Knjiga Urantije
DIO III. Povijest Urantije
POGLAVLJE 69 : PRIMITIVNE LJUDSKE INSTITUCIJE
Paper 69
Primitive Human Institutions
Primitive Human Institutions
Sections
69:0.2 (772.2)
When human beings long maintain social groups, such aggregations always result in the creation of certain activity trends which culminate in institutionalization. Most of man’s institutions have proved to be laborsaving while at the same time contributing something to the enhancement of group security.
Civilizirani čovjek pridaje veliku važnost karakteru, stabilnosti i kontinuitetu svojih utemeljenih ustanova, ali sve su ljudske ustanove tek nagomilani običaji prošlosti, očuvani tabuima i uzdignuti religijom. Takva nasljeđa postaju predaje, a predaje se na koncu preobražavaju u društvene konvencije.
69:0.3 (772.3)
Civilized man takes great pride in the character, stability, and continuity of his established institutions, but all human institutions are merely the accumulated mores of the past as they have been conserved by taboos and dignified by religion. Such legacies become traditions, and traditions ultimately metamorphose into conventions.
Sve ljudske institucije zadovoljavaju neke društvene potrebe, prošle ili sadašnje, bez obzira na to što njihovo pretjerano razvijanje neminovno umanjuje vrijednost pojedinca zasjenjujući njegovu ličnost i slabeći inicijativu. Čovjek treba upravljati svojim institucijama, a ne dopustiti da njime dominiraju ove tvorevine napredujuće civilizacije.
69:1.1 (772.4)
All human institutions minister to some social need, past or present, notwithstanding that their overdevelopment unfailingly detracts from the worth-whileness of the individual in that personality is overshadowed and initiative is diminished. Man should control his institutions rather than permit himself to be dominated by these creations of advancing civilization.
1. Institucije osobnog samoodržanja. Ove institucije izrastaju iz običaja vezanih uz potrebu za hranom i pratećih nagona samoodržanja. One uključuju industriju, imovinu, ratovanje radi stjecanja dobiti i sve regulativne mehanizme društva. Prije ili kasnije nagon straha potiče osnivanje tih institucija opstanka putem tabua, konvencija i religijskih sankcija. No strah, neznanje i praznovjerje odigrali su istaknutu ulogu u ranom porijeklu i kasnijem razvoju svih ljudskih institucija.
69:1.3 (772.6)
1. The institutions of self-maintenance. These institutions embrace those practices growing out of food hunger and its associated instincts of self-preservation. They include industry, property, war for gain, and all the regulative machinery of society. Sooner or later the fear instinct fosters the establishment of these institutions of survival by means of taboo, convention, and religious sanction. But fear, ignorance, and superstition have played a prominent part in the early origin and subsequent development of all human institutions.
2. Institucije održanja vrste. To su ustanove društva koje izrastaju iz spolne potrebe, majčinskog instinkta i uzvišenijih nježnih emocija ljudskog roda. One obuhvaćaju društvene mehanizme zaštite doma i škole, obiteljskog života, obrazovanja, etike i religije. Uključuju bračne običaje, te ratovanje u cilju obrane i izgradnju doma.
69:1.4 (772.7)
2. The institutions of self-perpetuation. These are the establishments of society growing out of sex hunger, maternal instinct, and the higher tender emotions of the races. They embrace the social safeguards of the home and the school, of family life, education, ethics, and religion. They include marriage customs, war for defense, and home building.
3. Institucije osobnog udovoljavanja. Te prakse rastu iz sklonosti prema taštini i emocija ponosa; one obuhvaćaju običaje odijevanja i osobnog dotjerivanja, društvene konvencije, ratovanja u cilju slave, plesa, zabave, igara i drugih oblika osjetilnog ugađanja. No civilizacija nikada nije evoluirala institucije koje bi služile isključivo samougađanju.
69:1.5 (772.8)
3. The institutions of self-gratification. These are the practices growing out of vanity proclivities and pride emotions; and they embrace customs in dress and personal adornment, social usages, war for glory, dancing, amusement, games, and other phases of sensual gratification. But civilization has never evolved distinctive institutions of self-gratification.
Prije osvita štedljivosti i pojave primitivne industrije prosječna su plemena bila osuđena na oskudicu i stvarnu patnju. Rani čovjek morao se natjecati s cijelim životinjskim svijetom za svoju hranu. Borba za opstanak nepogrešivo vuče čovjeka prema razini zvijeri; siromaštvo je njegovo prirodno i tiransko stanje. Bogatstvo nije prirodni dar; ono proizlazi iz rada, znanja i organizacije.
69:2.2 (773.3)
Before the dawn of early frugality and primitive industry the lot of the average tribe was one of destitution and real suffering. Early man had to compete with the whole animal world for his food. Competition-gravity ever pulls man down toward the beast level; poverty is his natural and tyrannical estate. Wealth is not a natural gift; it results from labor, knowledge, and organization.
Primitivnom čovjeku nije dugo trebalo da prepozna prednosti udruživanja. Udruživanje je dovelo do organizacije, a prvi rezultat organizacije bila je podjela rada, s neposrednom uštedom vremena i materijala. Ova specijalizacija rada nastala je prilagodbom pritisku — biranjem staze najmanjeg otpora. Primitivni divljaci nikada se nisu dragovoljno ni s radošću prihvaćali teškog rada. Primitivni divljaci nikada se nisu dragovoljno ni rado prihvaćali teškog rada. U njihovu je slučaju poslušnost proizlazila iz prisile i nužde.
69:2.3 (773.4)
Primitive man was not slow to recognize the advantages of association. Association led to organization, and the first result of organization was division of labor, with its immediate saving of time and materials. These specializations of labor arose by adaptation to pressure—pursuing the paths of lessened resistance. Primitive savages never did any real work cheerfully or willingly. With them conformity was due to the coercion of necessity.
Primitivni čovjek nije volio teški rad i nije žurio osim kada bi bio suočen sa smrtnom opasnošću. Vrijeme kao čimbenik rada, ideja da određeni posao mora biti dovršen u određenom roku, posve je moderan pojam. Drevni ljudi nikada nisu žurili. Dvostruki zahtjevi intenzivne borbe za opstanak i sve višeg životnog standarda postupno su usmjerili prirodno neaktivne rase ranog čovjeka prema razvoju industrije.
69:2.4 (773.5)
Primitive man disliked hard work, and he would not hurry unless confronted by grave danger. The time element in labor, the idea of doing a given task within a certain time limit, is entirely a modern notion. The ancients were never rushed. It was the double demands of the intense struggle for existence and of the ever-advancing standards of living that drove the naturally inactive races of early man into avenues of industry.
Rad, trud uložen u ostvarenje planova, ono je po čemu se čovjek razlikuje od zvijeri, čiji su napori uglavnom instinktivni. Potreba za radom čovjekov je najveći blagoslov. Pripadnici Prinčevog osoblja bili su marljivi radnici; ulagali su velike napore kako bi oplemenili fizički rad na Urantiji. Adam je bio vrtlar; Bog Hebreja radio je — bio je stvoritelj i održavatelj svega. Hebreji su bili prvo pleme koje je visoko cijenilo marljivost; bili su prvi narod koji je proglasio da „tko ne radi, neka ne jede.” Ali mnoge religije svijeta ponovno su se vratile ranom idealu besposlice. Jupiter je bio bonvivan, a Buda je postao kontemplativni poklonik dokolice.
69:2.5 (773.6)
Labor, the efforts of design, distinguishes man from the beast, whose exertions are largely instinctive. The necessity for labor is man’s paramount blessing. The Prince’s staff all worked; they did much to ennoble physical labor on Urantia. Adam was a gardener; the God of the Hebrews labored—he was the creator and upholder of all things. The Hebrews were the first tribe to put a supreme premium on industry; they were the first people to decree that “he who does not work shall not eat.” But many of the religions of the world reverted to the early ideal of idleness. Jupiter was a reveler, and Buddha became a reflective devotee of leisure.
Prva čovjekova predviđanja bila su usmjerena na očuvanje vatre, vode i hrane. No primitivni čovjek bio je rođeni kockar; uvijek je želio dobiti nešto ni za što, a vrlo često su tijekom tih ranih vremena plodovi strpljivog rada bili pripisivani čaroliji. Magija dugo nije dopuštala čovjeku da se osloni na planiranje, samoodricanje i marljivost.
69:2.7 (773.8)
The first human foresight was directed toward the preservation of fire, water, and food. But primitive man was a natural-born gambler; he always wanted to get something for nothing, and all too often during these early times the success which accrued from patient practice was attributed to charms. Magic was slow to give way before foresight, self-denial, and industry.
Kroz sva razdoblja povijesti tabui su djelovali tako da ženu strogo zadrže unutar njezina područja djelovanja. Muškarac je sebično birao ugodnije poslove, ostavljajući ženi svakodnevnu tegobu rutinskog rada. Muškarac se uvijek sramio obavljati ženske poslove, ali žena nikada nije pokazivala oklijevanje prema obavljanju muških poslova. No zanimljivo je zabilježiti da su muškarac i žena uvijek zajedno radili na izgradnji i uređenju doma.
69:3.3 (774.2)
All down through the ages the taboos have operated to keep woman strictly in her own field. Man has most selfishly chosen the more agreeable work, leaving the routine drudgery to woman. Man has always been ashamed to do woman’s work, but woman has never shown any reluctance to doing man’s work. But strange to record, both men and women have always worked together in building and furnishing the home.
3. Diferencijacija utemeljena na religiji. Vračevi su bili prva ljudska bića oslobođena fizičkog rada; oni su predstavljali prvu profesionalnu klasu. Kovači su bili mala skupina koja se s vračevima natjecala kao magovi. Ljudi su se bojali njihove vještine obrade metala. „Bijeli kovači” i „crni kovači” dali su povod ranim vjerovanjima u bijelu i crnu magiju. A ovo se vjerovanje kasnije povezalo sa sujevjerjem o dobrim i zlim duhovima, dobrim i zlim nadnaravnim silama.
69:3.5 (774.4)
3. Differentiation based on religion. The medicine men were the first human beings to be exempted from physical toil; they were the pioneer professional class. The smiths were a small group who competed with the medicine men as magicians. Their skill in working with metals made the people afraid of them. The “white smiths” and the “black smiths” gave origin to the early beliefs in white and black magic. And this belief later became involved in the superstition of good and bad ghosts, good and bad spirits.
Kovači su bili prva nereligiozna skupina koja je uživala posebne povlastice. Tijekom ratova smatrani su neutralnima, a ovo dodatno slobodno vrijeme dovelo je do toga da su kao klasa postali političari primitivnog društva. No zbog grube zloupotrebe tih povlastica kovači su postali opće omraženi, a vračevi nisu gubili vrijeme u poticanju mržnje prema svojim suparnicima. U ovom prvom sukobu između znanosti i religije, religija (praznovjerje) je pobijedila. Nakon što su bili protjerani iz sela, kovači su na periferijama naselja održavali prve gostionice i javna prenoćišta.
69:3.6 (774.5)
Smiths were the first nonreligious group to enjoy special privileges. They were regarded as neutrals during war, and this extra leisure led to their becoming, as a class, the politicians of primitive society. But through gross abuse of these privileges the smiths became universally hated, and the medicine men lost no time in fostering hatred for their competitors. In this first contest between science and religion, religion (superstition) won. After being driven out of the villages, the smiths maintained the first inns, public lodginghouses, on the outskirts of the settlements.
Rani specijalisti u industriji bili su obrađivači kremena i klesari; zatim su došli kovači. Kasnije se razvila grupna specijalizacija; cijele obitelji i klanovi posvetili su se određenim vrstama rada. Nastanak jedne od najranijih kasta svećenika, odvojene od plemenskih vračeva, bio je posljedica sujevjernog uzdizanja obitelji vještih izrađivača mačeva.
69:3.9 (774.8)
The early specialists in industry were the flint flakers and stone masons; next came the smiths. Subsequently group specialization developed; whole families and clans dedicated themselves to certain sorts of labor. The origin of one of the earliest castes of priests, apart from the tribal medicine men, was due to the superstitious exaltation of a family of expert swordmakers.
Rani trgovci bile su žene; korištene su kao uhode, a trgovina im je bila sporedno zanimanje. Trgovina se postupno širila, pri čemu su žene djelovale kao posrednici — prekupci. Potom se pojavila trgovačka klasa koja je za svoje usluge naplaćivala proviziju, dobit. Rast grupne razmjene prerastao je u trgovinu, a nakon razmjene robe uslijedila je razmjena kvalificirane radne snage.
69:3.11 (774.10)
The early traders were women; they were employed as spies, carrying on commerce as a side line. Presently trade expanded, the women acting as intermediaries—jobbers. Then came the merchant class, charging a commission, profit, for their services. Growth of group barter developed into commerce; and following the exchange of commodities came the exchange of skilled labor.
Prvu razmjenu obavljali su naoružani trgovci koji bi ostavljali svoju robu na neutralnom mjestu. Žene su održavale prve tržnice; one su bile prvi trgovci, i to zato što su nosile teret; muškarci su bili ratnici. Vrlo rano razvijen je trgovački pult, zid dovoljno širok da spriječi trgovce da jedni druge dosegnu oružjem.
69:4.2 (775.2)
The first barter was conducted by armed traders who would leave their goods on a neutral spot. Women held the first markets; they were the earliest traders, and this was because they were the burden bearers; the men were warriors. Very early the trading counter was developed, a wall wide enough to prevent the traders reaching each other with weapons.
Fetiš je služio kao čuvar robe ostavljene za nijemu razmjenu. Takva tržna mjesta bila su sigurna od krađe; ništa se nije uzimalo osim razmjenom ili kupnjom; dok je fetiš stražario, roba je bila sigurna. Rani trgovci bili su savršeno pošteni unutar vlastitih plemena, ali su smatrali posve prihvatljivim varati udaljene strance. Čak su i rani Hebreji imali poseban etički kodeks u svojim odnosima s poganima.
69:4.3 (775.3)
A fetish was used to stand guard over the deposits of goods for silent barter. Such market places were secure against theft; nothing would be removed except by barter or purchase; with a fetish on guard the goods were always safe. The early traders were scrupulously honest within their own tribes but regarded it as all right to cheat distant strangers. Even the early Hebrews recognized a separate code of ethics in their dealings with the gentiles.
Nijema razmjena trajala je stoljećima prije nego što su se ljudi počeli sastajati nenaoružani na svetim tržnim mjestima. Ti isti trgovi postali su prva mjesta utočišta, a u nekim su zemljama kasnije bili poznati kao „gradovi utočišta.” Svaki bjegunac koji bi stigao na tržnicu bio je siguran i zaštićen od napada.
69:4.4 (775.4)
For ages silent barter continued before men would meet, unarmed, on the sacred market place. These same market squares became the first places of sanctuary and in some countries were later known as “cities of refuge.” Any fugitive reaching the market place was safe and secure against attack.
Suvremeno pismo nastalo je iz ranih trgovačkih zapisa; prva čovjekova literatura bila je dokument trgovačkog oglašavanja, reklama za sol. Mnogi rani ratovi vođeni su zbog prirodnih nalazišta, kao što su kremen, sol i metali. Prvi formalni plemenski ugovor odnosio se na zajedničko korištenje nalazišta soli među plemenima. Ta su ugovorna mjesta pružala priliku za prijateljsku i miroljubivu razmjenu ideja te za međusobno miješanje različitih plemena.
69:4.6 (775.6)
Modern writing originated in the early trade records; the first literature of man was a trade-promotion document, a salt advertisement. Many of the earlier wars were fought over natural deposits, such as flint, salt, and metals. The first formal tribal treaty concerned the intertribalizing of a salt deposit. These treaty spots afforded opportunity for friendly and peaceful interchange of ideas and the intermingling of various tribes.
Pisanje je napredovalo kroz faze „štapa s porukom”, užeta s čvorovima, slikovnog pisma, hijeroglifa i wampum pojaseva, sve do ranih simboličkih alfabeta. Slanje poruka razvilo se od primitivnih dimnih signala preko kurira, jahača, željeznice i zrakoplova, kao i telegrafa, telefona i bežične komunikacije.
69:4.7 (775.7)
Writing progressed up through the stages of the “message stick,” knotted cords, picture writing, hieroglyphics, and wampum belts, to the early symbolic alphabets. Message sending evolved from the primitive smoke signal up through runners, animal riders, railroads, and airplanes, as well as telegraph, telephone, and wireless communication.
69:4.8 (775.8)
New ideas and better methods were carried around the inhabited world by the ancient traders. Commerce, linked with adventure, led to exploration and discovery. And all of these gave birth to transportation. Commerce has been the great civilizer through promoting the cross-fertilization of culture.
Kapital je rad uložen kroz odricanje od sadašnjosti u korist budućnosti. Štednja predstavlja oblik osiguranja opstanka i preživljavanja. Gomilanje hrane razvilo je samokontrolu i stvorilo prve probleme kapitala i rada. Onaj koji je imao hrane, pod uvjetom da ju je mogao zaštititi od pljačkaša, imao je izrazitu prednost nad onim koji je nije imao.
69:5.1 (775.9)
Capital is labor applied as a renunciation of the present in favor of the future. Savings represent a form of maintenance and survival insurance. Food hoarding developed self-control and created the first problems of capital and labor. The man who had food, provided he could protect it from robbers, had a distinct advantage over the man who had no food.
Čovjek je morao imati hrabrosti kako bi postao bankar u ranim plemenima. On je čuvao riznicu cijele grupe u svojoj kolibi, dok je cijeli klan branio njegov dom u slučaju napada. Tako je akumulacija osobnog kapitala i skupnog bogatstva odmah dovela do vojne organizacije. U početku su takve mjere predostrožnosti bile namijenjene obrani imovine od stranih pljačkaša, ali kasnije je postao običaj održavati vojnu organizaciju aktivnom pokretanjem prepada na imovinu i bogatstvo susjednih plemena.
69:5.2 (775.10)
The early banker was the valorous man of the tribe. He held the group treasures on deposit, while the entire clan would defend his hut in event of attack. Thus the accumulation of individual capital and group wealth immediately led to military organization. At first such precautions were designed to defend property against foreign raiders, but later on it became the custom to keep the military organization in practice by inaugurating raids on the property and wealth of neighboring tribes.
1. Glad — povezana s dalekovidnošću. Čuvanje i pohranjivanje hrane značilo je moć i udobnost za one koji su imali dovoljno dalekovidnosti da se pobrinu za buduće potrebe. Zalihe hrane predstavljale su prikladno osiguranje protiv gladi i nesreće. A čitav sustav primitivnih društvenih pravila zapravo je bio osmišljen kako bi pomogao čovjeku podrediti sadašnjost budućnosti.
69:5.4 (776.2)
1. Hunger—associated with foresight. Food saving and preservation meant power and comfort for those who possessed sufficient foresight thus to provide for future needs. Food storage was adequate insurance against famine and disaster. And the entire body of primitive mores was really designed to help man subordinate the present to the future.
5. Moć — žudnja za gospodarenjem nad drugima. Zajmodavstvo je isprva bilo sredstvo porobljavanja, a godišnja kamata na zajmove u ta davna vremena iznosila je sto posto. Zajmodavci su se pretvarali u kraljeve stvaranjem stalne vojske dužnika. Dužničke sluge bile su među najranijim oblicima akumulirane imovine, a u stara vremena dužničko se ropstvo protezalo čak i na kontrolu nad tijelom nakon smrti.
69:5.8 (776.6)
5. Power—the craving to be master. Treasure lending was carried on as a means of enslavement, one hundred per cent a year being the loan rate of these ancient times. The moneylenders made themselves kings by creating a standing army of debtors. Bond servants were among the earliest form of property to be accumulated, and in olden days debt slavery extended even to the control of the body after death.
69:5.9 (776.7)
6. Fear of the ghosts of the dead—priest fees for protection. Men early began to give death presents to the priests with a view to having their property used to facilitate their progress through the next life. The priesthoods thus became very rich; they were chief among ancient capitalists.
7. Spolni nagon — želja za kupnjom jedne ili više žena. Čovjeku je prvi oblik trgovanja bila razmjena žena; ona je dugo prethodila trgovini konjima. Ali trgovina spolnim robljem nikada nije unaprijedila društvo; takva je trgovina bila i ostala rasna sramota, jer je istodobno kočila razvoj obiteljskog života i narušavala biološku sposobnost naprednijih naroda.
69:5.10 (776.8)
7. Sex urge—the desire to buy one or more wives. Man’s first form of trading was woman exchange; it long preceded horse trading. But never did the barter in sex slaves advance society; such traffic was and is a racial disgrace, for at one and the same time it hindered the development of family life and polluted the biologic fitness of superior peoples.
8. Brojni oblici osobnog udovoljavanja. Neki su težili bogatstvu jer im je ono davalo moć; drugi su radili kako bi stekli imovinu jer je ona značila lagodan život. Rani čovjek (a i neki kasniji ljudi) bio je sklon rasipati svoja sredstva na luksuz. Opojna sredstva i droge privlačili su primitivne rase.
Kako se civilizacija razvijala, ljudi su stjecali nove poticaje za štednju; nove su potrebe brzo bile dodane izvornoj gladi za hranom. Siromaštvo je postalo toliko omraženo da se vjerovalo kako samo bogati nakon smrti odlaze izravno u raj. Imovina je postala toliko cijenjena da je priređivanje raskošne gozbe moglo izbrisati sramotu s čovjekova imena.
69:5.12 (776.10)
As civilization developed, men acquired new incentives for saving; new wants were rapidly added to the original food hunger. Poverty became so abhorred that only the rich were supposed to go direct to heaven when they died. Property became so highly valued that to give a pretentious feast would wipe a dishonor from one’s name.
Gomilanje bogatstva rano je postalo znak društvenog ugleda. Pojedinci u nekim plemenima godinama su skupljali imovinu kako bi izazvali divljenje spaljujući je tijekom nekog blagdana ili je velikodušno dijeleći pripadnicima vlastitog plemena. Time su postajali veliki ljudi. Čak i suvremeni narodi uživaju u raskošnoj podjeli božićnih darova, dok bogataši osnivaju velike filantropske i obrazovne ustanove. Čovjekove se metode mijenjaju, ali njegova narav ostaje gotovo nepromijenjena.
69:5.13 (777.1)
Accumulations of wealth early became the badge of social distinction. Individuals in certain tribes would accumulate property for years just to create an impression by burning it up on some holiday or by freely distributing it to fellow tribesmen. This made them great men. Even modern peoples revel in the lavish distribution of Christmas gifts, while rich men endow great institutions of philanthropy and learning. Man’s technique varies, but his disposition remains quite unchanged.
Iako kapital može biti čovjekov osloboditelj, on je uvelike zakomplicirao njegovu društvenu i industrijsku organizaciju. Zlouporaba kapitala u rukama nepoštenih kapitalista ne opovrgava činjenicu da kapital predstavlja osnovu modernog industrijskog društva. Zahvaljujući kapitalu i izumima sadašnja generacija uživa viši stupanj slobode od bilo koje koja joj je prethodila na zemlji. Ovo se bilježi kao činjenica, a ne kao opravdanje za mnoge zloupotrebe kapitala od strane nepromišljenih i sebičnih upravitelja.
69:5.15 (777.3)
Though capital has tended to liberate man, it has greatly complicated his social and industrial organization. The abuse of capital by unfair capitalists does not destroy the fact that it is the basis of modern industrial society. Through capital and invention the present generation enjoys a higher degree of freedom than any that ever preceded it on earth. This is placed on record as a fact and not in justification of the many misuses of capital by thoughtless and selfish custodians.
Upotreba vatre jednim je potezom zauvijek odvojila čovjeka od životinje; ona je temeljni ljudski izum, ili bolje rečeno, otkriće. Vatra je čovjeku omogućila da noću ostane na tlu jer su je se sve životinje bojale. Vatra je poticala večernje društveno okupljanje; nije samo štitila od hladnoće i divljih zvijeri nego je služila i kao zaštita od duhova. Isprva se više koristila za svjetlost nego za toplinu; mnoga zaostala plemena odbijaju spavati ako plamen ne gori cijelu noć.
69:6.2 (777.5)
Fire building, by a single bound, forever separated man from animal; it is the basic human invention, or discovery. Fire enabled man to stay on the ground at night as all animals are afraid of it. Fire encouraged eventide social intercourse; it not only protected against cold and wild beasts but was also employed as security against ghosts. It was at first used more for light than heat; many backward tribes refuse to sleep unless a flame burns all night.
Vatra je bila veliki civilizator jer je čovjeku pružila prvo sredstvo da bude altruističan bez gubitka, jer je mogao dati žeravicu svom susjedu a da sam ne ostane bez vatre. O kućnoj vatri, za koju se brinula majka ili najstarija kći, ovisio je prvi odgoj, jer je zahtijevala budnost i pouzdanost. Rani dom nije bio građevina nego obitelj okupljena oko vatre, oko obiteljskog ognjišta. Kada bi sin osnivao novi dom, nosio bi žeravicu s obiteljskog ognjišta.
69:6.3 (777.6)
Fire was a great civilizer, providing man with his first means of being altruistic without loss by enabling him to give live coals to a neighbor without depriving himself. The household fire, which was attended by the mother or eldest daughter, was the first educator, requiring watchfulness and dependability. The early home was not a building but the family gathered about the fire, the family hearth. When a son founded a new home, he carried a firebrand from the family hearth.
Iako je Andon, otkrivač vatre, izbjegavao odnositi se prema vatri kao prema predmetu štovanja, mnogi su njegovi potomci plamen smatrali fetišem ili duhom. Nisu uspjeli iskoristiti zdravstvene prednosti vatre jer nisu spaljivali otpad. Primitivni čovjek bojao se vatre i uvijek ju je nastojao održati dobro raspoloženom, otuda i spaljivanje tamjana. Ni pod kojim okolnostima drevni čovjek ne bi pljunuo u vatru niti bi ikada prošao između plamena i druge osobe. Čak su i željezni pirit i kremen korišteni za paljenje vatre smatrani svetinjama.
69:6.4 (777.7)
Though Andon, the discoverer of fire, avoided treating it as an object of worship, many of his descendants regarded the flame as a fetish or as a spirit. They failed to reap the sanitary benefits of fire because they would not burn refuse. Primitive man feared fire and always sought to keep it in good humor, hence the sprinkling of incense. Under no circumstances would the ancients spit in a fire, nor would they ever pass between anyone and a burning fire. Even the iron pyrites and flints used in striking fire were held sacred by early mankind.
Čovjek je smatrao grijehom ugasiti plamen; ako bi se koliba zapalila, dopuštali su da izgori. Vatre hramova i svetišta bile su svete i nikada nisu smjele biti ugašene, osim što je postojao običaj da se jednom godišnje ili nakon neke katastrofe pale novi plamenovi. Žene su bile birane za svećenice jer su bile čuvarice kućnih ognjišta.
69:6.5 (777.8)
It was a sin to extinguish a flame; if a hut caught fire, it was allowed to burn. The fires of the temples and shrines were sacred and were never permitted to go out except that it was the custom to kindle new flames annually or after some calamity. Women were selected as priests because they were custodians of the home fires.
Rani mitovi o tome kako je vatra sišla od bogova nastali su iz promatranja požara izazvanih munjama. Ove ideje o nadnaravnom porijeklu izravno su dovele do štovanja vatre, a štovanje vatre dovelo je do običaja „prolaženja kroz vatru”, prakse koja se održala sve do Mojsijevih vremena. I dalje postoji ideja o prolasku kroz vatru nakon smrti. Mit o vatri bio je snažna poveznica u ranim vremenima i još uvijek opstaje u simbolici Parseja.
69:6.6 (778.1)
The early myths about how fire came down from the gods grew out of the observations of fire caused by lightning. These ideas of supernatural origin led directly to fire worship, and fire worship led to the custom of “passing through fire,” a practice carried on up to the times of Moses. And there still persists the idea of passing through fire after death. The fire myth was a great bond in early times and still persists in the symbolism of the Parsees.
Vatra je dovela do kuhanja, a izraz „oni koji jedu sirovo” postao je pogrdan. Kuhanje je smanjilo potrošnju vitalne energije potrebne za probavu hrane i tako ranom čovjeku ostavilo nešto snage za društvenu kulturu, dok je stočarstvo smanjilo napore potrebne za osiguranje hrane i oslobodilo vrijeme za društvene aktivnosti.
69:6.7 (778.2)
Fire led to cooking, and “raw eaters” became a term of derision. And cooking lessened the expenditure of vital energy necessary for the digestion of food and so left early man some strength for social culture, while animal husbandry, by reducing the effort necessary to secure food, provided time for social activities.
69:7.2 (778.5)
The domestication of animals came about accidentally. The savage would hunt herds much as the American Indians hunted the bison. By surrounding the herd they could keep control of the animals, thus being able to kill them as they were required for food. Later, corrals were constructed, and entire herds would be captured.
Neke je životinje bilo lako pripitomiti, ali mnoge, poput slona, nisu se razmnožavale u zatočeništvu. Kasnije je otkriveno da određene vrste životinja podnose čovjekovu prisutnost i da se razmnožavaju u zatočeništvu. Tako je pripitomljavanje životinja napredovalo putem selektivnog uzgoja, umijeća koje je ostvarilo velik napredak još od dana Dalamatije.
69:7.3 (778.6)
It was easy to tame some animals, but like the elephant, many of them would not reproduce in captivity. Still further on it was discovered that certain species of animals would submit to man’s presence, and that they would reproduce in captivity. The domestication of animals was thus promoted by selective breeding, an art which has made great progress since the days of Dalamatia.
Pas je bio prva pripitomljena životinja, a priča o njegovu kroćenju započela je kada je jedan pas, nakon što je cijeli dan slijedio lovca, zapravo otišao kući s njim. Stoljećima su psi služili kao hrana, pomoć pri lovu i prijevozu te kao čovjekovi pratitelji. Isprva su psi samo zavijali, ali su kasnije naučili lajati. Pasji istančani njuh doveo je do vjerovanja da pas može vidjeti duhove, pa su tako nastali pseći fetišni kultovi. Uz pse čuvare cijeli je klan prvi put mogao mirno spavati noću. Kasnije se razvio običaj korištenja pasa za zaštitu doma od duhova, kao i od materijalnih neprijatelja. Kada bi pas lajao, približavao se čovjek ili životinja, ali kada bi zavijao, duhovi su bili u blizini. Čak i danas mnogi vjeruju da pseće zavijanje noću nagovješćuje smrt.
69:7.4 (778.7)
The dog was the first animal to be domesticated, and the difficult experience of taming it began when a certain dog, after following a hunter around all day, actually went home with him. For ages dogs were used for food, hunting, transportation, and companionship. At first dogs only howled, but later on they learned to bark. The dog’s keen sense of smell led to the notion it could see spirits, and thus arose the dog-fetish cults. The employment of watchdogs made it first possible for the whole clan to sleep at night. It then became the custom to employ watchdogs to protect the home against spirits as well as material enemies. When the dog barked, man or beast approached, but when the dog howled, spirits were near. Even now many still believe that a dog’s howling at night betokens death.
Dok je čovjek bio lovac, bio je prilično ljubazan prema ženi, ali nakon pripitomljavanja životinja i Kaligastijine zbrke mnoga su plemena počela sramotno postupati prema svojim ženama. Odnosili su se prema njima gotovo kao prema životinjama. Muškarčevo brutalno postupanje prema ženi predstavlja jedno od najmračnijih poglavlja ljudske povijesti.
69:7.5 (778.8)
When man was a hunter, he was fairly kind to woman, but after the domestication of animals, coupled with the Caligastia confusion, many tribes shamefully treated their women. They treated them altogether too much as they treated their animals. Man’s brutal treatment of woman constitutes one of the darkest chapters of human history.
Još nedavno ropstvo je bilo sudbina ratnih zarobljenika koji su odbijali prihvatiti religiju osvajača. U ranijim vremenima zarobljenici su bili ili pojedeni, mučeni do smrti, prisiljeni boriti se međusobno, žrtvovani duhovima ili porobljeni. Ropstvo je predstavljalo velik napredak u odnosu na pokolj i kanibalizam.
69:8.2 (789.1)
Not long ago enslavement was the lot of those military captives who refused to accept the conqueror’s religion. In earlier times captives were either eaten, tortured to death, set to fighting each other, sacrificed to spirits, or enslaved. Slavery was a great advancement over massacre and cannibalism.
Porobljavanje je predstavljalo korak naprijed u milosrdnijem postupanju prema ratnim zarobljenicima. Osvajanje Aja, uz masovni pokolj muškaraca, žena i djece, pri čemu je jedino kralj ostavljen na životu kako bi zadovoljio taštinu osvajača, vjerna je slika barbarskih pokolja koje su prakticirali čak i navodno civilizirani narodi. Napad na Oga, kralja bašanskoga, bio je jednako brutalan i učinkovit. Hebreji su „potpuno uništavali” svoje neprijatelje, uzimajući svu njihovu imovinu kao plijen. Gradovima su nametali danak pod prijetnjom „uništenja svih muškaraca.” No mnoga suvremena plemena, ona s manje plemenskog egoizma, već su odavno uvela praksu usvajanja sposobnijih zarobljenika.
69:8.3 (789.2)
Enslavement was a forward step in the merciful treatment of war captives. The ambush of Ai, with the wholesale slaughter of men, women, and children, only the king being saved to gratify the conqueror’s vanity, is a faithful picture of the barbaric slaughter practiced by even supposedly civilized peoples. The raid upon Og, the king of Bashan, was equally brutal and effective. The Hebrews “utterly destroyed” their enemies, taking all their property as spoils. They put all cities under tribute on pain of the “destruction of all males.” But many of the contemporary tribes, those having less tribal egotism, had long since begun to practice the adoption of superior captives.
Lovac, poput američkog Indijanca, nije porobljavao. On bi ili usvojio ili ubio svoje zarobljenike. Ropstvo nije bilo rašireno među pastoralnim narodima jer su trebali malo radne snage. U ratovima su stočari imali običaj ubijati sve zarobljene muškarce, a kao robove uzimati samo žene i djecu. Mojsijev zakon sadržavao je posebne upute o uzimanju tih zarobljenih žena za supruge. Ako ne bi bile zadovoljavajuće, mogle su biti otpuštene, ali Hebrejima nije bilo dopušteno prodavati takve odbačene družice kao ropkinje — to je barem predstavljalo određeni napredak civilizacije. Iako su društveni standardi Hebreja bili grubi, bili su daleko iznad standarda okolnih plemena.
69:8.4 (789.3)
The hunter, like the American red man, did not enslave. He either adopted or killed his captives. Slavery was not prevalent among the pastoral peoples, for they needed few laborers. In war the herders made a practice of killing all men captives and taking as slaves only the women and children. The Mosaic code contained specific directions for making wives of these women captives. If not satisfactory, they could be sent away, but the Hebrews were not allowed to sell such rejected consorts as slaves—that was at least one advance in civilization. Though the social standards of the Hebrews were crude, they were far above those of the surrounding tribes.
Stočari su bili prvi kapitalisti; njihova su stada predstavljala kapital, a živjeli su od kamata — prirodnog prirasta. I nisu bili skloni povjeriti to bogatstvo ni robovima ni ženama. Kasnije su ipak počeli uzimati muške zarobljenike i prisiljavati ih da obrađuju zemlju. To je rano porijeklo kmetstva — čovjeka vezanog uz zemlju. Afrikance se lako moglo naučiti obrađivati tlo; zato su postali velika ropska rasa.
69:8.5 (789.4)
The herders were the first capitalists; their herds represented capital, and they lived on the interest—the natural increase. And they were disinclined to trust this wealth to the keeping of either slaves or women. But later on they took male prisoners and forced them to cultivate the soil. This is the early origin of serfdom—man attached to the land. The Africans could easily be taught to till the soil; hence they became the great slave race.
Ropstvo je bilo neizostavna karika u lancu ljudske civilizacije. Ono je predstavljalo most preko kojeg je društvo prešlo iz kaosa i lijenosti u red i civilizirane aktivnosti; prisiljavalo je zaostale i lijene narode na rad i tako osiguravalo bogatstvo i dokolicu za društveni napredak njihovih nadređenih.
69:8.6 (789.5)
Slavery was an indispensable link in the chain of human civilization. It was the bridge over which society passed from chaos and indolence to order and civilized activities; it compelled backward and lazy peoples to work and thus provide wealth and leisure for the social advancement of their superiors.
Institucija ropstva prisilila je čovjeka da izumi regulativni mehanizam primitivnog društva; dala je začetke vlasti. Ropstvo zahtijeva snažnu regulaciju i tijekom europskog srednjeg vijeka gotovo je nestalo jer feudalni gospodari nisu mogli kontrolirati robove. Zaostala plemena drevnih vremena, poput današnjih domorodačkih Australaca, nikada nisu imala robove.
69:8.7 (789.6)
The institution of slavery compelled man to invent the regulative mechanism of primitive society; it gave origin to the beginnings of government. Slavery demands strong regulation and during the European Middle Ages virtually disappeared because the feudal lords could not control the slaves. The backward tribes of ancient times, like the native Australians of today, never had slaves.
Istina, ropstvo je bilo tlačiteljsko, ali upravo je u školama tlačenja čovjek naučio raditi. Na kraju su i robovi dijelili blagodati višeg društva koje su tako nevoljko pomagali stvarati. Ropstvo stvara organizaciju kulture i društvenog postignuća, ali uskoro podmuklo počinje iznutra nagrizati društvo kao najteža od svih destruktivnih društvenih bolesti.
69:8.8 (789.7)
True, slavery was oppressive, but it was in the schools of oppression that man learned industry. Eventually the slaves shared the blessings of a higher society which they had so unwillingly helped create. Slavery creates an organization of culture and social achievement but soon insidiously attacks society internally as the gravest of all destructive social maladies.
Suvremeno društvo vraća se svojim počecima. Ropstvo je gotovo nestalo; domaće životinje postupno iščezavaju. Civilizacija se ponovno vraća vatri — neorganskom svijetu — kao izvoru moći. Čovjek se uzdigao iz divljaštva putem vatre, životinja i ropstva; danas se ponovno vraća unatrag, odbacujući pomoć robova i životinja dok nastoji izvući nove tajne i izvore bogatstva i moći iz elementarnog skladišta prirode.
69:8.12 (780.3)
Modern society is in reverse. Slavery has nearly disappeared; domesticated animals are passing. Civilization is reaching back to fire—the inorganic world—for power. Man came up from savagery by way of fire, animals, and slavery; today he reaches back, discarding the help of slaves and the assistance of animals, while he seeks to wrest new secrets and sources of wealth and power from the elemental storehouse of nature.
Dok je primitivno društvo bilo gotovo potpuno zajedničko, primitivni čovjek nije prianjao uz moderne doktrine komunizma. Komunizam tih ranih vremena nije bio samo teorija ili društvena doktrina; bio je jednostavna i praktična automatska prilagodba. Komunizam je sprječavao krajnje siromaštvo i oskudicu; prosjačenje i prostitucija bili su gotovo nepoznati među tim drevnim plemenima.
69:9.1 (780.4)
While primitive society was virtually communal, primitive man did not adhere to the modern doctrines of communism. The communism of these early times was not a mere theory or social doctrine; it was a simple and practical automatic adjustment. Communism prevented pauperism and want; begging and prostitution were almost unknown among these ancient tribes.
Primitivni komunizam nije osobito izjednačavao status ljudi niti je uzvisivao osrednjost, ali je pogodovao neaktivnosti i lijenosti te gušio marljivost i uništavao ambiciju. Komunizam je bio neophodna skela u razvoju primitivnog društva, ali se morao povući pred višim društvenim poretkom jer se protivio četirima čovjekovim temeljnim sklonostima:
69:9.2 (780.5)
Primitive communism did not especially level men down, nor did it exalt mediocrity, but it did put a premium on inactivity and idleness, and it did stifle industry and destroy ambition. Communism was indispensable scaffolding in the growth of primitive society, but it gave way to the evolution of a higher social order because it ran counter to four strong human proclivities:
1. Obitelj. Čovjek ne samo da teži gomilanju imovine; on želi svoj kapital ostaviti svom potomstvu. Ali u ranom komunalnom društvu čovjekov kapital bio bi odmah potrošen ili podijeljen među skupinom nakon njegove smrti. Nije bilo nasljeđivanja imovine — porez na nasljedstvo iznosio je sto posto. Kasniji običaji akumulacije kapitala i nasljeđivanja imovine predstavljali su izrazit društveni napredak. I to je istina unatoč kasnijim velikim zloupotrebama koje su pratile zlouporabu kapitala.
69:9.3 (780.6)
1. The family. Man not only craves to accumulate property; he desires to bequeath his capital goods to his progeny. But in early communal society a man’s capital was either immediately consumed or distributed among the group at his death. There was no inheritance of property—the inheritance tax was one hundred per cent. The later capital-accumulation and property-inheritance mores were a distinct social advance. And this is true notwithstanding the subsequent gross abuses attendant upon the misuse of capital.
2. Religijske sklonosti. Primitivni čovjek želio je sačuvati dio svoje imovine kako bi olakšao početak budućeg života. Ovaj motiv objašnjava zašto je tako dugo opstao običaj pokapati mrtve s njihovim osobnim stvarima. Drevni čovjek vjerovao je da samo bogati mogu preživjeti smrt s neposrednim zadovoljstvom i dostojanstvom. Učitelji religije otkrivenja, a posebno kršćanski učitelji, bili su prvi koji su proglasili da su siromašni i bogati ravnopravni u spasenju.
69:9.4 (780.7)
2. Religious tendencies. Primitive man also wanted to save up property as a nucleus for starting life in the next existence. This motive explains why it was so long the custom to bury a man’s personal belongings with him. The ancients believed that only the rich survived death with any immediate pleasure and dignity. The teachers of revealed religion, more especially the Christian teachers, were the first to proclaim that the poor could have salvation on equal terms with the rich.
3. Želja za slobodom i dokolicom. U ranijim razdobljima društvene evolucije raspodjela zarade među članovima društvene grupe bila je gotovo oblik ropstva; radnik je bio rob gotovana. To je bila samoubilačka slabost komunizma: rasipni su živjeli na račun štedljivih. Čak i u modernim vremenima rasipni ovise o državi (štedljivim poreznim obveznicima) da se brine o njima. Oni koji nemaju kapitala još uvijek očekuju da ih hrane oni koji ga imaju.
69:9.5 (780.8)
3. The desire for liberty and leisure. In the earlier days of social evolution the apportionment of individual earnings among the group was virtually a form of slavery; the worker was made slave to the idler. This was the suicidal weakness of communism: The improvident habitually lived off the thrifty. Even in modern times the improvident depend on the state (thrifty taxpayers) to take care of them. Those who have no capital still expect those who have to feed them.
4. Nagon za sigurnošću i vlašću. Komunizam je konačno bio uništen prijevarnim postupcima poduzetnih i uspješnih pojedinaca koji su se služili različitim lukavstvima kako bi izbjegli robovanje lijenim besposličarima svojih plemena. No isprva je svako nagomilavanje bogatstva bilo tajno; primitivna nesigurnost nije dopuštala javno pokazivanje akumuliranog kapitala. Čak je i kasnije bilo vrlo opasno steći preveliko bogatstvo; kralj bi sigurno izmislio neku optužbu kako bi oduzeo imovinu bogatašu, a kada bi bogat čovjek umro, pokop nije bio dopušten sve dok obitelj ne bi darovala veliku svotu za javnu dobrobit ili kraljevu riznicu, kao porez na nasljedstvo.
69:9.6 (780.9)
4. The urge for security and power. Communism was finally destroyed by the deceptive practices of progressive and successful individuals who resorted to diverse subterfuges in an effort to escape enslavement to the shiftless idlers of their tribes. But at first all hoarding was secret; primitive insecurity prevented the outward accumulation of capital. And even at a later time it was most dangerous to amass too much wealth; the king would be sure to trump up some charge for confiscating a rich man’s property, and when a wealthy man died, the funeral was held up until the family donated a large sum to public welfare or to the king, an inheritance tax.
U najranijim vremenima žene su bile vlasništvo zajednice, a majka je dominirala obitelji. Rani poglavari posjedovali su svu zemlju i bili vlasnici svih žena; za brak je bila potrebna suglasnost plemenskog vladara. S nestankom komunizma žene su postale pojedinačno vlasništvo, a otac je postupno preuzeo nadzor nad domaćinstvom. Tako je nastao dom, a nekoć prevladavajući običaji poligamije postupno su ustupili mjesto monogamiji. (Poligamija je ostatak elementa ženskog ropstva u braku. Monogamija je ideal oslobođen ropstva u neusporedivoj zajednici jednog muškarca i jedne žene u uzvišenom pothvatu izgradnje doma, podizanja potomstva, uzajamnog oplemenjivanja i samousavršavanja.)
69:9.7 (781.1)
In earliest times women were the property of the community, and the mother dominated the family. The early chiefs owned all the land and were proprietors of all the women; marriage required the consent of the tribal ruler. With the passing of communism, women were held individually, and the father gradually assumed domestic control. Thus the home had its beginning, and the prevailing polygamous customs were gradually displaced by monogamy. (Polygamy is the survival of the female-slavery element in marriage. Monogamy is the slave-free ideal of the matchless association of one man and one woman in the exquisite enterprise of home building, offspring rearing, mutual culture, and self-improvement.)
Isprva je sva imovina, uključujući oruđa i oružje, bila zajedničko vlasništvo plemena. Prvo privatno vlasništvo sastojalo se od predmeta koje je čovjek osobno dotaknuo. Ako bi stranac pio iz šalice, ta bi šalica postala njegova. Kasnije je svako mjesto na kojem je prolivena krv postajalo vlasništvo ozlijeđene osobe ili skupine.
69:9.8 (781.2)
At first, all property, including tools and weapons, was the common possession of the tribe. Private property first consisted of all things personally touched. If a stranger drank from a cup, the cup was henceforth his. Next, any place where blood was shed became the property of the injured person or group.
Privatna imovina izvorno je bila poštovana jer se vjerovalo da u sebi nosi dio vlasnikove ličnosti. Poštenje prema imovini počivalo je na ovoj vrsti praznovjerja; nije bilo potrebe za policijom radi zaštite osobnih posjeda. Unutar grupe nije bilo krađe, premda se ljudi nisu ustručavali prisvajati dobra drugih plemena. Vlasnički odnosi nisu završavali smrću; osobni predmeti su se isprva spaljivali, zatim pokapali s mrtvima, a kasnije prelazili u nasljedstvo preživjelih članova obitelji ili plemena.
69:9.9 (781.3)
Private property was thus originally respected because it was supposed to be charged with some part of the owner’s personality. Property honesty rested safely on this type of superstition; no police were needed to guard personal belongings. There was no stealing within the group, though men did not hesitate to appropriate the goods of other tribes. Property relations did not end with death; early, personal effects were burned, then buried with the dead, and later, inherited by the surviving family or by the tribe.
Pojilišta i bunari bili su među prvim oblicima privatnog vlasništva. Čitava praksa fetišizma korištena je za zaštitu pojilišta, bunara, stabala, usjeva i meda. Nakon gubitka vjere u fetiše razvijeni su zakoni za zaštitu privatne imovine. No lovački zakoni, pravo na lov, postojali su mnogo prije zemljišnih zakona. Američki Indijanac nikada nije razumio privatno vlasništvo nad zemljom; nije mogao shvatiti pogled bijelog čovjeka.
69:9.12 (781.6)
Water holes and wells were among the first private possessions. The whole fetish practice was utilized to guard water holes, wells, trees, crops, and honey. Following the loss of faith in the fetish, laws were evolved to protect private belongings. But game laws, the right to hunt, long preceded land laws. The American red man never understood private ownership of land; he could not comprehend the white man’s view.
Privatna imovina rano je počela nositi obiteljsku insigniju, iz čega su kasnije nastali obiteljski grbovi. Nekretnine su se također mogle staviti pod zaštitu duhova. Svećenici su imali običaj „posvetiti” komad zemlje i staviti ga pod zaštitu magičnih tabua koji su nad njim postavljeni. Za takvu se zemlju govorilo da ima „svećenički naslov.” Hebreji su imali veliko poštovanje prema tim obiteljskim međašima: „Proklet bio onaj koji pomakne među svoga susjeda!” Ti kameni biljezi nosili su svećeničke inicijale. Čak su i stabla postajala privatnim vlasništvom kada bi bila obilježena inicijalima.
69:9.13 (781.7)
Private property was early marked by family insignia, and this is the early origin of family crests. Real estate could also be put under the watchcare of spirits. The priests would “consecrate” a piece of land, and it would then rest under the protection of the magic taboos erected thereon. Owners thereof were said to have a “priest’s title.” The Hebrews had great respect for these family landmarks: “Cursed be he who removes his neighbor’s landmark.” These stone markers bore the priest’s initials. Even trees, when initialed, became private property.
U ranim vremenima samo su usjevi bili privatno vlasništvo, ali ponavljano obrađivanje zemlje i ubiranje uroda donosilo je pravo vlasništva nad zemljom; poljoprivreda je tako postala začetkom privatnog vlasništva nad zemljom. Pojedinci su isprva primali samo doživotno pravo korištenja zemlje; nakon smrti zemlja se vraćala plemenu. Prvi zemljišni posjedi koje su pojedinci dobivali od plemena bili su grobovi — obiteljska groblja. Kasnije je zemlja pripadala onima koji bi je ogradili. No gradovi su uvijek zadržavali određene površine za javnu ispašu i za korištenje u slučaju opsade; ta „zajednička zemljišta” predstavljaju ostatak ranijih oblika kolektivnog vlasništva.
69:9.14 (782.1)
In early days only the crops were private, but successive crops conferred title; agriculture was thus the genesis of the private ownership of land. Individuals were first given only a life tenureship; at death land reverted to the tribe. The very first land titles granted by tribes to individuals were graves—family burying grounds. In later times land belonged to those who fenced it. But the cities always reserved certain lands for public pasturage and for use in case of siege; these “commons” represent the survival of the earlier form of collective ownership.
Na kraju je država dodjeljivala imovinu pojedincu, zadržavajući za sebe pravo oporezivanja. Nakon što bi osigurali pravo vlasništva, zemljovlasnici su mogli ubirati najamnine i koristiti zemlju kao izvor prihoda — kapitala. Konačno je zemlja postala istinski utrživa, s mogućnošću prodaje, prijenosa vlasništva, hipoteka i ovrha.
69:9.15 (782.2)
Eventually the state assigned property to the individual, reserving the right of taxation. Having made secure their titles, landlords could collect rents, and land became a source of income—capital. Finally land became truly negotiable, with sales, transfers, mortgages, and foreclosures.
Privatno vlasništvo donijelo je veću slobodu i veću stabilnost; ali privatno vlasništvo nad zemljom dobilo je društveno odobrenje tek nakon propasti zajedničke kontrole i upravljanja, a ubrzo ga je pratila pojava robova, kmetova i bezemljaša. Međutim, sve napredniji strojevi postupno oslobađaju ljude od ropskog rada.
69:9.16 (782.3)
Private ownership brought increased liberty and enhanced stability; but private ownership of land was given social sanction only after communal control and direction had failed, and it was soon followed by a succession of slaves, serfs, and landless classes. But improved machinery is gradually setting men free from slavish toil.
Sadašnji društveni poredak nije nužno ispravan — nije božanski ni svet — ali čovječanstvo će mudro postupiti bude li sporo uvodilo promjene. Ono što imate neizmjerno je bolje od bilo kojeg sustava poznatog vašim precima. Pobrinite se da, kada mijenjate društveni poredak, mijenjate ga nabolje. Ne dopustite da vas nagovore na eksperimentiranje s odbačenim formulama vaših predaka. Idite naprijed, ne natrag! Neka evolucija nastavi! Ne činite korak unatrag.
69:9.18 (782.5)
The present social order is not necessarily right—not divine or sacred—but mankind will do well to move slowly in making changes. That which you have is vastly better than any system known to your ancestors. Make certain that when you change the social order you change for the better. Do not be persuaded to experiment with the discarded formulas of your forefathers. Go forward, not backward! Let evolution proceed! Do not take a backward step.