Links:
Bibliography:
- Jean Marius, “Etre anarchiste,” L’En dehors 6 no. 108 (début Mai 1927): 3.
- Marius Jean, “Eux et nous,” L’En dehors 6 no. 113-114 (fin Juillet 1927): 2.
- Marius Jean, “Se réaliser,” L’En dehors 6 no. 125 (fin Décembre 1927): 3.
- Marius Jean, “Rêve d’avenir,” L’en dehors 7 no. 137 (début Juillet 1928): 7.
- Marius Jean, “Il ne faut pas abdiquer,” L’en dehors 7 no. 146 (mi-Novembre 1928): 3.
- Marius Jean, “L’idéal de l’anarchiste” L’en dehors No. 150 (January, 1929): 8.
- Marius Jean, “Une propagande qui ne plaît pas,” L’en dehors 8 no. 156 (début Avril 1929): 3.
- Marius Jean, “Volonté d’harmonie,” L’en dehors 8 no. 160 (début Juin 1929): 6.
- Marius Jean, “Vivre librement,” L’en dehors 8 no. 166-167 (mi-Septembre 1929): 3.
- Marius Jean, “Egoïsme et altruisme,” L’en dehors 9 no. 176-177 (mi-Février 1930): 6-7.
- Marius Jean, “Sincérité avec soi-même,” L’en dehors 10 no. 208-209 (15 Juin 1931): 7.
- Maurius Jean, “Ma conception du bonheur,” l’en dehors 12 no. 250-251 (mi-Mars 1933): 73.
- Marius Jean, “Comment je suis individualiste,” L’en dehors 16 no. 279 (mi-Février 1935): 233.
- Marius Jean, “La foule,” L’en dehors 16 no. 284-285 (Juillet-Août 1935): 13.
- Marius Jean, “à ceux qui se réclament de « notre monde »,” L’en dehors 17 no. 314-315 (janvier-février 1938): 1.
To Be Anarchist
Following a meeting in which the speaker reproached the anarchist individualists for promoting the crushing of the weak by the strong, for giving free rein to brutal instincts, I was led to clarify what I meant by “being anarchist.”
For me, to be anarchist is to reject all external authority. But that does not imply the absence of all ethics. While its sense differs from that of the masters and shepherds, we do, however, have our own ethics, since we desire that individuals mutually insure the greatest possible sum of pleasures and happiness without encroaching on the liberty of other; since, to constraint, we oppose liberty.
— JEAN Marius.
Them and Us
The ordinary individual, partisan and supporter of the present society, is hostile toward us: we are too different from them.
They fear us: their conformist spirit allows them to adapt to all situations and to submit to all forms of slavery. They want, above all, to live in peace. For them, we are trouble-makers, destroyers of quiet—and the more capable we are of revolt, the more they fear and hate us.
They do not understand us: men of the herd, their mentality — which accepts the ideas of exploitation and iniquity, which destroys in them all courage and renders impossible the least gesture of independence — is do deeply rooted that any burst of energy, any act of conscious rebellion is foreign to them.
They would like us to be like them, with the same listless spirit, the same resignation, dragging along the same lamentable existence, perpetuating as they do the suffering and sorrow of living.
But we will never accept such a fate. We have no wish to be the accomplices of those who, through lack of consciousness or consistency, maintain slavery in all its forms. Let us be outsiders, true « en-dehors », not only in dreams and in words, but in our acts each day, no matter the opinion of the admirers and supporters of society, no matter what they wish of us! — Marius JEAN.
To Fulfill Oneself
To be oneself, to give one’s effort, unresigned, misfit even, in all the sincerity of one’s deep convictions, with the most perfect disinterestedness, as if one was always certain that the effort will be crowed with success; that is, for me, what it means to fulfill oneself.
To decide for oneself, to act as freely as possible, to reject all preconceived morality, all the social prejudices and idols that the human herd and its shepherds cannot do without, that is what I call fulfilling oneself.
Despite the hardness of the fight, despite the painful failures, despite the tenacity of the adversary who multiplies the pitfalls on one’s way, to never admit defeat, to always find oneself resolute and ready for a new effort, that again is to fulfill oneself.
And although justice, liberty and humanity are often only considered as pompous words, not to conclude that it is necessary to resign oneself, to adapt oneself to the usual mediocrity and perjure oneself.
To interpret the acts of one’s own life and those of others with the greatest independence of spirit, to show oneself sympathetic and not resort to lies or slander, that is also to fulfill oneself.
To live one’s conception of life as logically as one can, without ever desiring to harm another in any manner whatsoever, without every exercising domination or exploitation; to no be satisfied with misleading words, but to strive to live straightaway, as genuinely as possible possible, with all the ardor of which one is capable, that is what, as an anarchist individualist, I mean by “fulfilling oneself.” — Marius Jean.
A Dream of the Future
I tasted, in this gloomy spring, the delights of one of the rare days when the sun had deigned to smile. Under its fiery rays the countryside felt revived. Trees and blades of grass were growing green again and in the proud clusters of lilacs, the humble flowers spread their exquisite scents. From the earth itself there escaped the odor of renewal. Everything breathed the joy of living, the delight of being enveloped in the caress of light and vibrant air. And what delicious chirping of birds! What amorous pursuits! What charming games! How far off winter seemed! Everything was only promises: green meadows, undulating wheat, fragrant flowers, the beginnings of nests.
I was entirely captivate by nature, which lavishes each spring its inexhaustible treasure of life.
And yet, I said to myself, in the heart of this admirable nature, where nothing artificial exists, where it seems that harmony and kindness should bud and blossom, we are still neither happier nor better than elsewhere. We lead the same painful, dull lives, devoid of wisdom. We are not more humane, not more human.
And I dreamed of an existence very different from our own, where, inspired by nature, we could develop harmoniously; where, more reasonable and less artificial, we could live more freely and more beautifully; where we would finally be “human.” — Jean Marius.
We Must Not Abdicate
We abdicate when, lacking resources, we hide behind the difficulties of the struggle and put of to a more or less distant future achievements that we could attempt right now.
Do we not also abdicate when we are content with more or less sincere lamentations regarding the evils that overwhelm us? Is moaning enough to change the state of things?
Having become aware of ourselves and our aspirations, having realized what we want and what we are capable of, let us strive to be someone, a unity truly itself, and not just one of the members of the human herd.
In all the circumstances of our lives, let us avoid diminishing ourselves, let us try never to renounce the principles of autonomy and individual liberty that we have made our own. Let us not abdicate. — Marius Jean.
The Anarchists’ Ideal
As a passionate lover of truth, beauty and liberty, the anarchist struggles for the establishment of an environment within which individuals would be free from all constraint and all authority outside of themselves, an environment in which each individual could rid themselves of all the metaphysical ideas to which, even today, they feel bound to sacrifice themselves. One puts her faith in law and justice and leaves to their representatives the trouble of regulating their affairs and guaranteeing her happiness. Another places all his confidence in a divine creator, for whom he is always ready to sacrifice himself. In both cases, the happiness of the individual depends on a power external to itself, whether than power is divine or human. This explains why human beings do not evolve; and it will be this way as long as they leave to others the task of thinking and acting for them. Thanks to their analytical mind, their breadth of vision, the anarchists develop an entirely different conception of life. And they denounce at every opportunity the malign nature of these mirages. They strive to reveal to others the true place that they should occupy in nature and in the present society; to make them conscious of their own worth, to create within them the need for individual liberation. That is the task to which the anarchists dedicate themselves, the ideal that they pursue.
— Marius JEAN.
VIVRE LIBREMENT
Vivre librement, ce n’est pas seulement ne sentir peser sur soi aucune contrainte extérieure ; c’est encore et surtout avoir pris conscience de soi-même et savoir contrôler ses pensées et ses actes.
Quelle erreur de se prétendre libre, affranchi de toute morale religieuse ou étatiste lorsqu’on veut soumettre les autres à sa propre volonté, entraver leurs désirs et restreindre leur champ d’expériences, ou encore essayer de faire de force leur bonheur ! Comment peut-il parler de libération, de révolution, celui qui reste dominateur et tyrannique ? Et n’est-il pas évident qu’on ne peut le considérer que comme -inconséquent et illogique ?
On conçoit parfaitement qu’un anarchiste ait un idéal autre que ces êtres passifs, amorphes (lesquels ne peuvent se dire libres, assurément) et qu’il essuie de le faire partager à autrui, par la persuasion. Mais le meilleur procédé pour y parvenir, c’est de prêcher d’exemple : qui prétend enseigner aux autres la liberté doit être le premier à lu respecter. Refuser de subir l’autorité, mais, soi-même, ne jamais l’exercer. — Marius JEAN.
Egoïsme et Altruisme
Un anarchiste peut-il se dire simultanément égoïste et altruiste ? On admet généralement dans nos milieux que ces deux vocables s’excluent l’un l’autre.
Je pense, après un examen attentif, que l’anarchiste peut parfaitement s’appliquer ces deux vocables qui ne sont pas forcément opposés — du moins au point de vue où je me place.
Obligé de vivre dans un milieu hostile, entrave constante à son Roue développement, il est pour ainsi dire contraint par son déterminisme personnel à lutter contre ce milieu, à vouloir le débarrasser de son ignorance et de ses préjugés. Ainsi faisant, n’agit-il pas en égoïste, en vue de, sa propre satisfaction, tout en essayant d’affranchir autrui ?
Et pourtant trop de nôs camarades sont enclins à croire faire œuvre de dupes lorsqu’ils se consacrent à la propagande de leurs idées. C’est le contraire qui est vrai. Plus un individu aura poursuivi intensément sa propagande éducative, plus il aura contribué à la diminution de l’autorité au bénéfice de la liberté, résultat qui vaudra autant pour lui-même que pour les autres.
Mais il ne faut pas confondre l’égoïsme, tel que je le conçois : libre, antiautoritaire, en réaction constante contre le milieu social actuel où l’individu étouffe, avec celui qui domine dans la société présente, cet égoïsme qui fait des individus à mentalité d’exploiteurs ou de résignés.
Ce dernier fait abstraction d’autrui, celui que je défends s’apparente intimement, se confond presque avec le sentiment d’altruisme. — Marius Jean.
Honesty with Oneself
The anarchist, in my view, must not limit themselves to going to war against bourgeois society — to making anti-statist proclamations. —
That would be useless verbiage. What is important is that in their acts, in their everyday life, they remain accord with their theories, conform to them.
And that they not prevent the same realization in others.
In fact, my anarchism is a philosophical conception that implies the most complete liberation of the individual and honesty with oneself.
— Marius Jean.
My Idea of Happiness
I perceive « my happiness » when my individuality has become fully aware of its own determinism and identifies with joy and beauty, on the fringes of all the prejudices of dogmatic and societal morality in which the ignorant and sheepish crowd revel.
I no longer wish to be a voluntary and unconscious victim, and, having become able to determine myself freely, I refuse from now on to play the game of my adversaries.
My conception of happiness also entails respecting the individual in all its manifestations and in taking care to cause it as little damage as possible. Happiness still resides, for me, in the harmony of my thoughts with my actions and in the final break with everything that hinders the development of my joy.
— Marius Jean.
comment je suis individualiste
Homme de cœur, penseur moderne, probe, intègre et sincère, qui désires vraiment le bonheur dé la société et de l’individu, apprends à ce dernier à respecter en chacun de nous notre propre liberté. Le resté n’est que verbiage, sophisme où impudente démagogie.
Parce que j’abhorre toutes les formes de sujétion, d’asservissement intellectuel, moral ou physique de l’individu ; parce que la vie n’a, pour moi, de valeur qu’autant qu’il m’est donné de la vivre librement, il est logique que je désire pour autrui la même liberté.
Cependant mon individualisme, ou respect de la liberté dé chacun, ne s’oppose pas au principe de l’association. Mais je ne saurais la concevoir que volontaire, consciente, librement consentie. Qu’avant dé donner son adhésion, l’individu étudie sérieusement les termes du contrat d’association, qu’il y réfléchisse, qu’il raisonne ; mais qu’ensuite,:s’il a accepté les clauses, qu’il tienne loyalement ses engagements. S’il s’aperçoit qu’il en est incapable, qu’il se retire. Telle est: ma façon d’envisager l’association, façon toute différente de celle dont les choses se passent dans la société actuelle, dans laquelle; par suite d’un contrat imposé, toujours se trouve sacrifié l’unique, l‘autonome que vous êtes, que je suis. —
Marius Jean.
la foule
La foule est essentiellement moutonnière, suivant les bergers dont elle ne saurait se passer, pen importe l’étiquette dons ils s’affublent. Incapable de penser par elle-même, elle se laisse éblouir, dominer et conduire sans se rendre compte où on la mène, sans s’apercevoir qu’on l’exploite. Elle ne reconnaît pas les sentiers battus dans lesquels on la dirige, elle les prend pour des voies nouvelles, et ainsi, croyant progresser, elle reste enlisée dans la routine.
Qu’apparaisse un esprit libre, un indépendant aux opinions non conformes aux siennes, la foule s’y montre hostile, les tourne en dérision et le novateur passe pour un fou, quand ce n’est pas pour un malfaiteur. Non pas qu’elle soit incapable d’enthousiasme, mais ne la passionneront jamais que les questions relatives à la satisfaction immédiate de ses besoins matériels.
Sans aucun doute, la foule est victime de son ignorance, de sa crédulité naïve, de son incapacité à réfléchir. Du jour où ses composants se mettraient à penser chacun par soi-même, à se diriger chacun d’après sa propre volonté. il est bien certain que c’en serait fait et de la foule et de ses mauvais bergers.— Marrus JEAN.
to those who claim to be of « our world »
Yes, I know, you declare that my libertarian individualist ideas are also your own.
Just like me, you suffer inside from the present state of things, which sanctions all the iniquities, all the injustices that make our lives, yours as well as mine, unhappy and intolerable.
Just like me, you dream of a new humanity where the life of the individual would be something sacred and not a vain word, empty of meaning, as it is today. Just like me, you claim to loath all the turpitude, all the ugliness—lies, hypocrisy, domination, exploitation—wherever they come from and whomever they profit.
Your being, like mine, demands full liberty, liberty in its entirety. And that liberty is so important to you that without it, life, for you as for me, loses all its charm and is not worth the trouble of living.
That declaration that you are “one of us,” “a citizen of our world,” implies, in my opinion, a conscious and clearly defined line of conduct, influencing all your acts. That line of conduct entails, in the first place, that you live a life of camaraderie, that in each of your relations with those of your world you fulfill your designs as much as possible.
Otherwise, you would be wrong to claim to be a libertarian individualist. Otherwise, you would only be a pseudo-citoyen, just one pseudo-citizen of my world.
— Marius Jean
