Thesocialisticdisaffectionhasbeensetdowntoenvy，classhatred，discontentwiththeirownlotbycomparisonwiththatofothers，andtoamistakenviewoftheirowninterests。Thiscriticismmaybewellenoughasfarasitgoes，butitdoesnottouchsocialisminthoserespectsinwhichitdiffersfromothermovementsintowhichthisrangeofmotivesenters；thatistosay，ittouches，notthespecifictraitsofsocialism，butthecommonfeaturesofpopulardiscontent。Historyshowsmanysuchmovementsofdiscontent，pushedonbyrealorfanciedprivationandiniquity；andpastexperiencerecordedinhistoryshouldleadustoexpectthat，undertheguidanceofsuchmotivesandsuchreasoningasiscurrentlyimputedtothesocialistsbytheirconservativecritics，themalcontentswoulddemandaredistributionofproperty，areorganizationofownershiponsuchnewlinesaswouldfavorthediscontentedclasses。Butsuchisnotthetrendofsocialisticthinking。Itlookstothedisappearanceofpropertyrightsratherthantheirredistribution。Theentirerangeofdoctrinescoveredbythetheoryofdistributioninthereceivedeconomicsisessentiallyandcharacteristicallyneglectedbythemodernsocialistspeculations。19*
Theperplexityofthosewhoprotestagainstasupposedlyimminentsocialisticsubversionofpropertyrightsisofatwofoldkind:1Theabsenceofproprietaryrightsisincomprehensible，andalivingtogetherinsocietywithoutdefinedownershipofthemeansoflivingisheldtobeimpracticable；ownershipofgoods，intheapprehensionoftheconservativecritics，isinvolvedinthepresenceofgoods。2
Ownershipofthemeansoflivingisaninalienablerightofman，ethicallyinevitable；thecancelmentofpropertyrightsisfelttoviolateafundamentalprincipleofmorals。Allthis，ofcourse，proceedsontheassumptionthattheinstitutionofownershipcannotbeabrogated，asbeinganelementalfunctionofhumannatureandanintegralfactorintheorderofthingsinwhichhumanlifebelongs。
Tothemodernsocialistallthisiscomingtobelessandlessconvincing。Inthisrespectthereisafairlywellmarkedprogressivechangeintheattitudeoftheprofessedsocialists。
Theirpositionisprogressivelylesscapableofbeingformulatedasabusinessproposition；theirdemandsareprogressivelymoredifficulttostateintheformofapecuniaryclaim。Theclaimtothefullproductoflabor，whichoncefilledalargeplaceinsocialisticclamorsandhadagreatcarryingforceduringtheearlierthree-quartersofthenineteenthcentury，hasgraduallyfallenintoabeyance，bothwiththeagitatorsandtheadherentsofthepropaganda，duringthelastgeneration。To-daythisclaimisanafterthoughtintheadvocate’spresentationofsocialism，morefrequentlythanitisapointofdeparturefortheargument，anditismademoreofbytheproselytes，whohavecarriedthemetaphysicsofitoverfromthecurrentcommonsenseofthebusinesscommunity，thanbythesocialistsofconfirmedstanding。