The main advantage that would arise from the establishment of socialism is, undoubtedly, the fact that socialism would free us from this sad necessity of living for others who, in the current state of affairs, press so hard on almost everyone. In fact, almost no one escapes.

Now and then, throughout the century, a great man of science, like Darwin, a great poet, like Keats, a good critical spirit, like Mr. Renan, a supreme artist, like Flaubert, has managed to isolate himself, to stay away from the audacious claims of others, to stand "under the shelter of the wall," as Plato puts it, and thus to realize the perfection of what he contained, his own incomparable gain, and the incomparable and everlasting gain of the whole world...