Page:The cry for justice - an anthology of the literature of social protest. - (IA cryforjusticea00sinc).pdf/761

 rich people, but on the whole people; so that for a work to be esteemed good, and to be approved of and diffused, it will have to satisfy the demands, not of a few people living in identical and often unnatural conditions, but it will have to satisfy the demands of all those great masses of people who are situated in the natural conditions of laborious life. And the artists producing art will not be, as now, merely a few people selected from a small section of the nation, members of the upper classes or their hangers-on, but will consist of all those gifted members of the whole people who prove capable of, and are inclined towards, artistic activity.

A Catechism for Workers

(Swedish poet, dramatist and novelist, 1849-1912; author of over a hundred volumes, and probably the greatest genius that Sweden has produced. It is not generally known that he was a Socialist, although the labor unions and Social-democrats of his country marched in a body at his funeral. The following are a few paragraphs from a "catechism" covering every aspect of life from the worker's point of view)

What is philosophy? A seeking of the truth. Then how can philosophy be the friend of the upper classes?

The upper classes pay the philosopher, in order that he may discover only such truths as are expedient in their eyes.

But suppose uncomfortable truths should be discovered?

They are called lies, and the philosopher gets no pay.

What is history?