Division of labor is the law of all existing things, and, therefore,
it should be present in human societies. It is very possible that
this is so; but still the question remains, Of what nature is that
division of labor which I behold in my human society? is it that
division of labor which should exist? And if people regard a
certain division of labor as unreasonable and unjust, then no
science whatever can convince men that that should exist which they
regard as unreasonable and unjust.

Division of labor is the condition of existence of organisms, and of
human societies; but what, in these human societies, is to be
regarded as an organic division of labor? And, to whatever extent
science may have investigated the division of labor in the cells of
worms, all these observations do not compel a man to acknowledge
that division of labor to be correct which his own sense and
conscience do not recognize as correct. No matter how convincing
may be the proofs of the division of labor of the cells in the
organisms studied, man, if he has not parted with his judgment, will
say, nevertheless, that a man should not weave calico all his life,
and that this is not division of labor, but persecution of the
people. Spencer and others say that there is a whole community of
weavers, and that the profession of weaving is an organic division
of labor. There are weavers; so, of course, there is such a
division of labor. It would be well enough to speak thus if the
colony of weavers had arisen by the free will of its member's; but
we know that it is not thus formed of their initiative, but that we
make it. Hence it is necessary to find out whether we have made
these weavers in accordance with an organic law, or with some other.