Nowanorganicinterpretationofindustrycannotacceptthismodeofconceivingtheproductiveandconsumptivefunctions。Considerationsoftheorganicoriginsofindustrylendnosupporttotheassumptionthatproductionisall'cost'andno'utility,'consumptionall'utility'andno'cost'。Onthecontrary,inourhumananalysisofeconomicprocessesweshallratherexpecttofindcostsandutilities,alikeintheirsenseofpainsandpleasuresandoforganiclossesandorganicgains,commingledinvariousdegreesinallproductiveandconsumptiveprocesses。
Ouraimwillbetosetout,aswellaswecan,reliablerulesforexaminingtheproductiveandconsumptivehistoryofthevarioussortsofconcretemarketablegoodssoastodiscoverthehumanelementsofcostandutilitycontainedineach,andbyacomputationofthesepositivesandnegativestoreachsomeestimateoftheaggregatehumanvaluecontainedintheseveralsortsofcommoditieswhichformtheconcreteincomeofthenationandinthisincomeasawhole。Onlybysomesuchprocessisitpossibletoreachaknowledgeoftherealwealthofnations。
Wemaystatetheproblemprovisionallyinthreequestions:
1。Whataretheconcretegoodsandserviceswhichconstitutetherealnationalincome?
2。Howarethesegoodsproduced?
3。Howaretheyconsumed?
Butintruththeconsiderationoftheso-called'concrete'natureofthesegoodsisasirrelevanttoouranalysisasthatofthemoneyticketplacedonthem。Forfromthestandpointofwelfarethesegoodsarenothingbuttheactivitiesofthosewhoproduceandconsumethem,or,ifitbepreferred,thehumanprocessesofproductionandconsumption。Thehumanmeaningofanygivenstockofwheatinournationalsupplywillconsistoftheeffortsofbodyandmind,thethoughtanddesireanddirectedskill,putintotheseveralprocessesofpreparingthesoil,sowing,tending,reapingandmarketingthewheat,undergonebythefarmerinManitobaorinNorfolk,themerchant,shipper,miller,bakerwhoconveyitfromthefarmandconvertitintobread,andfinallytheactivitiesofmastication,digestionandassimilationwiththeaccompanyingsatisfactionasitpassesintothephysicalsystemoftheconsumer。Andsowitheveryothersortofconcretemarketablegoodsorservices。Fromthestandpointofhumanvalue,theyarewhollyresolvableintothephysicalandmentalactivitiesandfeelingsofthehumanbeingswhoproduceandconsumethem。Itisthebalanceofthedesirableovertheundesirableintheseseveralactivitiesandfeelingsthatconstitutesthehumanvalueofanystockofmarketablegoods。Thestandardofdesirabilitywillbetheconceptionoftheorganicwellbeingofthesocietytowhichtheindividualswhoseactivitiesandfeelingsareconcernedbelong。
Ortheseveralstagesofinterpretationmaybeexpressedasfollows。
Agivenmoneyincomemustfirstberesolvedintotheconcretegoodswhichitexpresses:thosegoodsmustthenberesolvedintothevariouseffortsofproductionandsatisfactionsofconsumption,estimatedaccordingtothecurrentideasanddesiresoftheindividualswhoexperiencethem。thesecurrentindividualestatesofthedesirablemustbeadjustedbyreferencetoanidealstandardofthesociallydesirable。Theextentofthislatterprocessofadjustmentwill,ofcourse,dependuponhowfartheactualcurrentideasandfeelingsofindividualsarekeptinessentialharmonywiththetruestandardofsocialwell-beingbythenaturalevolutionofanorganicsociety。
§;6。Ourtaskinseekingtodeviseamethodforthehumaninterpretationorvaluationofindustryconsiststheninconfrontingthegoodswhichformthenetconsumableincomeofthecommunity,andinfindinganswerstothetworelatedquestions:
Whatarethenethumancostsinvolvedintheirproduction?
Whatarethenethumanutilitiesinvolvedintheirconsumption?
Asimplesuminsubtractionshouldthengiveustheresultweseek——sofarasanysuchquantitativecalculusisvalidandfeasible。5
Nowthougheconomists,ofcourse,arewellawarethatmanyoftheprocessesofproductioncontainelementsofpleasureandutilitytotheproducers,whilesomeoftheprocessesofconsumptioncontainelementsofpainandcosttotheconsumers,theyhave,rightlyfromtheirstandpoint,ignoredthesequalificationsintheirgeneralformulae,andhaverepresented'goods'
fromtheproducer'ssideasconsistingentirelyofaccumulatedcosts,whilefromtheconsumer'ssidetheyconstitutepureutility。Thoughourbriefpreliminarysurveyoftheoriginsofindustryindicatesthatnosuchsharpdistinctionbetweenproductionandconsumptioncanultimatelybemaintained,andthatthroughoutthewholecontinuouscareerofgoodsfromcradletogravetheactivitiesbestowedonthemarecompositesofpleasureandpain,costandutility,organicgainandorganicloss,sociallydesirableandsociallyundesirable,itwillbeexpedienttotakeourstartfromthecommonly-acceptedeconomicposition,andtogiveseparateconsiderationtothehumanvaluesunderlyingprocessesofproductionontheonehand,processesofconsumptionontheother。
Thegenerallinesalongwhichsuchaninvestigationmustproceedareunmistakable。
Inordertoexpressbusiness'costs'intermsofhumancost,werequiretoknowthreethings:
1。Thequalityandkindofthevarioushumaneffortsinvolvedinthebusiness'cost'。
2。Thecapacitiesofthehumanbeingswhogiveouttheseefforts。
3。Thedistributionoftheeffortamongthosewhogiveitout。
Correspondingstrictlytothisanalysisof'costs'ofProductionwillbetheanalysisof'utility'ofConsumption。Thereweshallwanttoknow:
1。Thequalityandkindofthesatisfactionorutilityyieldedbythe'economicutility'thatissoldtoconsumers。
2。Thecapacitiesoftheconsumerswhogetthis'economicutility'。
3。Thedistributionoftheeconomicutilityamongtheconsumingpublic。
Thehumanistcriticismofindustryiscondensedintothisanalysis。
Thehumanistrequiresthattheeffortexpendedonanysortofproductionshallbesuchastocontainaminimumofpainfulorinjuriousorotherwiseundesirableactivity。Hiscomplaintisthatindustry,asactuallyorganisedandoperatedunderasystemwhichtreatsallformsofproductivehumaneffortasmarketablegoods,doesnotsecurethishumaneconomy。Thehumanistrequiresthatthepersonssettogiveoutundesirableeffort,'humancost',shallbethosebestcapableofsustainingthisloss。Weakwomenorchildren,forexample,shallnotbesettodoworkheavyordangerousinitsincidence,whenstrongmenareavailablewhocoulddoiteasilyandsafely。Thehumanistrequiresthatundesirableorhumanlycostlyworkshallnotmerelybeconfinedtoclassesofpersonscapableofperformingitmosteasilyandsafely,butthatthedistributionofsucheffortshall,asregardslengthoftimeandintensityofpace,besuchastoreducethehumancostperunitofproducttoaminimum。ThehumanistcriticismofindustryupontheCostssideconsists。pointingoutthatthereisnoadequatelyreliableornormalintendencyforthebusinesseconomyofcoststoconformtothisthree-foldhumaneconomy。
Similarly,turningtotheconsumptionside,thehumanistpointsout:
1。Thatmanyofthe'goods'soldtoconsumersareinherentlydestituteofhumanutility,or,worse,arerepositoriesofdisutility;andthatmoneyvaluesisnotruekeytohumanutility。2。Thattheamountofutilityorwelfaretobegotoutofanygoodsdependsuponthecharacter,thenaturaloracquiredcapacity,oftheparticularconsumersorclassesofconsumersintowhosehandstheyfall。3。Thatatrueeconomyofconsumption,therefore,involvestheirdistributionamongconsumersinproportiontotheircapacitytousethemforpurposesofwelfare。Itiscontendedthatthewentworkingofourindustrialsystem,onitsdistributiveandconsumptiveside,makesnoreliableprovisionforsecuringthatthemaximumofhumanutilityshallattachtotheconsumptionofthenationalincome。
§;7。Totestindetailtheexactvalidityofthishumanistcriticismwouldrequireustoexaminethecostsandtheutility,economicandhuman,representedineachitemofallthevarioussuppliesofgoodsandserviceswhichconstitutethenationalincome。Thisismanifestlyimpracticable。
Norisitnecessaryforourpurpose,whichistoestablishasoundmethodofvaluationratherthantoendeavourtoformanexactcomputationofthevaluesitdiscloses。Withthisobjectinviewitwillbesufficienttodirectourenquirytotheacceptedclassesorgradesofhumanactivitiesfiguringaseconomiccosts,andthecorrespondingclassesorgradesofhumanutilitiesaffectedbyconsumption。
Letusbeginwiththe'costs'side。
Acceptingthegeneralcategoriesofcostsofproduction,asrent,interestandprofit,salariesandfees,wagesforallotherbusiness'costs',asforinstance,costofmaterial,machinery,fuel,canberesolvedintothese,letusconsiderwhatisthenatureofthehumancostsforwhichthesepaymentsaremade,inthechiefordersofindustry,andhowthesehumancostsarerelatedtotheeconomiccosts。
Attheoutsetofthisenquiry,however,itwillbeconvenienttoeliminateoneeconomic'cost'ofconsiderablemagnitudefromourconsideration,viz。
economicrent。For,althoughNature,ortheearth,mayinastudyofobjectiveindustryberegardedasaproductiveagent,yieldingmaterials,physicalenergy,andspecialutilities,thisworkinvolvesnohumaneffort,andthereforeisrepresentedbynohumancost。Thisstatement,ofcourse,bynomeansimpliesthathumanforesightandactivitiesplaynopartintheeffectivesupplyoflandandothernaturalresources。Suchresources,hithertoexistingoutsidetheindustrialsystem,arecontinuallybeingdiscovered,broughtwithinreachanddevelopedbyhumanskillandeffort,whileneworimprovedusesarecontinuallybeingobtainedfromnaturalresourcesalreadywithinreach。Insuchprocessesofdiscoveryanddevelopmentmuchcapital,ability,andlabour,areconstantlyengaged,thecostsofwhichmustbedefrayed。Moreover,incertainusesoflandforagriculturalandotherpurposes,provisionmustbemadeforwearandtearorreplacement。
ButallsuchcostsorexpensesarereallypaymentsforthecapitalandlabouremployedOnthisworkofdevelopmentorupkeep。Theyarenotpaymentsfortheuseofnaturalresources。Theyarenoteconomicrent。Thatbusinesscosthasnohumancostattachedtoit。Fromthestandpointofthemanagerofaparticularbusinessthepaymentofrentisnecessarytoenablehimtogettheuseofthelandorothernaturalagentherequires。Whereprivatepropertyinlandexists,thepaymentofsuchrentislegallynecessary。
Wherethemaintenanceofsuchlegalrightshasenabledlandvaluestoexchangefreelywithotherformsofwealth,amoralexpediencymaybeclaimedforthepaymentofrent。Butnohumancostcorrespondstoit。Intheorganicinterpretationofindustry,itfiguresaswaste。While,therefore,dueaccountmustbetakenofthisdivisionofwealthorhumanutilitiesinanyfinalsurveyofoursocialeconomy,itmaybedismissedfromourimmediateconsideration。
§;8。Inordertogetaclearunderstandingofindustryregardedfromthestandpointofhumancosts,itwillbeconvenienttofastenourattentionfirstonthestructureandworkingofthesinglebusinesseswhicharetheproductiveunitsofthesystem。Forthebusinessisacloser,morecompact,andmoreintelligiblestructurethanthetrades,markets,orotherlargerdivisionsofindustry。Weshall,therefore,endeavourtoanalysethecombinationsofhumaneffortastheyareexpressedinthevarioustypesofbusiness,soastodiscoverandtoestimatethehumancoststhatareinvolved。
ThoughthetermBusiness,asweuseithere,mustbeextendedsoastoincludeallsortsofcentresofeconomicactivitynotcommonlyincluded,suchasaschool,adoctor'spractice,atheatre,itwillbebesttotakeforourleadingcaseanordinarymanufacturingbusiness。Herearegatheredintoclosecooperationalargenumberofhumanandnon-humanfactorsofproduction。Thecentreofthelittlesystemisthemanager,employer,ordirector,whoseideas,desires,andpurposesgovernandregulatethemovementsofthevariousformsofcapitalandlabour。Thismanhasgottogetheronhispremisesaquantityofmachineryandotherplantwhichexpressacomplicatedgrowthofinventionrunningfarbackintothepastandderivedfromgreatnumbersofhumanbrains。Thesemachinesandplantembodyingtheseinventiveideasweremadebypastlabourofvariouskinds。Thismanagerordirector,inplantingtheBusiness,chosewhatseemedthebestapparatusforthepurposeshehadinmind。Heinducedanumberofinvestorsorcapitaliststolendthemoneywhichenabledhimtoobtainthisapparatus,andtohirethevarioussortsoflabourpowerrequiredtooperateit。Thislabourpoweritselfistheproductoftheenergiesofmaninthepast,thedirectancestryofthelabourerswhoproducedthebeingsthatgiveforththelabour-power,thepastgenerationsofmenwhosegrowingknowledgeandpracticeyieldedthetrainingandthehabitsofindustryandofcooperationessentialfortheproductivenessoflabourinthemodernartsofindustry。
Hereareevidentlymanydifferentsortsofhumaneffort,someofthemphysical,othersintellectual,somepleasurable,otherspainful,somebeneficial,othersdetrimental,totheindividualswhogiveouttheeffort,ortosociety。
AlloftheseproductiveenergiesrankinPoliticalEconomyas'costs',andassuchareremuneratedoutoftheproduct。Whichofthesearehuman'costs'andinwhatsenseandwhatdegree?Sucharethequestionsthatlieimmediatelybeforeus,ifweareseekingtoreduceour£;2,000,000,000
totermsofhumanwell-being。
§;9。Inthisconversionofeconomicintohumancostswecanbestbeginbyconsideringthefundamentaldistinctionbetweencreationandimitation,enforcedwithsomuchpenetrationbytheFrenchsociologist,M。Tarde。
Itisnotinitsprimarysignificanceadoctrineofcosts,butadivisionofproductiveenergyintotwoclasses。Allsocialprogress,indeedallsocialchangesupwardsordownwards,accordingtothistheory,comesaboutinthefollowingway。Someunusuallypowerful,original,orenterprisingperson,assistedoftenbygoodfortune,makeswhatiscalledadiscovery,sometrueandusefulwayofdoingthingsorofthinkingaboutthings,orevenofsayingthings。Thisnewtruth,newphrase,newdodge,iscapableofbeingrecognisedasinterestingoruseful,notonlybyitsdiscoverer,butbythemanywhohadnotthewitorthecourageorthelucktodiscoveritforthemselves。Bysuggestion,infection,contagion,orconsciousimitation,orbyanycombinationofthoseforcesandhabitsthatconstitutethesocialnatureofman,thenoveltybecomesadoptedandappliedbyanever-growingnumberofpersons,overawideningarea,untilitbecomesanacceptedpracticeorconventionofthewholesociety。Everynewreligiousormoralideaorsentiment,everyscientificlaw,everyinventionintheartsofindustry,everydevelopmentofanewtaste,thusproceedsfromoneormorespecialcentresoforiginaldiscovery,andspreadsbyawell-nighautomaticprocessofexpansionorimitation。
§;10。Nowthisdistinctionbetweencreationandimitation,aspropoundedandappliedbyM。Tarde,isdoubtlessopentoseriousobjections。Thepsychologyofimitationisshallow,forunderthissingletermiscoveredwhatareinrealitymanydifferentactions,whilethewholeconceptionofimitationasaprocessistoomechanical。Tosomeofthesedefectsweshallreferpresently。Butthough,regardedasanexplanationoftheprocessesofhumanprogress,theantithesisofcreationandimitationdoesnotsatisfy,itfurnishesanexceedinglyusefulstartingpointtowardsapsychologicalanalysisofeconomicprocesses。Forintheevolutionofindustryitisquiteevidentthatimprovementsdocomeaboutinthismanner。Acomparativelysmallnumberoforiginalorcuriousmindsinventnewusesornewwaysofdoingthingsthatarebetterthantheold,ortheyrecognisethevalueofnewideaswhichothersfailedtorecognise,andtheyhavetheenergyandenterprisetoputthenewideasintooperation。Manyoftheinventionsarenotgoodenoughorbigenough;onlybyaconsiderablenumberoflittleincrementsofnoveltywillanewmachine,oranewprocess,emergeintoeconomicvitality,or,inbusinesslanguage,becomeprofitable。Butwhereaninventionorimprovementhasonceemerged,Stationmultipliesitanditpassesintogeneraluse。6
Acomparativelysmallnumberofcreativeorinventivemindsthusundoubtedlyplayanexceedinglyimportantpartinthedevelopmentofindustry。ThebriefactsofthinkingofaWatt,aStevenson,aSiemensoranEdison,appeartobeincomparablymoreproductiveineffectthantheroutinelife-toilofthemanythousandsofworkerswhosimplyrepeathourbyhour,daybyday,yearbyyear,somesimplesingleprocesstheyhavelearned。Itistruethatinventionistoonarrowatermproperlytoexpressthedistinctionweareexaminingbetweenthatworkwhichexpressesthecreativeenergyofmanandthatwhichisessentiallyimitative。Forifasuccessfulinventionfurnishesmachineryormethodswhichthusmultiplytheproductivityofhumanlabour,theskilfulorganisationandadministrationofabusiness,theworkdonebytheemployer,hasthesamesortofeffect。Anableemployerwhodirectshisbusinesswithknowledgeandforesight,gatheringtogetherjusttherightmen,materialsandmachinery,producingtherightgoodsattherighttime,andmarketingthemproperly,seemsbyhispersonalabilitygreatlytoenlargethevaluableoutputoftheentirebusiness。Inabigbusinessheseemstobeasproductiveasathousandmen。
§;11。SoabroaddistinctionisbuiltupbetweenAbilityandcommonLabour,thecreativeandthemerelyimitativeworkofman。Fromthisdistinctionhasbeendrawnaningeniousdefenceofthecurrentinequalitiesindistributionofwealth。Sincealltheprogressofmodernindustryisreallyattributabletotheabilityandenterpriseofasmallgroupofinventing,organisingandenterprisingpeople,commonlabourbeinginitselfnomoreskilful,nomoreproductivethanbefore,therecan,itismaintained,beneitherjusticenorreasonintheclaimsoflabourtoalargershareofthathugeincreaseofwealthduetotheabilityofthefew。
Idonotproposejustnowtoexaminethevalidityofthiscontention。
WhatcriticismIhavetoofferwillemergeinthecourseofmycloserexaminationofthenatureofindustrialwork。AtpresentIwillonlyaskreaderstoobservethatthedoctrineassumesthatpaymentforindustrialservicesmustoroughttobedeterminedbytheproductivityofthoseservices,notbytheir'cost'。
Now,ourimmediateenquiry,wemustremember,isintohumancosts。
Andthedistinctionbetweencreativeandimitativeworkisparticularlyinstructiveinitsbearinguponhumancosts。Forifwegradethevarioussortsofhumaneffortthatcontributetotheproductionofwealthaccordingtotheamountofcreativeandimitativecharactertheyseemtopossess,somevaluablelightwillbethrownuponthedistributionofhumancostsamongthevariousclassesofproducers。
LeavingoutofconsiderationLand,which,asafactorinproduction,involvesnooutputofhumaneffort,weshallfindthattheprovisionandapplicationofalltheotherfactors,ability,capitalandlabour,involvesomehumaneffortbothofacreativeandanimitativetypeandcontainsomeelementsof'cost'。
ForthepurposeofthisanalysisIproposetoclassifyproductiveactivitiesunderthefollowingheads:Art,Invention,ProfessionalService,Organisation,Management,Labour,Saving。Thewarrantyforthisclassificationwillemergeinthecourseoftheanalysis。
NOTES:
1。IhavetakentheestimateofthetotalincomeofthenationmadebyMr。FluxinhisReportsoftheFirstCensusofProductionfortheUnitedKingdom1907asthebasisfortheroundfiguresadoptedhereforaggregateincomeandforsavings。
AsamatteroffactMr。Fluxassignstosavingsaslightlyhigherfigureandproportionofincomethanthattakenhere。ButsinceforourpurposenothingdependsupontheexactitudeofthefiguresandindeedMr。Fluxclaimsnosuchexactitudeforhisitismoreconvenientforustotaketheroundfiguresofourtext,thoughprobablyinbothinstances,i。e。,aggregateincomeandsavings,theyaresomewhatbelowthetruefiguresfor1912。
2。Thereisnocommonerstumbling-blocktothebeginnerinthestudyofPoliticalEconomythanthefactthattheincomeofarichman,amountingtosay£;10,000,whenpaidawaytopersonswhosellhimgoodsorpersonalservices,seemstocount'overagain'asincomesofthesepersons。Why,theyaredisposedtoask,shouldtheprivatesecretarywhoreceives£;400
outofthis£;10,000berequiredtopayanincome-taxuponasumwhichastheysayhasalreadypaiditsshareaspartofthe£;10,000?
Nothingbutagraspofthefactthatthesecretaryproducesa'real'incomeof'services'correspondingtothis£;400whichhereceivesclearsupthemisunderstanding。
3。Abouthalfofthispassesundertheheadofover-seasinvestmentsintotheindustrialsystemsofothernations,thoughtheinterestuponthisforeigncapitalisavailableforconsumptioninthiscountry。
4。WealthandWelfare,Chap。I。
5。Theexceedinglyimportantquestionofthelimitstothevalidityofsuchaquantitativecalculusisdiscussedintheconcludingchapter。
6。Tardeappliesthesameterm'imitation'totwodifferentsortsofact。Thebusinessmanoremployerwhorecognisessomeimprovedmachineormethodandcopiesitisanimitator。Everyimprovementthusstartingfromacentreofdiscoverybecomesdiffusedthroughoutatrade。
Buttheterm'imitation'isalsoappliedtotheregularworkoftheroutineoperator,whoisconstantlyengagedinrepeatingsomesingleprocess。
Now,regardedaspsychologicalandaseconomicfacts,thesetwoimitationsaredistinct。
Theformeristheadoptionofadiscoveryinvolvinganactofrecognitionandofjudgment——notapurelyautomaticimitation——atanyrateuntilithasbecomeacommonforminthetrade。Theemployerwhocopiesoradoptsanimprovementperformsasingleact——heincorporatesthisimprovementinthetechniqueofhismillorshop——onceforall。When,however,itissaidofamachine-workerthathisworkisimitative,somethingdifferentismeant。Heiscontinuallyrepeatinghimself,eachactofrepetitioninvolvinglessconsciousnessintheadaptationofmeanstoend。CHAPTERIV:THECREATIVEFACTORINPRODUCTION
§;1。Themostdistinctivelycreativekindofhumanworkiscalledart。Inmotiveandinperformanceitisthefreestexpressionofpersonalityinwork。Theartistinwhataretermedthefinearts,e。g。,aspainter,poet,sculptor,musician,desirestogiveformalexpressiontosomebeautiful,trueorotherwisedesirableconception,inordereithertosecureforhimselfitsfullerrealisationorthesatisfactionofcommunicatingittoothers。
Itisnot,however,necessaryforourpurposetoenterupontheexactpsychologyofartmotivesorprocesses。Indeed,wearenotconcernedwiththewholerangeofartisticactivity。Sofarastheartistworkssimplyandentirelyforhisownsatisfaction,inordertoexpresshimselftohimself,hecannotbedeemedtobecontributingtotheeconomicincomeofthenation。Forustheartististheproducerofamarketablecommodity,andweareconcernedtodiscoverthe'economic'andthe'human'costswhichheincursinthiscapacity。
Nowsofarasthepainter,poet,ormusicianworksaspureartist,exercisingfreelyhiscreativefaculty,hiseconomic'costs'consistmerelyofhis'keep',thematerialandintellectualconsumptionnecessarytosupporthimandtofeedhisart。Thenethumancostsofthecreativeworkarenil。
Forthoughallcreativeworkmayinvolvesomepainsoftravail,thosepainsaremorethancompensatedbythejoythatachildisborn。Evenifwedistinguishthecreativeconceptionfromtheprocessofartisticexecution,whichmayinvolvemuchlaboriouseffortnotinterestingordesirableinitself,wemuststillrememberthattheselaboursaresustainedandendowedwithpleasurablesignificanceasmeanstoaclearlydesiredend,sothatthewholeactivitybecomesinarealsensealabouroflove。Inotherwords,thehumancostsareoutweighedbythehumanutilityevenintheprocessesofproduction,sothatthepurepracticeofartisanetincreaseoflife。Theartist,who,followingfreelyhisowncreativebent,producespictures,playsornovelswhichbringhimingreatgains,isthusinthepositionofbeingpaidhandsomelyforworkwhichisinitselfapleasuretoperformandwhichhewoulddojustaswellifhewereonlypaidhishuman'keep'。Thewastefulsocialeconomyoftheordinaryprocessofremuneratingsuccessfulartistsneedsnodiscussion。ForthetrueartfacultyresemblesthoseprocessesbywhichNatureworksintheorganicworldfortheincreaseofcommoditieswhosecomparativescarcitysecuresforthemamarketvalue。Apoetwho'doesbutsingbecausehemust,'andyetispaidheavilyfordoingso,isevidentlygettingthebestofbothworlds。Ourpresentpoint,however,isthatthe'economiccost'whichhispublisherincursinroyaltiesuponthesalesofhispoemisattendedbynonet'humancost'atall,butbyapositivefundof'humanutility'。Andthisholdsofalltrulycreativework:theperformanceinvolvesanincreaseoflife,notthatlosswhichistheessenceofallhumancost。
§;2。Ihavespokenofthepure'artist'。Theartisticproducerwhosellshisfreedomtothemoneyedpublicmayincurtheheaviestofhumancosts,thedegradationofhishighestquality。Thetemptationtoincurthesemoralandintellectualdamagesisgreatinanynationwherethedominantstandardofpersonalsuccessismoneyincomeandexpenditure。Butperhapsthereisafalsesimplicityintheromanticviewofartisticgenius,whichassumesthattheartistandhisworkarenecessarilydegradedbyinducementstoworkforapublic,insteadofworkingforhimselfalone。Itmay,indeed,beheldthatanartistwhoissoself-centredastohavenoconsciousconsiderationoftheartisticneedsandcapabilitiesofhisfellow-men,issoessentiallyinhumanastobeincapableofgreatwork。Theuseofanart-giftforcommunionwithothers,involvingsomemeasureofconscioussocialdirection,seemsinvolvedinthehumanityoftheartist。Evenwhenthatdirectiontakestheshapeofmarket-prices,itdoesnotnecessarilyincurtheviolentcensurebestowedbyromanticpersons。Whenasoundpublictasteoperates,thisdirectionmaybejustified。TheportraitswhichMrG。F。Wattspaintedreluctantlyformoneyneednotbeconsideredawasteofhispowers。Thenature,again,ofmanycreativemindsseemstorequiretheapplicationofanexternalstimulustobreakdownacertainbarrierofsterileself-absorptionorofdiffidence,whichwouldrobhumanityofmanyofthefruitsofgenius。
Atanyrateitneednotbeassumedthatworkingforapublic,orevenforamarket,isessentiallyinjurious。Wherethetastewhichoperatesthroughthedemandisdefinitelybase,andwherethepracticeandtheconsciousnessofhavingsoldone'ssoulformoneyareplainlyrealised,nodoubtcanexist。Butwherepublicsympathyandappreciation,evenexercisedthroughthemarket,inducetheartisttosubordinatesomeofhisprivatetastesandproclivitiestotheperformanceofworkwhich,thoughofsecondaryinteresttohimself,hasasoundsocialvalue,thepressureofdemandmayproducealargerbodyofrealwealthatnorealhumancosttotheproducer。
Verydifferent,ofcourse,aretheinstancesurgedwithsomuchpassionateinsistencebyRuskin,wheredepravedpublictastes,springingdirectlyfromluxuryandidleness,debauchthenaturaltalentsofartists,andpoisontheveryfountsofthecreativepowerofanation。Corruptiooptimipessima。
Theproductionofbaseformsofart,inpainting,music,thedrama,literature,theplasticarts,mustnecessaryentailthehighesthumancosts,thelargestlossofhumanwelfare,individualandsocial。Forsuchanartistpoisonsnotonlyhisownsoulbutthesocialsoul,adulteratingthefooddesignedtonourishthehighestfacultiesofman。
Thereis,however,asenseinwhichitistruethateverypressureofsocialdirectionordemandupontheartistimpairsthecreativecharacterofhiswork。Forsuchsocialdemandrestsuponasimilarityoftasteamongthemembersofapublic,anditssatisfactionrequirestheartisttorepeathimself。Anartist,endowedbytheStateorsomeotherbody,mightexpresshimselfinuniquemasterpieces,aswasthecasewiththegreatartistsofantiquityoroftherenaissancewhowerefortunateintheirprivateorpublicpatrons。Butart,supportedbynumerousprivatepurchasers,whosesocialstandardsmouldtheirtastestotolerablycloseconformity,muststooptoqualifycreationbymuchimitativerepetition。Thisofteninvolvesalargehumancost,imposinganinjuriousspecialisation,mannerismsormechanicalroutine。Thisisparticularlytrueofartswherearefractorymaterialgivesgreatimportancetotechnique,andwherethepracticeofthistechniquenecessarilyrestrictsthespontaneityofexecution。
§;3。ThedescentfromArtisttothemoreorlessmechanicalproducerofart-productsismarkedbymanygrades。Thereisthegradewhichdoesnotpretendtoanyfreeexerciseofthecreativefaculty,confiningitselftointerpretationorexecution。ThisinmusicandincertainotherfineartsissignifiedbyadoptingtheFrenchterm'artiste'。Butsomeofthisinterpretativeworkaffordslargescopefortrulycreativework。Atraditionalorwrittendrama,ascoreofmusic,orothernecessarilyimperfectandhalf-mechanicalregisterofsomegreatcreativework,requiresaconstantprocessofre-creationbyasympatheticspirit。Insuchartsthereisagenuinelycreativecooperationbetweentheoriginalcomposerandhisinterpreters,thelatterenjoyingsomereallibertyofpersonalexpressionandgivingmerittotheperformancebythisunionofreproductiveandcreativeachievement。
Thegreatactorormusicianmaythusevencometousetheworkoftheplaywrightorthecomposerassomuchmaterialforhisowncreativeexpression。Hemayevencarrythistoanexcess,oustinghispredecessorandparasiticallyutilisinghisreputationforthedisplayofhisownartisticqualitiesordefects。Inpaintingandsculpture,ofcourse,wecometoamodeofskilledimitation,thatofthecopyist,wherethefreecreativeelementisconfinedtofarnarrowerlimits。Themainskillhereisthatoftechnicalimitation,notofinterpretation。
Aswedescendfromthehighergradesofdistinctivelycreativearttotheseinterpretativeandmoreorlessimitativegrades,itwillbeevidentthatlargerhuman'costs'ofproductionareapttoemerge。Allimitationorrepetition,eitherofoneselforofanother,isnotinhuman。Thereisarhythmintheprocessesoforganiclifewhichevenrequiressomerepetition。
Butthisrepetitionisneverprecise,fororganichistorydoesnotexactlyrepeatitself。Theattempt,therefore,toinduceapersontoperformanintricateprocessmanytimesandatshortintervalswithgreatexactitude,isagainsthumanity。Itinvolvessomephysicalandmoralinjury,ahumancost。Weshallconsiderthemoreseriouseffectsofthisprocedurewhenwecometoconsiderthatworkofindustrymostwidelyremovedfromart。
Inconsidering,however,thesub-artisticworkersitwillnotberighttoratethehumancoststoohigh。Agooddealofscopeforpersonalsatisfactionremainsinmanyofthesekindsofwork。Thesenseofskillinovercomingdifficulties,evokedwhereveranyintricateworkisdonebybrainandhand,yieldsavitaljoy。Thistheexecutantartist,eventhoughmainlyacopyist,experiencesinnomeanmeasure。Itsustainsafinevitality,and,whatissignificantforourparticularenquiry,itinvolveslowhumancost,unlessthepaceandstrainofrepetitionarecarriedtoexcess。Whereveranyreasonablescopeforindividualexpressionorachievementremains,thoughthemainbodyoftheproductmayberigorouslyprescribedbycloseimitation,ororderedbymechanicalcontrivance,theartspiritlivesandthehumancostsarelow。Thephotographer,oreventheskilledperformeronthepianola,retainsalargermeasureofthenatureandthesatisfactionoftheartistthanamerelycursoryconsiderationofhisoccupationwouldsuggest。
Aconsiderableandgrowingproportionofproductiveenergyisgivenoutinthesevariouslevelsofartisticorcreativework,andtheproportionofthenationalincomerepresentedbythisproductisgrowingwithfairrapidityineverymoderncivilisedcommunity。
§;4。Fromthefineartsweproceedbyaneasytransitiontotheprocessesofdiscoveryandinventionwhichplaysoimportantaroleinprogressiveindustryandareleadingchannelsofcreativeactivity。Theprocessofdiscoveringanewrelationbetweenphenomena,establishinganewfactoranewlaw,hasmuchincommonwithartisticcreation。Thescientificimaginationiscreativethroughitsuseoftheexistingmaterialofknowledgetoframehypotheses。Indeed,thedisinterestedplayofthemindintheexplanationoffactsbybringingthemwithintherangeofscientificlaws,or,conversely,inextendingtherangeofknownlawstonewgroupsoffacts,isaprocessofadventurecontainingnoveltiesofinsightandofoutlookakintoartisticproduction。Thosephilosophers,indeed,whoholdthatthelawsofsciencearenothingotherthanthepatternswhichmanimposesuponthephantasmagoriaofexperienceforhisownprivateends,wouldmakethewholeofscientificdiscoverymerelyanart,differingfromthefineartsinhavingutilityratherthanbeautyforitsgoal。Butweneednotpressthisinterpretationinordertoperceivethesimilarityofalldisinterestedpursuitofknowledgetothefinearts。Whenamathematicianspeaksofabeautifulsolutiontoaproblem,heisnotusingthelanguageofhyperbole,butattestingtothepresenceofanaestheticemotionattendantonthemodeinwhichatruthisreachedandstated。Modernphysicsisfullofdiscoveriescontainingsomesuchartisticquality,e。g。,thegroupingoftheelementsintheproportionsoftheiratomicweightwhichMendelieffestablished,orSirW。Ramsay'srecentdiscoveryoftherelationsbetweenheliumanditschemicalkindred。Butoneneednotlabourtheanalogybetweenartistandscientist。Forourmainenquiryisintohumancosts,anditwillbeadmittedthatthezestofthescientificstudentandthejoyofdiscoveryareemotionsasvitalandasvaluableinthemselvesastheemotionsoftheartist。Sofar,then,asthescientistcomeswithinourpurviewasaproductiveagent,hisactivitymustrankwiththeartist's,asyieldingmorehumanutilitythancost。Itmay,however,becontendedthatthemanofscienceseldom,assuch,entersintothefieldofindustrialproductivity,savewhenheaddstohisscientificworktherileofinventor。Withtheadventoftheinventortheattainmentofknowledgeisbenttosomepurposeofindustrialutility。Butthoughsomedefinitelygainfulpurposemaylurkintheinventor'smind,itdoesnotcommonlyimposeuponhisworkthedistinctivecostsoflabour。Forinvention,howevernarrowlyutilitarianinitsobjectsandresults,stillremainsintherealmofcreation,stillyieldsthesatisfactionofaproductionthatisinterestingandelevatinginitself。Itseemstomatterlittlewhethertheinventiveprocessisalargeboldspeculativehandlingofsomeprobleminwhichtheinventorisapioneer,orwhetherheisengageduponthenarrowertaskofbringingthepastinventionsofmanygreatermindsuptothelevelofindustrialutilitybysomesmallneweconomy。Theprocessofinventioncarriesthequalityofinterestingnoveltywhichfromourstandpointisthebadgeofcreativework。Weshall,doubtless,beremindedatthispointthathistoryshowsthepathoftheinventortobealmostashardasthatofthetransgressor,strewnwithtoilanddisappointments。Butthoughagreatinvention,likeagreatworkofart,oftenconcealsanarduousandpainfulgestationundertheappearanceofaspontaneousgeneration,toomuchmustnotbemadeofsuchacost。
Thetrainingofacreativefaculty,thoughlikealltrainingitinvolvesanexerciseandadisciplinenotpleasinginthemselves,can,indeed,scarcelyberegardedinoursenseasacostoflabour。Itisafurtheranceandnotarepressionofpersonality:thepracticeitinvolves,thetechniqueitimpartsarenotmerelymechanicalaptitudes,andtheyalwayscarryinthemtheconscioushopeofcreativeachievement。Theeducationofartisticorinventivefacultyinvolvesnorealwearandtearofhumanvitalitybeyondthatphysicalwastewhicheveryprolongedoccupationinvolves。Inventionitselfinvolvesnocost。Innoneoftheseoperationsisthecharacteristicoflabourpresent,thegiving-outofsomesinglesortofenergybyconstantrepetitionofidenticalactsinanarrowgrooveofendeavour。Suchactsoflabourareindeedinimicaltoinvention:theactofinventioncomescommonlyintimesofleisure。Itistheproductmoreofplaythanofwork,andtheelementofinstinct,perhapsevenofchance,isoftenafactorofsuccess。
§;5。M。Tarde,inhisabruptcontrastbetweencreationandimitationorlabour,hasdogmatisedupontherarityofthecreativefaculty,andcertainothersociologistsandpoliticianshavebusilyengagedthemselvesinsowingfearslestthegreedoforganisedlabourortherashnessofsocialisticlegislationshould,byrobbinggeniusandabilityofitsproperrewards,tamperwiththespringsofindustrialprogress。Now,theimportantquestionoftheeconomicrewardofabilityandgeniusmaybedeferreduntilwehaveascertainedmoreclearlywhatpartthesecreativequalitiesplayinallthedifferentmodesofproductiveenergy。Buttheassumptionthatartisticandinventivefacultyisexceedinglyrare,becauseithassoseldombeendisplayed,mustbeboldlychallenged。Thestudiesofmodernpsychologistsandeducationalistsrefuteit。Onthecontrary,thereisreasontobelievethathumannatureisexceedinglyrichinallsortsofvariationsfromthenormal,andthatverymanyofthesevariationshavevaluableuses,providedthatsuitableconditionsfortheirdiscovery,trainingandapplicationarepresent。
Thenotionthatgenius,likemurder,will'out'isafalsesentimentalism。
Somemenofgeniusdo,indeed,maketheirwayinspiteofadversecircumstances,forcingthemselvesoutoftheobscurityoftheirsurroundings:they'breaktheirbirth'sinvidiousbar,andbreasttheblowsofcircumstance,andgrasptheskirtsofhappychance。'Thatistosaysomesortsofgeniusareunitedwithqualitiesofaudacity,persistence,andluck,whichenablethemtowin'through'。Buthowmanymenofgeniusdonotpossessthesefacultiesandthereforedonotemerge,itisfromthenatureofthecaseimpossibletolearn。Butitisprobablethatmuchgenius,talent,andability,capableofyieldingfinesocialservice,islost。Indeeditisprobablethatmanyofthefinesthumanvariations,involvingunusualdelicacyoffeelingandperhapsofphysique,willbynaturalnecessitybeincapacitatedformakingtheirwayandforcingrecognitionamiduncongenialsurroundings。
Itislikelythatfarmorehumangeniusislostthanissaved,eveninthemorecivilisednationsofto-day。Forwhataretheconditionsofthesuccessfulutilisationofgenius,andforwhatproportionofthepopulationaretheysecurelyattained?
Leisureisafirstconditionforallfreeandfruitfulplayofthemind。Veryfewinventionshavecomefromworkerscompelledtokeeptheirnosestothegrindstone,andunabletolettheireyesandthoughtsplayfreelyroundthenatureoftheirwork。Thisiswhyslaverycontributedsoverylittletothedevelopmentoftheindustrialarts:thisiswhysocomparativelyfewinventionsofimportancehavebeenmadebyhiredlabourersinthisandothercountries。Thestrongesteconomicpleaforashorterandalighterworking-dayisthatitwillliberateforinventionandindustrialprogressthelatentcreativeenergyofcountlessworkersthatisstifledunder。theconditionsofalongday'smonotonoustoil。
Educationisthenextcondition。Thegreatmassofthepopulationinthiscountryhavenosuchopportunityofeducationasisneededtodiscover,stimulate,andnourishthecreativefacultiesinart,science,andindustrialinvention。Oneneednotoverratewhateventhebesteducationcandoforhumantalentofthecreativeorder。Indeed,theeducationoftheschoolsmaysometimesratherinjurethanimprovethefinestfaculties。Buteducationcandooneincomparableservicetonativegeniusortalent。Byputtingthesensitivemindofayoungmanorwomanincontactwiththeinnumerablewavesofthoughtastirintheintellectualatmospherearound,itsuppliesthefirstessentialofallcreativeactivity,thefruitfulunionoftwothoughts。Untilallthenewmindsbroughtintotheworldareplacedinsuchfreecontactwitheveryfertilisingcurrentofthoughtandfeeling,andenjoyfree,fullopportunitiesofknowingthebestthathasbeenthoughtandsaidinalldepartmentsofhumanknowledge,wecannottellhowmuchcreativefacultyperishesforlackofnecessarynutriment。
§;6。Fromartisticandinventiveworkwhichisessentiallycreative,enjoyable,vitallyserviceableandcostless,weproceedtoreviewtheregularskilledmentalworkoftheprofessionalandadministrativeclasses。
ThebulkoftheproductiveenergyclassedasAbilitycomesundertheseheads。
Itisevidentthatinmostofthisworkthecreativequalityisblendedinvariousdegreeswithimitationorroutine。Wepassfromthemoremiraculous,interesting,andrapidmodesofproductiveachievementtoalowerlevel,wheretheexpenditureoftimeandeffortisgreaterandwheretheterms'practice'and'practitioner'themselvesattestthemoreconfinednatureoftheactivities。Therecanbenodoubtthatthepracticeoflawormedicine,eveninitshighestwalks,involvesagooddealoftoilsomeandalmostmechanicalroutine,thoughthemostsuccessfulpractitionersgenerallyshiftthebulkofthisburdenontothelowergradesoftheprofession。
Thepracticecalled'devilling'inthelawillustratesmymeaning。
Buteveryprofessionhasitslowergradesofroutineworkers,assistants,dispensers,nurses,clerksandothers,whosesphereoflibertyiscloselycircumscribed,andwhosework,althoughinvolvingsomequalitiesofpersonalskillandresponsibility,mainlyconsistsincarryingoutorders。
Thisconsiderationofthesubsidiaryprofessionalservicesbringstolight,however,acertaindefectintheuseoftheantithesisbetweencreationandimitation,regardedasanindexofhumanlydesirableandhumanlyundesirablework。
Mererepetitionorcloseroutineisnotthedistinctivecharacterofmuchofthiswork。Theworkofaprivatesecretary,clerk,orothersubordinatetoaprofessionalmanorahighofficial,maycontainmuchvarietyandnoveltyindetailoreveninkind。Thesamemaybetrueoftheworkofavaletorotherpersonalattendant。Itappliestoallworkwhichconsistsincarryingoutanother'sorders。Theremaybeplentyofvarietyandscopeforskillinsuchwork;initsinitialstage,asconceivedbythechieforemployer,itmaycontainelementsofcreativeenergy。Butthesubordinatedoesnotreaptheseelementsofpersonalinterestbecausetheinitiationoftheprocessdoesnotrestwithhim。Theessentialsoftheworkareimposeduponhimbytheintellectandwillofanother:neitherthedesignnorthemodeofexecutionishisown。Though,therefore,hisworkmaynotconsistinmereroutine,butmaybewidelyvaried,thefactthatitisnotproperly'his'work,theexpressionof'his'personality,deprivesitofallqualitiesofcreationorachievement,savesuchfragmentsasadheretothedetailsthatare'lefttohim。'Suchworkmay,indeed,bedescribedasimitative,inthatitconsistsinexecutingadesignprescribedtohimbyanother。
Butifthetermimitationberequired,asitis,todesignatethesortoflabourwhichconsistsinconstantrepetitionofasingleactorprocess,itwouldbebettertomarkthisdistinctionbetweenfreeagentandsubordinateinadifferentway。Thesubordinationofthesecretaryortheclerkinvolvesthehumancostofasurrenderofhispersonaljudgmentandinitiative。
Totheextentthathedoesthis,hebecomesaninstrumentofanother'swill。Theextenttowhichthisinvolvesahumancostwillvarygreatlywiththeparticularconditions,technicalorpersonal。Wheresuchsubordinationbelongstogenuineeducationorapprenticeship,orwhereclosesympathyandmutualunderstandinghappentoexistbetweensuperiorandsubordinate,sothatthemindofoneisthemindofboth,nohumancostatallbutahumanutilitymayemerge。Or,inothercases,thetechnicalnatureoftheworkmayinvolvethenecessityofleavingtothesubordinateagooddealofdiscretionandacorrespondinglylargefieldforpersonalexpression。
Butwherethesubordinatebecomesthemeretoolofhismaster,aheavycostisentailed。Thatcostisheavierindeedthaninordinarymanualroutinelabour,becauseitinvolvesmoredirectlythesubordinationofthemindandwilloftheworker。Partofthedistastefordomesticandothercloselypersonalserviceisduetothecloserbondageofthewholepersonalitythatisinvolvedintherelation。Itisnotsomuchthattheworkisintrinsicallydullorunpleasantasthatitencroachesuponpersonalityandinhibitsinitiativeandachievement。
§;7。Theworkofthehighest,mosthonouredandbestremuneratedmembersoftheprofessionsretainsessentiallythequalityofpersonalachievement。Itconsistsofanumberofdetachedandusuallybriefactsofintellectualskill,theformationofajudgmentuponthemeaningormeritsofacomplicatedcase,thepresentationofthatjudgmentinadviceorargument,thebringingintellectualandmoralinfluencestobearuponsomelineofconduct。
Insomeinstances,asintheargumentofadifficultcaseincourt,ortheconductofacomplicatedBillinParliament,prolongedandarduousexertion,bothmentalandphysical,maybeinvolved。Evenwheretheseparateactsrequirenoprolongedoutputofenergy,aprofessionalcareer,comprisinglongseriesofsuchacts,maystrainorexhaustthementalandphysicalresourcesevenofastrongman。Thougheachcasewillbedifferent,andwillcallforqualitiesofpersonalskillandjudgment,interestingandagreeableintheirexercise,allwillfallwithinthelimitsofaspeciallineofpractice,andthisspecialismwillwearuponthenervoussystem,bringingtheactivityunderaneconomyofcosts。Thetemptationsofabusyandsuccessfulprofessionalcareerinsidiouslysaptheinterestandjoywhichattendtheearlierstruggle,unlessamanhastherarewisdomandthestrengthofwilltolimithisamountofworkandincome。
Whatissaidhereofthecompetitiveprofessionsisinlargemeasureapplicabletotheofficialgradesofthepublicservices。Thehighersortsofofficialworkcontinuallyinvolvequalitiesofjudgmentandimagination,andthereislittlemererepetition。Asonedescendstothelowerofficiallevels,theroutineorrepetitiveelementincreases,untilonereachesasortofofficial,theliberty,initiative,skill,andinterestofwhoseworkhardlyexceedsthatoftheordinarymachine-feederinafactory。Inallsuchdistinctivelyroutineworkthereisaheavymentalandevenphysicalcost。Butthereisthisdistinctionbetweenthecaseoftheofficialandoftheprofessionalman。Theformerisnotsubjecttotheconstantdriveofthecompetitivesystemandisusuallyrelievedfromthesenseofinsecurityandanxietywhichwearsuponthemindofmostprofessionalmen。
§;8。Thepsychologyoftheentrepreneurorbusinessmanisoneofgreatinterestandcomplexity。Ifwetaketheordinaryactivitiesofthemanagerofawell-establishedbusinessinastapletrade,theydonotseemtoinvolvemuchinthewayofhighintellectualskill,imagination,orexploit——butmerelyalimitedamountofspecialtradeknowledge,ordinaryintelligence,andcommonsense。Hehastoperformanumberoflittleactsofcalculationanddecision。Whatwecallhischaracter,viz。,honesty,reliability,senseofresponsibility,reallycountsformorethanintellect:
thereislittledemandforconstructiveorcreativeimagination,orforhighenterprise。Theconductofsuchabusiness,evenonthepartofitsmanager,thoughnotdestituteofinterestingincident,involvesagooddealofdullroutineandevendrudgerywhichcarriesadistinct'cost'
inmentalwearandtear。
Thesubordinateofficialsinsuchbusinessare,ofcourse,subjectedtoacloserroutine,thoughnevertoamerelymechanicalrepetition,andtheirworkinglifeislessaffectedbyhopesandfearsrelatingtotheprofitsorlossonthehalf-year'sworking。
Butalargeproportionofbusinessmenworkunderverydifferentconditionsfromthese。
Mostindustriesto-dayaresubjectedtorapidchangesinregardtoinstrumentsandmethodsofwork,marketsformaterialsandforfinishedproducts,wagesandconditionsofemployment。Akeeneyefornovelties,arapidjudgment,long-sightedcalculation,commandingcharacter,courageinundertakingrisks——theseareleadingnotesinthemodernbusinesslife。
Thebusinessmanwhoconstructs,enlarges,andconductsamoderncompetitivebusiness,performsagoodmanyfunctionswhichcallforvariousmentalandmoralqualities。Hemustplanthestructureofhisbusiness-determineitssize,thesizesandsortsofpremisesandplanthewillrequire,theplacewhichhecanbestoccupy;hemustgetreliablemanagersandassistants,andagoodsupplyofskilledlabourofvariouskinds。Hemustwatchmarketsandbeamasteroftheartsofbuyingandselling:hemusthavetactinmanagingemployeesandaquickeyeforimprovementsinmethodsofproductionandofmarketing:hemustbeapracticalfinancier,andmustfollowthecourseofcurrenthistorysofarasitaffectstradeprospects。
Ifwetakethemostgeneralisedtypeofmodernbusinessman,thefinancierwhodirectstheflowofcapitalintoitsvariouschannels,orthecapitalistwholivesbymanaginghisinvestments,wefindthebusinessabilityinitsmostrefinedform。Forthesemenarethegeneraldirectorsofeconomicenergy,operatingthroughjointstockenterprise。
Thehumancostsofthisworkofspeculationanddirectionaredifficulttoassess。Suchtermsaslabourandindustryarealienfromtheatmosphereofthesehigheconomicfunctions。Atthesametimethestrainofexcitement,and,atcertainseasons,ofprolongedintellectualeffortandattention,thesenseofresponsibilityforcriticaldecisions,involveaheavynervouswearandtear。Probablytheheaviesthumancost,however,isacertainmoralcallousnessandrecklessnessinvolvedinthefinancialstruggle。
Forthepapersymbolsofindustrialpower,whichfinanciershandle,aresoabstractinnatureandsoremotefromthehumanfateswhichtheydirect,thatthechainofcausationlinkingstocksandshareswithhumanworkandhumanlifeisseldomrealised。HowshouldthetemporaryholderofablockofsharesinPeruvianrubberconcernhimselfwiththeconditionsofforcedlabourintheAmazonforests,orthegroupformedtofloataforeigngovernmentloanconsiderthehumanmeaningofthenavalpolicyitisintendedtofinance?
Exceptinsofarastheyaffectthevaluesoftheirholdingsandthepriceatwhichtheycanmarkettheshares,thehumansignificanceofthebusinessorpoliticalenterpriseswhichareconcreteentitiesbehindfinance,hasnomeaningforthem。Thesemenandtheireconomicactivitiesarefurtherremovedfromhumancostsandutilitiesthananyothersortofbusinessmen。Inviewoftheimmensehumanconsequenceswhichfollowfromtheirconductthisaloofnessisademoralisingcondition。
Sooccultandsosuspectaremanyoftheoperationsoffinanciersassomewhattoobscuretheimportanceoftheactualeconomicservicestheyrendertoourindustrialsystem。Generalfinanceisthegovernoroftheeconomicengine:itdistributeseconomicpoweramongthevariousindustries,allocatingthecapitalofthesavingclassestoroad-making,irrigation,mining,theequipmentofnewcities,theestablishmentofstaplemanufactures,andthesupplyoffinancialresourcesforvariouspurposesofgovernment。
Thefinestbusinessinstincts,themostrapid,accurate,andcomplexpowersofinferenceandprophecy,thebestbalanceofaudacityandcaution,thelargestandbest-informedimagination,areneededforthisworkofgeneralfinance。Itisintenselyinteresting,andexertsafascinationwhichistraceabletoacombinationofappeals。Thechieffieldforhigheconomicadventure,itevokesmostfullythecombativequalitiesofforceandcunning;
itisfullofhazardandfluctuation,withlarge,rapidgainsandlosses:
itneitherrequiresnorpermitsclosepersonalcontactwiththetroublesomeorsordiddetailsofindustrialorcommerciallife。
Suchistheworkofthefinancierandtheskilledinvestor,whofoundcapitalisticenterprisesanddealintheirstocksandsharesoverthewholeareaoftheindustrialworld。Itisthemostintellectualand,inonesense,themost'moral'ofbusinessactivities,involvingatoncethefinestartsofcalculationandthefullestfaithinhumannature。
Forfinanceismostcloselylinkedwithcredit,andcreditisonlythebusinessnameforfaith。Whenpeopletalkoffinanceasifitwereriddledwithdishonesty,factsgivethemthelie。Thenormalhonestyoffinanceisprovedbythefactthatlargerandlargernumbersofmenandwomenineverycountryofthecivilisedworldarecomingtoentrusttheirsavingsmoreandmoretomenwhoarepersonalstrangers,forinvestmentindistantcountriesandinbusinessestheexactnatureofwhichisunknowntothem,andoverwhichtheycannothopetoexerciseanappreciablecontrol。
TheworkingofthemachineryofmoderninvestmentbywhichmillionsofmeninEngland,France,andGermanyhavesenttheirsavingstomakerailwaysinS。America,ortoopenupminesinS。Africa,ortobuilddamsinEgypt,isthelargesttangibleresultofmoderneducationthatcanbeadduced。
Itimpliestheintellectualandmoralcooperationoflargernumbersofdistinctpersonalitiesacrosswiderlocalandnationalbarriersthanbaseveroccurredbeforeinthehistoryoftheworld。
§;9。Areasonablefaithinthefutureandawillingnesstorunsomeriskarecomplementarymotivesinthisgrowthoffinancialinvestment。
Theyare,however,bynomeansconfinedtooperationsoffinance。Allindustryinvolvesfaithandrisk-taking。Everyproducerwhoactsasafreeagentconceivessomegoodobjectwhichbethinksattainablebyhiswork。Hemaybemistaken,eitherinconceivingwrongly,orinfailingtocarryouthisplan。Hisfailuremaybeduetowantofskillorknowledge,ortoadversecircumstances。Inprimitivesocieties,whereamanproducesmostlyforhisownuse,theriskisless。Forhemaybesupposedtoknowwhathewants,howmuch,andwhenhewantsit。Butwhenhemakesforothers,i。e。,foramarket,therisksaregreater。Forhewillnotknowsomuchaboutthewantsofotherpersonsasabouthisown。Itmightseemasifsmalllocalmarkets,inwhichtheproducerdealtexclusivelywithneighbours,wouldcarrytheleastrisk,andthattheriskwouldexpandwitheachexpansionofthemarketarea。Butthisisnotcommonlythecase。Asarule,thereislessriskfortheproducerservingalargemarket,theindividualmembersofwhichhedoesnotknow,thanasmallmarketofhisneighbours。Forthefluctuationsofaggregatedemandwillbesmallerinthelargermarket,andthoughhewillknowlessabouttheindividualcontributionstoitssupplyanditsdemand,hisriskoffailingtoeffectasale,whenhedesirestodoso,willusuallybeless。Thisatanyrateappliestomoststandardtrades。