i6o The Special Sociological Errors 



this comparatively recent epoch, there were not 

 more than two or three States on the entire globe. 

 Humanity was therefore without slavery for 

 probably forty-nine fiftieths of its existence. In 

 the light of these facts, it is impossible to suppose 

 that slavery was a primitive institution, without 

 which civilization would never have been possible. 

 Moreover, it is easy to demonstrate that not 

 only the division of labour, but even labour in 

 an economic sense, has preceded slavery, and has 

 not followed it. The anthropomorphic apes, 

 which lived in troupes, did not have any slaves. 

 We can easily understand why. Among other 

 reasons, it would not have been useful to them, 

 since the division of labour was still completely 

 embryonic at that time. A consideration of the 

 elementary facts of the case demonstrates that 

 the division of labour was developed in human 

 society before slavery. Without the division of 

 labour, the master would have been bound as 

 much as the slave, since it would have been neces- 

 sary for him to remain with the slave at all times, 

 directing his actions. Thus it would have required 

 two men to do the work of one. We find the 

 beginning of a division of labour, even among the 

 animals who live in troupes (the setting of sen- 

 tries, the obedience to leaders, etc.). At first the 

 division of labour takes place among the sexes; 

 the men go hunting, the women remain behind 

 and prepare the food and clothing. The pre- 

 historic remains show us that labour commenced 



