Samuel McChord Crothers - Ralph Waldo Emerson, How to Know Him, 1921

Page 180

EMERSON

164 to our will,

it

stands thus

:

there will always be a

government of force where men are

when they are pure enough force, they will be wise

selfish;

and

to abjure the code of

enough

to see

how

the

public ends of the post-office, of the highway, of

commerce, and the exchange of property, of mu seums, libraries, institutions of art and science can be

answered."

Emerson would agree with

the philosophical

anarchist in saying that a society

possible in

is

which men and women can regulate

their affairs

without the consciousness of any coercive govern

mental force.

He would

But when

to strive after such a free society.

came

to the practical question as to

this ideal, they

archist

would

how

would part company.

say,

"Let

we ought

agree also that

to attain

The an

us abolish government,

and then we

shall

each one of

whom will be a law unto himself."

have a community of individuals

Emerson would

You

it

say,

"I

can not follow you.

put the cart before the horse.

You have


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