilityarisesofsellingtheirusevaluepiecemealandeachtimeforadefiniteperiod，thatistosay，toletitout。Thepiecemealsalethereforerealizestheexchangevalueonlygradually。Asacompensationforhisrenouncingtheimmediaterepaymentofthecapitaladvancedandtheprofitearnedonit，thesellerreceivesanincreasedprice，interest，whoserateisdeterminedbythelawsofpoliticaleconomyandnotbyanymeansinanarbitraryfashion。Attheendofthehundredyearsthehouseisusedup，wornoutandnolongerhabitable。Ifwethendeductfromthetotalrentpaidforthehousethefollowing：1。
Thegroundrenttogetherwithanyincreasethatmayhaveoccurredtoitduringtheperiodinquestion，and2。thesumsexpendedforcurrentrepairs，weshallfindthattheremainderiscomposedonanaverageasfollows：
1。thebuildingcapitaloriginallyinvestedinthehouse;2。theprofitonthis，and3。theinterestonthegraduallymaturingcapitalandontheprofit。Nowitistruethatattheendofthisperiodthetenanthasnohouse，butneitherhasthehouseowner。Thelatterhasonlythesite（providedthatitbelongstohim）andthebuildingmaterialonit，which，however，isnolongerahouse。Andalthoughinthemeantimethehousemayhavebroughtinasum"whichcoversfiveortentimestheoriginalcostprice，"weshallseethatthisissolelyduetoanincreaseofgroundrent。ThisprocessisasecrettonooneinsuchcitiesasLondonwherethelandownerandthehouseownerareusuallytwodifferentpersons。Suchtremendousrentincreasesoccurinrapidlygrowingtowns，butnotinavillage，wherethegroundrentforbuildingsitesremainspracticallyunchanged。Itisindeedanotoriousfactthat，apartfromincreasesinthegroundrent，rentsproduceonanaveragenomorethansevenpercentperannumontheinvestedcapital（includingprofit）forthehouseowner，andoutofthissum，repaircosts，etc。，mustbepaid。Inshort，therentagreementisquiteanordinarycommoditytransactionwhichis，theoreticallyspeaking，ofnogreaterandnolesserinteresttotheworkerthananyothercommoditytransaction，withtheexceptionofthatwhichconcernsthebuyingandsellingoflaborpower，and，practically，theworkercomesfacetofacewiththerentagreementasoneofthethousandformsofbourgeoischeatingwhichIdealtwithonpage4ofthereprint，buteventhen，asIprovedthere，itissubjecttoeconomicregulation。
Mulberger，ontheotherhand，regardstherentagreementasnothingbutpure"arbitrariness"（page19ofthereprint）andwhenIprovethecontrarytohimhecomplainsthatIamtellinghim"allsortsofthingswhichunfortunately"he"alreadyknew。"
Butwithalltheeconomicinvestigationsintohouserentwearenotabletoturntheabolitionoftherenteddwellinginto"oneofthemostfruitfulandmagnificenteffortswhichhaseversprungfromthewomboftherevolutionaryidea。"Inordertoaccomplishthiswemusttranslatethesimplefactfromsobereconomicsintothefarmoreideologicalsphereoflegaltalk。"Thehouseservesasaperpetuallegaltitle"tohouserent，and"thusitcomeabout"thatthevalueofahousecanbepaidbackinrenttwo，three，fiveortentimes。Inordertodiscoverhowitreallycomesabout，the"legaltitle"doesnothelpusintheleastandthereforeIsaidthatMulbergerwouldhavebeenabletofindouthowit"thuscomesabout"byfirstofallinquiringhowthehousebecomesalegaltitle。Wediscoverthisonlyafterwehaveexamined，asIdid，theeconomicnatureofhouserent，insteadofgettingangryatthelegalexpressionunderwhichtherulingclasssanctionsit。Whoeverproposesthetakingofeconomicstepstoabolishrentoughtsurely，firstofall，toknowmoreabouthouserentthanthatitis"thetributewhichthetenantmustpaytotheperpetualtitleofcapital。"ButtothisMulbergeranswers，"adescriptionisonething，anexplanationanother。"
Wehave，therefore，convertedthehouse，althoughitisbynomeanseverlasting，intoaperpetuallegaltitletohouserent。Wefindnomatterhow"itthuscomesabout，"thatbyvirtueofthislegaltitle，thehousebringsinitsoriginalvalueseveraltimesoverintheformofrent。Bythetranslationintolegalphraseologywearehappilysofarremovedfromeconomicsthatwecanseenomorethanthephenomenonthatahousecangraduallygetpaidforingrossrentseveraltimesover。Aswearethinkingandtalkinginlegalterms，weapplytothisphenomenonthemeasureofequalityandjustice，andwediscoverthatitisunjust，thatitisnotinaccordancewiththe"conceptionofjusticeoftherevolution，"whateverkindofathingthatmaybe，andthatthereforethelegaltitleisnogood。
Wefindfurtherthatthesameholdsgoodforinterest-bearingcapitalandleasedagriculturalland，andwenowhavetheexcuseforseparatingtheseclassesofpropertyfromtheothersandsubjectingthemtoexceptionaltreatment。Thisconsistsinthedemands：1。todeprivetheowneroftherighttogivenotice，therighttodemandthereturnofhisproperty;2。
togivethelessee，borrowerortenanttheusewithoutpaymentoftheobjecthandedovertohim，butnotbelongingtohim;and3。topayofftheownerininstallmentsoveralongperiodwithoutinterest。AndwiththiswehaveexhaustedtheProudhonist"principles"fromthisangle。ThisisProudhon’s"socialliquidation。"
Incidentally，itisobviousthatthiswholereformplanistobenefitalmostexclusivelythepettybourgeoisandthesmallpeasantsinthatitconsolidatesthemintheirpositionaspettybourgeoisandsmallpeasants。Herewecanobservethat"thepettybourgeois，Proudhon，"whoisamythicalfigureaccordingtoMulberger，suddenlytakesonaverytangiblehistoricalexistence。
Mulbergercontinues：
"WhenIsaywithProudhonthattheeconomiclifeofsocietyshouldbepervadedbyaconceptionofjustice，thenIamdescribingpresent-daysocietyasoneinwhich，itistrue，notallconceptionsofjusticeareabsent，butinwhichtheconceptionofjusticeoftheresolutionisabsent，afactwhichevenEngelswilladmit。"UnfortunatelyIamnotinapositiontodoMulbergerthisfavor。Mulbergerdemandsthatsocietyshouldbepervadedwithaconceptionofjustice，andcallsthatadescription。Ifacourtsendsabailifftomewithasummonsforthepaymentofadebt，then，accordingtoMulberger，itisdoingnomorethandescribingmeasamanwhodoesnotpayhisdebts！Adescriptionisonething，andapresumptuousdemandisanother。AndpreciselythereinliestheessentialdifferencebetweenGermanscientificsocialismandProudhon。
Wedescribe——anddespiteMulbergereveryrealdescriptionisatthesametimeanexplanation——economicrelationshipsastheyareandastheyaredeveloping，andweprovidetheproof，strictlyeconomically，thattheirdevelopmentisatthesametimethedevelopmentoftheelementsofasocialrevolution，thedevelopmentontheonehandofaclasswhoseconditionsoflifenecessarilydriveittosocialrevolution，theproletariat，andontheotherhandofproductiveforceswhich，havinggrownbeyondtheframeworkofcapitalistsociety，mustnecessarilyburstthatframework，andwhichatthesametimeofferthemeansforabolishingclassdifferencesonceandforallintheinterestsofsocialprogressitself。Proudhon，onthecontrary，demandsfrompresent-daysocietythatitshalltransformitselfnotaccordingtothelawsofitsowneconomicdevelopment，butaccordingtotheprescriptionsofjustice（the"conceptionofjustice"doesnotbelongtohim，buttoMulberger）。Whereweprove，Proudhon，andwithhimMulberger，preachesandlaments。
Whatkindofathing"theconceptionofjusticeoftherevolution"
is，Iamquiteunabletoguess。Proudhon，itistrue，makesasortofgoddessoutof"therevolution，"thebearerandexecutorofhis"justice"indoingwhichhethenfallsintothepeculiarerrorofmixingupthebourgeoisrevolutionof1739-94withthecomingproletarianrevolution。Hedoesthisinalmostallhisworksandparticularlysince1848;1shallquoteonlyoneasanexample，namely，the"Ideegeneraledelarevolution，"pages39and40ofthe1868edition。As，however，MulbergerrejectsallandeveryresponsibilityforProudhonIamnotallowedtoexplain"theconceptionofjusticeoftherevolution"fromProudhonandremainthereforeinEgyptiandarkness。Mulbergersaysfurther：
"ButneitherProudhonnorIappealtoan’eternaljustice’inordertherebytoexplaintheexistingunjustconditions，orevenexpect，asEngelsimputestome，theimprovementoftheseconditionsfromtheappealtothisjustice。"Mulbergerapparentlyreckonsonthefactthat，"inGermanyProudhonisasgoodasunknown。"InallhisworksProudhonmeasuresallsocial，legal，politicalandreligiouspropositionsbythemeasureof"justice，"andcondemnsorrecognizesthemaccordingtowhethertheyconformordonotconformtowhathecalls"justice。"Inthe"Contradictionseconomiques"thisjusticeisstillcalled"eternaljustice，""justice’eternelle。"Lateron，nothingmoreissaidabouteternity，buttheidearemainsinessence。Forinstance，in"DelaJusticedanslaRevolutionetdansl’Eglise，"1858edition，thefollowingpassageisthetextofthewholethree-volumesermon（Vol。1，page42）：
"Whatisthebasicprinciple，theorganic，regulating，sovereignprincipleofallsocieties，theprinciplewhichsubordinatesallotherstoitself，whichrules，protects，represses，punishes，andincaseofneedevensuppressesallrebelliouselements？Isitreligion，idealismorinterest？Inmyopinionthisprincipleisjustice。Whatisjustice？Itistheessenceofhumanityitself。
Whathasitbeensincethebeginningoftheworld？Nothing。Whatshoulditbe？Everything。"Justicewhichistheessenceofhumanityitself，whatisthatifitisnoteternaljustice？Justicewhichistheorganic，regulating，sovereignbasicprincipleofallsocieties，whichhasneverthelessbeennothinguptothepresent，butwhichoughttobeeverything——whatisthatifitisnotthestandardwithwhichtomeasureallhumanaffairs，ifitisnotthefinalarbitertobeappealedtoinallconflicts？AnddidIassertanythingelsethanthatProudhoncloakshiseconomicignoranceandhelplessnessbyjudgingalleconomicconditionsnotaccordingtoeconomiclaws，butaccordingtowhethertheyconformordonotconformtohisconceptionofthiseternaljustice？AndwhatisthedifferencebetweenMulbergerandProudhonwhenMulbergerdemandsthat"alltheseexchangesinthelifeofmodernsociety"shouldbe"pervadedbyaconceptionofjustice，thatistosay，iftheytookplacealwaysaccordingtothestrictdemandsofjustice？"
IsitthatIcan’tread，orthatMulbergercan’twrite？
Mulbergersaysfurther：
"ProudhonknowsaswellasMarxandEngelsthattheactualdrivingspiritinhumansocietyistheeconomicandnotthejuridicalrelations;healsoknowsthatthegivenconceptionsofjusticeofapeopleareonlytheexpression，theimpression，theproductoftheeconomic——andinparticulartheproductionrelations……Inaword，forProudhonjusticeisthehistoricallyevolvedeconomicproduct。"IfProudhonknowsallthis（IampreparedtolettheunclearexpressionsusedbyMulbergerpassandtakethegoodwillforthedeed），ifheknowsitall"aswellasMarxandEngels，"whatistherelefttoquarrelabout？
However，thesituationisinfactsomewhatdifferentwithregardtoProudhon’sscience。Theeconomicrelationsofagivensocietypresentthemselvesinthefirstplaceasinterests。Butinthepassagewhichhasjustbeenquotedfromhismainwork，Proudhonsaysinsomanywordsthatthe44regulating，organic，sovereignbasicprincipleofallsocieties，theprinciplewhichsubordinatesallotherstoitself"isnotinterest，butjustice。Andherepeatsthesamethinginallthedecisivepassagesofallhisworks，althoughthisdoesnotpreventMulbergerfromcontinuing：
"……theideaofeconomicjustice，asitwasdevelopedbyProudhonmostprofoundlyofallinLaGuerreetlaPaix，[WarandPeace-Ed。]completelycoincideswiththatbasicideaofLassallesoexcellentlyexpressedbyhiminhisforewordtotheSystemofAcquiredRights。"LaGuerreetlaPaixisperhapsthemostschoolboyishofallthemanlyschoolboyishworksofProudhonandIwouldnothaveexpectedittobeputforwardasaproofforProudhon’sallegedunderstandingoftheGermanmaterialistconceptionofhistorywhichexplainsallhistoricaleventsandideas，allpolitics，philosophyandreligionfromthematerial，economicconditionsoflifeofthehistoricalperiodinquestion。Thebookissolittlematerialistthatitcannotevenconstructitsconceptionofwarwithoutcallinginthehelpofthecreator："However，thecreatorwhochosethisformoflifeforushadhisaims。"（Vol。II，page100，1869edition。）OnwhathistoricalknowledgethebookisbasedcanbejudgedfromthefactthatitbelievesinthehistoricalexistenceoftheGoldenAge："Inthebeginningwhenthehumanracewasthinlyspreadovertheearth’ssurface，naturesupplieditsneedswithoutdifficulty。ItwastheGoldenAge，theageofpeaceandplenty。"（Ibid。，page102。）ItseconomicstandpointisthatofthecrassestMalthusianism。"Whenproductionisdoubled，thepopulationwillsoonbedoubledalso。"（Page105。）Inwhatdoesthematerialismofthisbookconsistthen？Inthatitdeclaresthecauseofwartohavebeenalwaysandstilltobe："pauperism"（forinstance，page143）。UncleBrasigwasjustsuchamaterialistwheninhis1848speechhelaunchedthegreattruthintotheworld，"thecauseofthegreatimpoverishmentisthegreatpauvrete。"
Lassalle’sSystemofAcquiredRightsiscaughtinthetrammelsnotonlyofthewholeillusionofthejurists，butalsointhatoftheOld-Hegelians。OnpageVII，Lassalledeclaresexpresslythatalso"ineconomicstheconceptionofacquiredrightisthedrivingforceofallfurtherdevelopment"
andheseekstoprovethat"justiceisareasonableorganismdevelopingoutofitself"（andnotthereforeoutofeconomicprerequisites）。（PageIX。）ForLassalleitisaquestionofevolvingjusticenotoutofeconomicrelations，butfrom"theconceptofwillitselfofwhichthephilosophyoflawisonlythedevelopmentandexposition。"（PageX。）Whatthereforeisthepointofbringinginthebookhere？TheonlydifferencebetweenProudhonandLassalleisthatthelatterwasreallyajuristandHegelian，whileinbothjurisprudenceandphilosophy，asinallothermatters，Proudhonwasmerelyadilettante。
IknowperfectlywellthatProudhon，whonotoriouslycontinuallycontradictshimself，occasionallymadeanutterancehereandtherewhichlookedasthoughheexplainedideasonthebasisoffacts，butsuchutterancesarewithoutanysignificanceasagainstthebasictendencyofhisthought，andwheretheydooccurtheyareextremelyconfusedandinherentlyillogical。
Atacertain，veryprimitivestageofthedevelopmentofsociety，theneedarisestoco-ordinateunderacommonregulationthedailyrecurringactsofproduction，distributionandexchangeofproducts，toseetoitthattheindividualsubordinateshimselftothecommonconditionsofproductionandexchange。Thisregulation，whichisatfirstcustom，soonbecomeslaw。
Withlaw，organsnecessarilyarisewhichareentrustedwithitsmaintenance——publicauthority，thestate。Withfurthersocialdevelopment，lawdevelopsintoamoreorlesscomprehensivelegalsystem。Themorecomplicatedthislegalsystembecomes，themoreitsterminologybecomesremovedfromthatinwhichtheusualeconomicconditionsofthelifeofsocietyareexpressed。
Itappearsasanindependentelementwhichderivesthejustificationforitsexistenceandthereasonforitsfurtherdevelopmentnotoutoftheexistingeconomicconditions，butoutofitsowninnerlogic，or，ifyoulike，outof"theconceptofwill。"Peopleforgetthederivationoftheirlegalsystemfromtheireconomicconditionsoflife，justastheyhaveforgottentheirownderivationfromtheanimalworld。Withthedevelopmentofthelegalsystemintoacomplicatedandcomprehensivewholethenecessityarisesforanewsocialdivisionoflabor;anorderofprofessionaljuristsdevelopsandwiththeselegalsciencecomesintobeing。Initsfurtherdevelopmentthissciencecomparesthelegalsystemsofvariouspeoplesandvarioustimes，notastheexpressionofthegiveneconomicrelationships，butassystemswhichfindtheirjustificationinthemselves。Thecomparisonassumessomethingcommontothemall，andthisthejuristsfindbysummingupthatwhichismoreorlesscommontoalltheselegalsystemsasnaturallaw。However，thestandardwhichistakentodeterminewhatisnaturallawandwhatisnot，ispreciselythemostabstractexpressionoflawitself，namely，justice。Fromthispointon，therefore，thedevelopmentoflawforthejurists，andforthosewhobelievethemuncritically，isnothingmorethanthestrivingtobringhumanconditions，sofarastheyareexpressedinlegalterms，intocloserandcloserconformitywiththeidealofjustice，eternaljustice。Andthisjusticeisneveranythingbuttheideologized，glorifiedexpressionoftheexistingeconomicrelations，attimesfromtheconservativeside，attimesfromtherevolutionaryside。ThejusticeoftheGreeksandRomansheldslaverytobejust。Thejusticeofthebourgeoisof1789demandedtheabolitionoffeudalismbecauseitwasunjust。ForthePrussianJunkereventhemiserableKreisordnung[legislationestablishingdistinctlocalauthorities-Ed。]isaviolationofeternaljustice。Theconceptionofeternaljusticethereforevariesnotonlyaccordingtotimeandplace，butalsoaccordingtopersons，anditbelongsamongthosethingsofwhichMulbergercorrectlysays，"everyoneunderstandssomethingdifferent。"
Whileineverydaylife，inviewofthesimplicityoftherelationswhichcomeintoquestion，expressionslikeright，wrong，justice，conceptionofjustice，canbeusedwithoutmisunderstandingeveninrelationtosocialmatters，theycreate，aswehaveseen，hopelessconfusioninanyscientificinvestigationofeconomicrelations，infact，muchthesameconfusionaswouldbecreateinmodernchemistryiftheterminologyofthephlogistontheoryweretoberetained。Theconfusionbecomesstillworseifone，likeProudhon，believesinthissocialphlogiston，"justice，"orifone，likeMulberger，declaresthatthephlogistontheorynolessthantheoxygentheoryisperfectlycorrect。
[Beforethediscoveryofoxygenthechemistsexplainedtheburningofsubstancesinatmosphericairbyassumingtheexistenceofaspecialigneoussubstance，phlogiston，whichescapedduringtheprocessofcombustion。
Sincetheyfoundthatsimplesubstancesoncombustionweighedmoreafterhavingbeenburnedthantheydidbefore，theydeclaredthatphlogistonhadanegativeweightsothatasubstancewithoutitsphlogistonweighedmorethanonewithit。Inthiswayallthemainpropertiesofoxygenweregraduallyascribedtophlogiston，butallinaninvertedform。Thediscoverythatcombustionconsistsinacombinationoftheburningsubstancewithanothersubstance，oxygen，andthepreparationofthisoxygendisposedoftheoriginalassumption。butonlyafterlongresistanceonthepartoftheolderchemists。——NotebyF。Engels。]
III
MulbergerfurthercomplainsthatIcalledhis"emphatic"utterance，"thatthereisnomoreterriblemockeryofthewholecultureofourlaudedcenturythanthefactthatinthebigcities90percentandmoreofthepopulationhavenoplacethattheycancalltheirown"——areactionaryjeremiad。Certainly，Idid。IfMulbergerhadconfinedhimself，ashepretends，todescribing"thehorrorsofthepresenttime"Ishouldcertainlynothavesaidoneillwordabout"himandhismodestwords。"Infacthowever，hedoessomethingquitedifferent;hedescribesthese"horrors"astheresultofthefactthattheworkers"havenoplacethattheycancalltheirown。"Whetheroneregrets"thehorrorsofthepresenttime"asaresultofthefactthattheworkersnolongerowntheirowndwellings，or，astheJunkersdo，asaresultofthefactthatfeudalismandtheguildshavebeenabolished，inbothcasesnothingmorecancomeofitthanareactionaryjeremiad，asongofsorrowatthecomingoftheinevitable，ofthehistoricallynecessary。ThereactionarycharacterofMulberger’sattitudeliespreciselyinthefactthathewishestore-establishindividualhouseownershipfortheworkers——amatterwhichhistoryhaslongagoputanendto——thathecanconceiveoftheemancipationoftheworkersinnootherwaythanbymakingeveryoneonceagaintheownerofhisownhouse。
Andfurther：
"Ideclaremostemphatically，therealstruggleistobewagedagainstthecapitalistmodeofproduction;onlybyitstransformationisanimprovementofhousingconditionstobehopedfor。Engelsseesnothingofallthis……Ipresupposethewholesolutionofthesocialquestioninordertobeabletoproceedtotheabolitionoftherenteddwelling。"Unfortunately，Istillseenothingofallthisevennow。Itissurelyimpossibleformetoknowwhatsomeone，whosenameIdidnotevenknow，presupposesinthesecretrecessesofhismind。AllIcandoistosticktotheprintedarticlesofMulberger。AndthereIfindeventoday（pages15and16ofthereprint）thatMulberger，inordertobeabletoproceedtotheabolitionoftherenteddwelling，presupposesnothingmorethantherenteddwellingitself。Onlyonpage17doeshetake"theproductivityofcapitalbythehorns，"andweshallcomebacktothislater。Eveninhisanswerheconfirmsthiswhenhesays："Itwasratheraquestionofshowinghowunderexistingconditionsacompletetransformationinthehousingquestioncanbeachieved。"
Underexistingconditions，andbythetransformation（itshouldbeabolition）
ofthecapitalistmodeofproduction，aresurelythingsdiametricallyopposed。
NowonderMulbergercomplainswhenIregardthephilanthropiceffortsofDollfusandothermanufacturerstoassisttheworkerstoobtainhousesoftheirownastheonlypossiblepracticalrealizationofhisProudhonistprojects。IfheweretorealizethatProudhon’splanforsocialsalvationisafantasyrestingcompletelyonthebasisofbourgeoissociety，thenhewouldnaturallynotbelieveinit。Ihaveneveratanytimecalledhisgoodwillintoquestion。ButwhythendoeshepraiseDr。ReschauerforproposingtotheViennaTownCouncilthatitshouldimitatetheprojectsofDollfus？
Mulbergerfurtherdeclares：
"Asfarastheantithesisbetweentownandcountryisparticularlyconcerned。itisutopiantowanttoabolishit。Thisantithesishasbecomeanatural，ormorecorrectly，ahistoricalone。Thequestionisnotoneofabolishingthisantithesis，butoffindingpoliticalandsocialformsinwhichitwouldbeharmless，indeedevenfruitful。Inthiswayitwouldbepossibletoexpectapeacefulsolution，agradualbalancingofinterests。"Sotheabolitionoftheantithesisbetweentownandcountryisutopian，becausethisantithesishasbecomeanatural，ormorecorrectly，ahistoricalone。Letusapplythissamelogictootherantithesesinmodernsocietyandseewherewearrivethen。Forinstance：
"Asfarastheantithesisbetweenthecapitalistsandthewageworkersisparticularlyconcerned，itisutopiantowanttoabolishit。Thisantithesishasbecomeanatural，ormorecorrectly，ahistoricalone。Thequestionisnotoneofabolishingthisantagonism，butoffindingpoliticalandsocialformsinwhichitwouldbeharmless，indeedevenfruitful。Inthiswayitwouldbepossibletoexpectapeacefulsolution，agradualbalancingofinterests。"AndwiththiswehaveonceagainarrivedatSchulze-Delitzsch。
Theabolitionoftheantithesisbetweentownandcountryisnomoreandnolessutopianthantheabolitionoftheantithesisbetweencapitalistsandwageworkers。Fromdaytodayitisbecomingmoreandmoreapracticaldemandofbothindustrialandagriculturalproduction。NoonehasdemandedthismoreenergeticallythenLiebiginhiswritingsonthechemistryofagriculture，inwhichhisfirstdemandhasalwaysbeenthatmanshallgivebacktothelandwhathetakesfromit，andinwhichheprovesthatonlytheexistenceofthetowns，andinparticularthebigtowns，preventsthis。
WhenoneobserveshowhereinLondonaloneagreaterquantityofmanurethanisproducedbythewholekingdomofSaxonyispouredawayeverydayintotheseawithanexpenditureofenormoussums，andwhenoneobserveswhatcolossalworksarenecessaryinordertopreventthismanurefrompoisoningthewholeofLondon，thentheutopianproposaltoabolishtheantithesisbetweentownandcountryisgivenapeculiarlypracticalbasis。
AndevencomparativelyinsignificantBerlinhasbeenwallowinginitsownfilthforatleastthirtyyears。
Ontheotherhand，itiscompletelyutopiantowant，likeProudhon，totransformpresent-daybourgeoissocietywhilemaintainingthepeasantassuch。Onlyasuniformadistributionaspossibleofthepopulationoverthewholecountry，onlyanintegralconnectionbetweenindustrialandagriculturalproductiontogetherwiththetherebynecessaryextensionofthemeansofcommunication-presupposingtheabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction-wouldbeabletosavetheruralpopulationfromtheisolationandstuporinwhichithasvegetatedalmostunchangedforthousandsofyears。Itisnotutopiantodeclarethattheemancipationofhumanityfromthechainswhichitshistoricpasthasforgedwillonlybecompletewhentheantithesisbetweentownandcountryhasbeenabolished;theutopiabeginswhenoneundertakes"fromexistingconditions"toprescribetheforminwhichthisoranyotheroftheantithesesofpresent-daysocietyistobesolved。AndthisiswhatMulbergerdoesbyadoptingtheProudhonistformulaforthesolutionofthehousingquestion。
MulbergerthencomplainsthatIhavemadehimtoacertainextentco-responsiblefor"themonstrousviewsofProudhononcapitalandinterest"
anddeclares：
"Ipresupposethealterationoftheproductionrelationsasanaccomplishedfact，andthetransitionallawregulatingtherateofinterestdoesnotrefertoproductionrelations，buttothesocialturnover，totheconditionsofcirculation……Thealterationofproductionrelations，or，astheGermanschoolsaysmoreaccurately，theabolitionofthecapitalistmodeofproduction。
certainlydoesnotresult，asEngelstriestomakemesay，fromatransitionallawabolishinginterest，butfromtheactualseizureofalltheinstrumentsoflabor，armtheseizureofindustryasawholebytheworkingpeople。Whetherinthistheworkingpeoplewillpayallegiance（！）moretotheideaofgradualredemptionorimmediateexpropriationisnotforeitherEngelsormyselftodecide。"Irubmyeyesinastonishment。IhavereadMulberger’sarticlethroughonceagainfrombeginningtoendinordertofindthepassagewherehepresupposesasanaccomplishedfact，"theactualseizureofalltheinstrumentsoflabor……theseizureofindustryasawholebytheworkingpeople，"
asaprerequisiteforredemptionoftherenteddwelling，butIhavebeenunabletofindit。Itdoesnotexist。Thereisnowherementionof"actualseizure，"etc。，butthereisthefollowing：
"Letusnowassumethattheproductivityofcapitalisreallytakenbythehorns，asitmustbesoonerorlater，forinstancebyatransitionallawwhichfixestheinterestonallcapitalsatonepercent，butmarkyou，withthetendencytomakeeventhisrateofinterestapproximatemoreandmoretothezeropoint……Likeallotherproducts，housesanddwellingsarenaturallyalsoincludedwithintheframeworkofthislaw……Wesee，therefore，thatfromthisangletheredemptionoftherenteddwellingisanecessaryconsequenceoftheabolitionoftheproductivityofcapitalingeneral。"Thus，itissaidhereinplainwords，quitecontrarytoMulberger’slatestabout-face，thattheproductivityofcapital，。bywhichconfusedphraseheadmittedlymeansthecapitalistmodeofproduction，isreally"takenbythehorns"bythelawabolishinginterest，andthatpreciselyasaresultofthislaw，"theredemptionoftherenteddwellingisanecessaryconsequenceoftheabolitionoftheproductivityofcapitalingeneral。"Notatall，saysMulbergernow。Thattransitionallaw"doesnotrefertoproductionrelations，buttotheconditionsofcirculation。"Inviewofthiscrasscontradiction，asGoethewouldsay，"equallymysteriousforwisemenasforfools，"allthatisleftformeistoassumethatIhavetodowithtwoseparateanddistinctMulbergers，oneofwhomcomplainswithjustificationthatIhave"triedtomakehimsay"whattheotheronecausedtobeprinted。
ItiscertainlytruethattheworkingpeoplewillaskneithermenorMulbergerwhetherintheactualseizureitwill"payallegiancemoretotheideaofgradualredemptionorimmediateexpropriation。"Inallprobabilityitwillprefernotto"payallegiance"atall。However，therewasneveranyquestionoftheactualseizureofalltheinstrumentsoflaborbytheworkingpeople，butonlyofMulberger’sassertion（page17）that"thewholecontentofthesolutionofthehousingquestionisgivenintheexpression：gradualredemption。"Andifbenowdeclaresthisgradualredemptiontobeextremelydoubtful，whatwasthereasonforgivingourselvesandourreadersalltheunnecessarytrouble？
Fortherest，itmustbepointedoutthatthe"actualseizure"
ofalltheinstrumentsoflabor，theseizureofindustryasawholebytheworkingpeople，istheexactcontraryoftheProudhonisttheoryof"gradualredemption。"Underthelattertheindividualworkerbecomestheownerofthedwelling，thepeasantfarm，theinstrumentsoflabor;undertheformerthe"workingpeople"remainthecollectiveownersofthehouses，factoriesandinstrumentsoflaborandwouldhardlypermittheiruse，atleastinatransitionalperiod，byindividualsorassociationswithoutcompensationforthecost。Justastheabolitionofpropertyinlandisnottheabolitionofgroundrent，butitstransfer，althoughin-amodifiedform，tosociety。Theactualseizureofalltheinstrumentsoflaborbytheworkingpeoplethereforedoesnotatallexcludetheretentionoftherentrelations。
Ingeneral，thequestionisnotwhethertheproletariatwhenitcomestopowerwillsimplyseizebyforcethetoolsofproduction，therawmaterialsandmeansofsubsistence，whetheritwillpayimmediatecompensationforthem，orwhetheritwillredeempropertythereinbyinstallmentsspreadoveralongperiod。Toattempttoanswersuchaquestioninadvanceandforallcaseswouldbeutopia-making，andIleavethattoothers。
IV
IthasbeennecessarytowriteverymuchinordertoworkourwayfinallythroughMulberger’sevasionsandtwistingstotherealpointatissue，apointwhichMulbergercarefullyavoidstouchingoninhisanswer。
WhatwereMulberger’spositivestatementsinhisarticles？
Firstly：that"thedifferencebetweentheoriginalcostpriceofahouse，buildingsite，etc。，anditspresentvalue"belongsbyrighttosociety。Inthelanguageofeconomics，thisdifferenceiscalledgroundrentProudhonalsowantstoappropriatethisforsociety，asonemayreadinhis"IdeegeneraledelaRevolution，，"page219ofthe1868edition。
Secondly：thatthesolutionofthehousingquestionconsistsineveryonebeingtheownerinsteadofthetenantofhisdwelling。
Thirdly：thatthissolutiontakesplacebythepassingofalawturningrentpaymentsintoinstallmentpaymentsonthepurchasepriceofthedwelling。Thesepoints2and3arebothtakenfromProudhonasanyonecanseeinthe"IdeegeneraledelaRevolution，"page199etseq。，whereonpage203aprojectofthelawinquestionistobefoundalreadydrafted。
Fourthly：thattheproductivityofcapitalistakenbythehornsbyatransitionallawreducingtherateofinteresttemporarilytoonepercent，subjecttoreducingitstillfurtherlateron。ThispointhasalsobeentakenfromProudhonandcanbereadindetailonpages182to186oftheIdeegeneraledelaRevolution。
WithregardtoeachofthesepointsIhavecitedthepassageofProudhonwheretheoriginaloftheMulbergercopyistobefound，andI
asknowwhetherIwasjustifiedincallingtheauthorofaseriesofarticlescontainingcompletelyProudhonistandnothingbutProudhonistviews，aProudhonistornot？NeverthelessMulbergercomplainsaboutnothingmorebitterlythanthatIcallhimaProudhonistbecauseI"cameuponafewexpressionssuchasarepeculiartoProudhon！"Quitethecontrary。TheexpressionsallbelongtoMulberger，theircontentbelongstoProudhon。
AndwhenIthensupplementtheProudhonistarticlesfromProudhonhimself，MulbergercomplainsthatIamascribingtohim"themonstrousideas"’ofProudhon！
WhatdidIreplytothisProudhonistplan？
Firstly：thatthetransferofgroundrenttothestateisidenticalwiththeabolitionofindividualpropertyinland。
Secondly：thatthegradualredemptionoftherenteddwellingandthetransferofpropertyinthedwellingtothetenantsdoesnotatallaffectthecapitalistmodeofproduction。
Thirdly：thatwiththepresentdevelopmentoflarge-scaleindustryandtowns，thisproposalisasabsurdasitisreactionary，andthatthereintroductionofownershipofhisdwellingbyeachindividualwouldbeastepbackward。
Fourthly：thatthecompulsoryreductionoftherateofinterestoncapitalwouldbynomeansattackthecapitalistModeofproduction，andthat，onthecontrary，astheusurylawsprove，theideaisasoldasitisimpossible。
Fifthly：thattheabolitionofinterestoncapitalbynomeansabolishesthepaymentofrentforhouses。
Mulbergerhasnowadmittedpoints2and4。Totheotherpointshemakesnoreplywhatever。Nevertheless，thesearejustthepointsaroundwhichthewholedebatecentered。Mulberger’sanswer，however，isnotarefutation;itcarefullyavoidsdealingwithalleconomicpoints，whichare，ofcourse，thedecisiveones。Itisapersonalcomplaint，nothingmore。Forinstance，hecomplainswhenIanticipatehispromisedsolutionofotherquestions，forinstance，statedebts，privatedebtsandcredit，andsaythatthesolutionwouldbethesameineachcaseashissolutionofthehousingquestion，namely，theabolitionofinterest，thetransformationofinterestpaymentsintoinstallmentsforpayingoffthecapitalsum，andfreecredit。Nevertheless，IamstillreadytobetthatifthesearticlesofMulbergereverseethelightofday，theiressentialcontentwillcoincidewithProudhon’sIdeegeneraledelaRevolution：credit，page182;statedebts，page186;privatedebts，page196;justashisarticlesonthehousingquestioncoincidedwiththepassagesIhavequotedfromthesamebook。
Mulbergertakesthisopportunityofinformingmethatquestionssuchastaxation，statedebts，privatedebtsandcredit，towhichisnowaddedthequestionofmunicipalautonomy，areofthegreatestimportancetothepeasantandforpropagandainthecountryside。ToagreatextentIagree，but，1。uptothemomenttherehasbeennomentionofthepeasant，and2。Proudhon’s61solutions"ofallthesequestionsarejustasabsurdeconomicallyandjustasessentiallybourgeoisashissolutionofthehousingquestion。IneedhardlydefendmyselfagainstMulberger’ssuggestionthatIfailtoappreciatethenecessityofdrawingthepeasantsintothemovement。
However，IcertainlyconsideritfollytorecommendtothemforthispurposetheProudhonianquackery。Thereisstillverymuchlarge-scalelandedpropertyinGermany。AccordingtoProudhon’stheoryallthisoughttobedividedupintowallpeasantfarms，which，inthepresentstateofagricultureandaftertheexperienceofsmalllandownershipinFranceandinWesternGermany，wouldbepositivelyreactionary。Thelarge-scalelandedestateswhichstillexistwillratheraffordusawelcomeopportunityofconductingagricultureonalargescale——theonlywaywhichcanutilizemodernequipmentmachinery，etc。——byassociatedworkers，andthusdemonstratingtothesmallpeasantstheadvantagesoflarge-scaleenterprisebymeansofassociations。
TheDanishsocialists，whointhisrespectareaheadofallothers，haverealizedthislongago。
ItisequallyunnecessaryformetodefendmyselfagainstthesuggestionthatIregardtheexistinginfamoushousingconditionsas"aninsignificantdetail。"AsfarasIknow，IwasthefirsttodescribeinGermantheseconditionsintheirclassicalformastheyexistinEngland。
Ididnotdothat，asMulbergersuggests，becausethey"violatedmysenseofjustice"——whoeverinsistedonwritingbooksaboutallthefactswhichviolatedhissenseofjusticewouldhavealottodo——butascanbereadintheintroductiontomybook，bydescribingthesocialconditionscreatedbymodernlarge-scaleindustry，toprovideanactualbasisforGermansocialism，whichwasthenarisingandwasexpendingitselfinemptyphrases。However，itdoesnot-occurtometotrytosolvetheso-calledhousingquestionanymorethanIoccupymyselfwith-thedetailsofthestillmoreimportantfoodquestion。IamsatisfiedifIcanprovethattheproductionofourmodernsocietyissufficienttoprovideallitsmemberswithenoughtoeat，andthattherearehousesenoughinexistencetoprovidetheworkingmassesforthetimebeingwithroomyandhealthylivingaccommodation。
Tospeculateastohowafuturesocietywouldorganizethedistributionoffoodanddwellingsleadsdirectlytoutopia。Theutmostwecandoistonote，fromanunderstandingofthebasicconditionsofallmodesofproductionuptonow，thatwiththedownfallofthecapitalistmodeofproductioncertainformsofappropriationbysocietyhithertowillbecomeimpossible。Eventhetransitionalmeasureswilleverywherehavetobeinaccordancewiththeconditionsinexistenceatthemoment;incountriesofsmall-scalelandownershipquitedifferentfromthoseincountrieswherelarge-scalelandownershipprevails，etc。Mulbergerhimselfshowsusbetterthananyoneelsewhereonearrivesatifoneattemptstofindisolatedsolutionsforso-calledpracticalquestions，suchasthehousingquestion，whenlietakes28pagestoexplaintousthat，"thewholecontentofthesolutionofthehousingquestionisgivenintheexpression：gradualredemption，"
butwho，whenonepresseshimhard，beginstostammerinembarrassmentthatitisreallyverydoubtfulwhether，whenitcomestoaquestionoftheactualseizureofthehouses，"theworkingpeoplewillpayallegiancemoretotheideaofgradualredemption"ortosomeotherformofexpropriation。
Mulbergerdemandsthatweshouldbecomepractical，thatweshouldnot"comeforwardmerelywithdeadandabstractformulas"when"facedwithrealpracticalconditions，"thatweshould，"proceedbeyondabstractsocialismandcomeclosetothedefiniteconcreteconditionsofsociety。"IfMulbergerhadclonethishimselfhemightperhapshaverenderedgreatservicetothemovement。Thefirststepincomingclosetothedefiniteandconcreteconditionsofsocietyissurelythatoneshouldlearnwhattheyare，thatoneshouldexaminethemaccordingtotheirexistingeconomicinterrelations。
ButwhatdowefindinMulberger’sarticles？Twowholesentences，namely：
1。"Asthewageworkerinrelationtothecapitalist，soisthetenantinrelationtothehouseowner。"Ihavealready，provedonpagesixofthereprintthatthisistotallyfalse，andMulbergerhasnotawordtosayinreply。
2。"However，thebullwhich（inanysocialreform）mustbetakenbythehornsistheproductivityofcapital，astheliberalschoolofpoliticaleconomycallsit，athingwhichinrealitydoesnotexist，butwhichinitsapparentexistenceservesasacloakforalltheinequalitywhichburdenspresent-daysociety。"Thus，thebullwhichhastobetakenbythehorns"inrealitydoesnotexist，"andthereforealsohasno"horns。"Notthebullitselfisthe;evil，but，its"apparentexistence。"Despitethis，"theso-calledproductivity"（ofcapital）"isabletoconjureuphousesfindtowns"whoseexistenceisanythingbut"apparent。"Andamanwho，althoughMarx’sCapital"isfamiliaralsotohim，"jabbersinthishopelesslyconfusedfashionabouttherelationofcapitalandlabour，takesonthetaskofshowingtheGermanworkersanewandbetterpath，andpresentshimselfasthe"masterbuilder"whois"clearaboutthearchitecturalstructureofthefuturesocietyatleastinitsmainoutlines"！
Noonehascomecloser"tothedefiniteandconcreteconditionsofsociety"thanMarxinCapital。Hespenttwenty-fiveyearsininvestigatingthemfromallangles，andtheresultsofhiscriticismcontainthroughoutthekernelsofso-calledsolutions，inasfarastheyarepossibleatalltoday。ButthatisnotenoughforfriendMulberger。Thatisallabstractsocialism，deadandabstractformulas。Insteadofstudying"thedefiniteandconcreteconditionsofsociety"forhimself，friendMulbergercontentshimselfwithreadingthroughafewvolumesofProudhonwhich，althoughtheyofferhimnexttonothingconcerningthedefiniteconcreteconditionsofsociety，doofferhimverydefiniteandconcretemiraculousremediesforallsocialevils。Hethenpresentsthisready-madeplanforsocialsalvation，thisProudhoniansystem，totheGermanworkersunderthepretextthathewantstosaygood-byetothesystems，"whileI"choosetheoppositepath。"InordertograspthisImustassumethatIamblindandMulbergerdeafsothatanyunderstandingbetweenusisutterlyimpossible。
Butenough。Ifthispolemicservesfornothingelseithasthevalueinanycaseofhavingprovidedproofofhowimpracticaltheseso-called"practical"socialistsreallyare。Thesepracticalproposalsfortheabolitionofallsocialevils，theseuniversalsocialpanaceas，havealwaysandeverywherebeentheworkofsectarianswhoappearedatatimewhentheproletarianmovementwasstillinitsinfancy。Proudhonalsobelongsamongthem。Thedevelopmentoftheproletariatsooncastsasidetheseswaddling-clothesandproducesintheworkingclassitselftheunderstandingthatnothingislesspracticalthanthese"practicalsolutions，"concoctedinadvanceanduniversallyapplicable，andthatpracticalsocialismconsistsratherinacorrectknowledgeofthecapitalistmodeofproductionfromallitsvarioussides。Aworkingclasswhichissecureinthisknowledgewillneverbeindoubtinanygivencaseagainstwhichsocialinstitutions，andinwhatmanner，itsmainattacksshouldbedirected。