The Theory of Parasitism 



come and forbid me to think, though it were 

 but a dream, of a responsible human person- 

 ality, of conscience, of duty, of the dignity 

 of labour! Everything is linked together: 

 if the animal is better off, as regards both 

 itself and its race, for doing nothing and ex- 

 ploiting others, why should man, its descend- 

 ant, show greater scruples? The principle 

 that idleness is the mother of prosperity 

 would carry us far indeed. I have said 

 enough on my own account; I will call upon 

 the animals themselves, more eloquent than I. 

 Are we so very sure that parasitic habits 

 come from a love of inaction? Did the para- 

 site become what he is because he found it 

 excellent to do nothing? Is repose so great an 

 advantage to him that he abjured his ancient 

 customs in order to obtain it? Well, since 

 I have been studying the Bee who endows 

 her family with the property of others, I have 

 not yet seen anything in her that points to 

 slothfulness. On the contrary, the parasite 

 leads a laborious life, harder than that of the 

 worker. Watch her on a slope blistered by 

 the sun. How busy she is, how anxious! 

 How briskly she covers every inch of the ra- 

 diant expanse, how indefatigable she is in 



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