§;6。Fortothisvitalpointwemustreturn。Thesubstitutionofdirectsocialcontrolfortheprivateprofit-seekingmotiveinthenormalprocessesofourindustriesisessentialtoanysoundschemeofsocialreconstruction。Fornototherwisecanwegetthesocialmeaningofindustryrepresentedconsciouslyinthecooperativewillofthehumanfactorsofproduction。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatthepaceofcivilisationfornations,ofmoralprogressforindividuals,dependsuponthisradicalreconstructionofcommonindustry。Fortheexistingstructureofordinarybusinesslifeinhibitstherealisationofitssocialmeaningbythestressitlaysuponthediscordantandtheseparatistinterests。Thestruggletokeeportoimproveone'sholduponsomeplaceintheindustrialsystem,towinalivelihood,tomakesomegainthatinvolvesalosstosomeoneelse,derationalisestheintelligenceanddemoralisesthecharacterofallofus。
Thisderationalisationanddemoralisationareseentoberootedinthedefectivestructureandworkingofindustrialismitself。
Ifindustrywerefairlyapportionedamongall,accordingtothecapabilityofeach,ifPropertywereallottedtoeachaccordingtohisneeds,bysomenaturalprocessofdistributionasregularandcertainastheprocessoftheplanets,personswouldnotneedtothinkorfeelverykeenlyaboutsuchthingsasIndustryandProperty:theirintellectsandheartswouldbefreeforotherinterestsandactivities。
Buttheinsecurity,irregularityandinjusticeofeconomicdistributionkeepIndustryandPropertycontinuallyintheforegroundofthepersonalconsciousness。
HerecomesintoterriblereliefthemoralsignificanceoftheunearnedSurplusthetermwhichgathersallthebadoriginsofPropertyintothefocusofasingleconcept。
Atpresentmuchindustryisconducted,muchPropertyisacquired,bymodeswhichareunjust,irrationalandsociallyinjurious。Legalprivilege,economicforce,naturalorcontrivedscarcity,luck,personalfavour,inheritance——sucharethemeansbywhichlargequantitiesofpropertycometobepossessedbypersonswhohavenotcontributedanyconsiderableproductiveefforttotheirmaking。
Suchpropertystandsintheeyeofthelaw,andinthepopularregard,uponpreciselythesamefootingasthatownedbythosewhohaveearneditbythesweatoftheirbrow,ortheeffortoftheirbrain。Thefailureofsomanythoughtfulmenandwomentoappreciatethevitalbearingoftheissueoforiginsuponthevalidityofpropertyisthesupremeevidenceoftheinjuriousreactionsofthepresentpropertysystemuponthehumanmind。Thecrucialmoralfallacywhichitevokesisthecontention,seriouslyputforthbycertainsocialphilosophers,aswellasbysocialreformers,thatpropertyacquiredinthewaysIhavejustindicatedisvalidatedinreasonandmoralitybythegoodusestowhichitmaybeputbyitsowners。
Mr。CarnegieandMr。Rockefellerhaveseriouslypropoundedthetheorythatcertainindividualsareendowedbynatureorbycircumstanceswiththeopportunityandpowerofaccumulatinggreatwealth,butthattheirwealth,thoughlegallytheirprivateproperty,isrightlytoberegardedbythemasa'socialtrust'tobeadministeredbythemforthebenefitoftheirfellow-men。Itseemstothemamatterofindifferencethatthiswealthis'unearned,'providedthatitisproductivelyexpended。Sofragmentsofprofits,earnedbysweatinglabourorbyrackrentingtenants,arespentonpensions,publichospitalsorhousingreform。Fractionsoftheexcessivepricestheconsumingpublicpaystoprivilegedtransportcompaniesor'protected'
manufacturersaregivenbackinparksoruniversities。Greatinheritances,passingonthedeathofrichbankers,contractorsorcompanypromoters,dropheavytearsofcharitytosoftenthefateofthosewhohavefailedinthebusinessstruggle。Fortunes,gainedbysettingnationagainstnation,areappliedtopromotethecauseofinternationalpeace。Thishumorisinevitable。Unearnedpropertycanfindnosocialusesmoreexigentthantheapplicationofcharitableremediestotheverydiseasestowhichitowesitsorigin。Soeverywherewefindthebeneficiariesofeconomicforce,luck,favourandprivilege,tryingtopourbalmandoilintothewoundswhichtheyhavemade。Theeffectoftheprocess,andwhatmaybecalleditsunconsciousintention,istodefendtheirrationalityandinjusticeoftheseunearnedpropertiesbybuyingoffclearscrutinyintotheirorigins。
Sometimes,indeed,theintentionattainsameasureofclearconsciousness,asinthecaseswhererichmenorfirmsregardthesubscriptionsgiventopublicpurposesassoundbusinessexpenditure,applyingonefractionoftheirgrossprofitstoapropitiationfundastheyapplyanothertoaninsurancefund。
§;7。Theradicaldefectofthisdoctrineandpracticeofthe'socialtrust'isitsfalseseveranceoforiginfromuse。Theorganiclawofindustryhasjoinedoriginanduse,workandwealth,productionandconsumption。
Itaffirmsanaturalandnecessaryrelationbetweengettingandspending。
Amanwhoputsnoeffortintogetting,arent-receiver,cannotputwell-directedeffortintospending。Heisbynaturalproclivityawastrel。Amanwhoispurelyselfishinhisgetting,asthesweater,gambler,ormonopolist,cannotbesocialinhisspending。Therecipientofunearnedincomeisimpelledbytheconditionsofhisbeingtoalifeofidlenessandluxury:thisisthelifeheisfittedfor。Heisunfittedfortheadministrationofasocialtrust。
Theseobvioustruths,sofatallyneglected,arenovaguemaximsofrevolutionaryethics,butarefirmlyrootedinphysicalandmoralfact。
Wehaveseenthatthereisthroughoutorganiclifeaquantitativeandqualitativerelationbetweenfunctionandnutrition,eachbeingtheconditionoftheother。Hewhodoesnoteatcannotwork;hewhodoesnotworkcannoteat。
Itistruethatthelatterlawworkslessdirectlyandlessimmediatelythantheformer。Parasitism,individualorsocial,continuestoexisttomanywalksoflife。Butitneverthrives,italwaystendstodegeneration,atrophyanddecay。Normally,andinthelongrun,itremainstruethat'Whosoeverwillnotwork,neithercanheeat。'Ifthentherecipiencyofunearnedwealth,parasitism,disablestherecipientfromputtinghis'property'
tosoundpersonaluses,isitlikelythathecanputittosoundsocialuses?Thoughabnormalinstancesmayseem,hereaselsewhere,tocontravenethenaturallaw,itremainstruethatthepowerofindividualearning,notmerelyinvolvesnopowerofsocialspending,butnegatesthatpower。
Itmightevenbecontendedthattherewillbeanaturaldispositionintherecipientofunearnedwealthtospendthatwealthinpreciselythosewaysinwhichitinjuresmostthesocietyheseekstoserve。Thisisprobablythecase。Itismoresociallyinjuriousforthemillionairetospendhissurpluswealthincharitythaninluxury。Forbyspendingitonluxury,hechieflyinjureshimselfandhisimmediatecircle,butbyspendingitincharityheinflictsagraverinjuryuponsociety。Foreveryactofcharity,appliedtohealsufferingarisingfromdefectivearrangementsofsociety,servestoweakenthepersonalspringsofsocialreform,alikebythe'miraculous'
reliefitbringstotheindividual'case'thatisrelieved,andbythesofteninginfluenceitexercisesontheheartsandheadsofthosewhowitnessit。Itsubstitutestheideaandthedesireofindividualreformforthoseofsocialreform,andsoweakensthecapacityforcollectiveself-helpinsociety。Themoststrikingtestimonytothejusticeofthisanalysisisfurnishedbythetendencyof'modelmillionaires'todirectalltheircharitytowholesaleandwhattheydeemsocialpurposes,ratherthantoindividualcases。Inordertoavoidtheerrorsofindiscriminatecharity,theyfastentheirmunificenceuponsocietyintheshapeofuniversities,hospitals,parks,librariesandothergeneralbenefits。Realisingquiteclearly,astheythink,thatthecharacterofanindividualisweakenedanddemoralisedbyacharitabledonationwhichenableshimtogetwhatotherwisehecouldonlyhavegotbyhispersonalexertion,theyproceedtoweakenanddemoralisewholecitiesandentirenations,bydoingforthesesocialbodieswhattheyarequitecapableofdoingforthemselvesbytheirowncollectiveexertions。Thesepublicgiftsofmillionairesdebauchthecharacterofcitiesandstatesmoreeffectivelythantheprivategiftsofunreflectingdonorsthecharacterofindividuals。For,whereasmany,ifnotmost,oftheprivaterecipientsofcharityarevictimsofmisfortuneoroflackofopportunity,andarenotfullyresponsiblefortheevilplightinwhichtheystand,thisisnotthecasewithanorganisedself-governingcommunity,aCityoraState。Suchasocietyisable,outofitsownresources,ifitchoosestosecureandusethem,tosupplyforitselfallitsownlegitimateneeds。Ithasafarlargerself-sufficiencyformeetingallordinaryemergenciesandforfollowinganeconomyofself-developmentandprogress,thanhastheindividualcitizen。Foritcansupplyitsneedsoutofthesocialincomewhichitscollectivelifeisconstantlyassistingtoproduce,outofthatverysurpluswhich,wronglyallowedtoflow,unearned,intothecoffersofrichindividuals,istheveryfundusedforthisdebasingpubliccharity。
§;8。Theclearrecognitionofthesetruthsiscloselygermanetoourcentralconsiderationinthischapter,viz。,thequestionwhethertherecanbeevokedinthecommonconsciousnessaflowoftruesocialorcooperativefeelingstrongandsteadyenoughtoevokefromindividualcitizensasufficientvoluntaryefficiencyinproduction。Noabsolutelyconvincinganswertothequestionisatpresentpossible。But,ifanysuchexperimentistobetriedhopefully,itcanonlybedonebysettingPropertyuponanintelligiblemoralandsocialbasis,sothatitpassesintothepossessionofhimtowhomitisreally'proper',inthesensethathehasputsomethingofhimselfintoitsmaking。Onlybyresolvingunearnedintoearnedincome,sothatallPropertyisdulyearnedeitherbyindividualsorbysocieties,cananethicalbasisbelaidforsocialindustry。Solongaspropertyappearstocomemiraculouslyorcapriciously,irrespectiveofeffortsorrequirements,andsolongasitiswithheldasirrationally,itisidletopreach'thedignityoflabour'ortoinculcatesentimentsofindividualself-help。
WhenallPropertyisvisiblyjustified,alikeinoriginanduse,therightsofpropertywillforthefirsttimeberespected,fortheywillbeforthefirsttimerespectable。Tosteal,tocheat,tosweat,tocadgeorbeg,willbeconsideredshameful,notbecausethelawforbids,butbecausesuchactswillbefeltbyalltobeassaultsuponthepersonalityofanother。
Forthefirsttimeinhistory,also,thetax-dodger,thecontractorwhoputsuphispriceforpublicworks,thesinecurist,thejobber,theprotectionistandotherparasitesuponthepublicpurse,willreceivethegeneralreprobationduetorobbery。ForwhentheStateisrecognisedashavingrightsofpropertyidenticalinoriginandusewiththoseofindividualcitizens,thatpropertywillclaimandmayreceiveasimilarrespect。Property,inaword,becomesareallysacredinstitutionwhenthehumanlawofdistributionisappliedtothewholeincome,surplusaswellascosts。Suchinequalitiesinincomeassurvivewillbeplainlyjustifiedasthecounterpartofinequalityofeffortsandofneeds。Thewidecontrastsofrichandpoor,ofluxuryandpenury,ofidlenessandtoil,willnolongerstaggerthereasonandoffendtheheart。
Sothestandardofsentimentalvalueswhichaffectstheconventionalmodesoflivingofallclasses——largelybysnobbishimitationandrivalry——willbetransformed。
Ostentatiouswasteandconspicuousleisure,withalltheirinjuriousreactionsuponourEducation,Recreation,Morals,andAEsthetics,willtendtodisappear。TheillusoryfactorofPrestigewillbeundermined,sothatthevaluations,bothofproductiveactivitiesandofconsumption,willshifttowardsanatural,orrational,standard。
§;9。Notmerelywillthewidegulfwhichseversmentalfrommanualworkersdisappear,butalltheelaboratescaleofvaluesfordifferentsortsofintellectualandmanualworkwouldundergoaradicalrevision。
Theeffectofsettingonahumanbasistheindustryofthecountrywould,ofcourse,reactuponallotherdepartmentsoflife,Religion,FamilyandCivicMorality,Politics,Literature,ArtandScience。Forthougheconomicsalonecannotmouldorinterprethistory,thedistinctivelyeconomicinstitutionsofIndustryandPropertyhavealwaysexercisedapowerful,sometimesadominantinfluence,uponotherinstitutions。Thereformationofeconomiclifemust,therefore,produceequallybeneficenteffectsuponallotherdepartments——transformingtheirstandardsandfeedingthestreamsoftheiractivitieswithnewthoughtsandfeelings,drawnnolongerfromthemindsofalittleclassorafeworiginalnatures,butfromthewholetideofhumanlifeflowingfreelyalongeverychannelofindividualandsocialendeavour。
Thesecurityandrationalityoftheeconomicorderwillgivetoallthatconfidenceinman,andthatfaithinhisfuture,whicharetheprimeconditionsofsafeandrapidprogress。Forthebrutalandcrushingpressureoftheeconomicprobleminitscoarsestshape——howtosecureamaterialbasisoflivelihood——hasofnecessityhithertoabsorbednearlyalltheenergyofman,sothathispowersofbodysoulandspirithavebeenmainlyspentonanunsatisfactoryandprecarioussolutionofthispersonaleconomicproblem。Religion,politics,thedisinterestedpursuitsoftruthorbeauty,havehadtoliveupontheleavingsoftheeconomiclife。
Aneconomicreformationwhich,byapplyingthehumanlawofdistribution,absorbstheunproductivesurplus,wouldthusfurnishasocialenvironmentwhichwasstrongerandbetterinthenourishmentandeducationitaffordedtoman。Everyorganofsocietywouldfunctionmoreeffectively,supplyingricheropportunitiesforhealthyall-roundself-developmenttoall。Sofarastheeconomicactivitiescanbetakenintoseparateconsideration,itisevidentthatthisjustly-orderedenvironmentwoulddomuchtoraisethephysical,andmoretoraisethemoralefficiencyoftheindividualasawealth-producerandconsumer。Butitsmostimportantcontributiontothevalueandthegrowthofhumanwelfarewouldlieinotherfieldsofpersonalitythanthedistinctivelyeconomic,intheliberation,realisationandimprovedconditionofotherintellectualandspiritualenergiesatpresentthwartedbyorsubordinatedtoindustrialism。CHAPTERXX:THESOCIALWILLASANECONOMICFORCE
§;1。Tosecurebyeducationandreflectionsucharevaluationofhumanactivities,aimsandachievements,aswillseteconomicprocessesandproductsinadefinitelylowerplacethanthatwhichtheyoccupyatpresent,is,Ithink,essentialtosafeandrapidprogress。Fortheearlystepstowardsabetterindustrialorderwillverylikelyinvolvesomeeconomicsacrifice,inthesenseofareducedoutputofpersonalenergyandofwealth-productiononthepartoftheaveragememberofsociety。Althoughthislossmaybemorethancompensatedbytheeliminationoflargewastesofcompetitionandbyimprovedorganisation,wearenotwarrantedinassumingthatthiswillatoncetakeplace。
Weneednotassumeit。Forevenifwedonot,ouranalysishasshownthataneconomicsystem,thusworkingatalowerrateofhumancosts,andturningoutasmallerquantityofgoods,mayneverthelessyieldalargerquantityofhumanwelfare,byabetterdistributionofworkandproduct。
Butthegreatgain,ofcourse,willconsistintheincreasedamountoftime,interestandenergy,availableforthecultivationofotherhumanartsoutsidetheeconomicfield。Uponthecapacitytoutilisetheseenlargedopportunitiestheactualpaceofhumanprogressintheartoflivingwilldepend。Atpresentthiscapacitymayseemsmall。Theincreasedopportunitiesofleisure,travel,recreation,culture,andcomradeship,whichhavecomeinwidelydifferentdegreestoallclasses,haveoftenbeenputtodisappointinguses。Butagreatdealofsuchwasteisevidentlyattributabletothatprevailingviceofthoughtandfeelingwhichthedominationofindustrialismhasstampeduponourminds,thecrudedesiresforphysicalsensationsandexternaldisplay。Notuntilafarlargermeasureofreleasefromoureconomicbondshasbeenacquired,shallweenjoythedetachmentofmindrequisiteforthelargerprocessesofrevaluationandrealisation。
§;2。Onewordremains,however,tobesaidupontheall-importantsubjectofmotivesandincentives。Wehaveseenthat,insofarasitispossibletodisplacethecompetitivesystemofindustry,withitsstimulationofindividualgreedandcombativeness,byamoreconsciouslycooperativesystem,thewilloftheindividualengageduponindustrialprocesseswillbeaffectedinsomemeasurebythesocialmeaningoftheworkheisdoing,andwilldesiretoforwardit。Theefficacyofthissocialwillisnot,however,adequatelyrealisedsolongasitisregardedmerelyasafeelingforthepublicgoodoriginatingfromanumberofseparatecentresofenlightenedpersonality。Thegrowingrecognitiononthepartofindividualworkers,thatthestructureofsocietyestablishesastrongcommunityofinterests,willnodoubtsupplysomeincentivetoeachtodohisfairsharetothenecessarywork。Butthispersonalincentivemaynotgoveryfartowardsovercomingtheselfishnessorsluggishnessoffeeblerpersonalities。If,then,thesocialwillbetakenmerelytomeantheaggregateoffeelingforthepublicgoodthusgeneratedintheseparatewills,itmaynotsufficetosupportthecommonweal。Butifourorganicconceptionofsocietyhasanyvalidity,thesocialwillmeansmorethanthisadditionofseparatelystimulatedindividualwills。Theindividualsoldiermayhaveapatrioticfeelingexpressinghisindividualloveofhiscountry,whichhasacertainfightingvalue。But,ashisattachmenttohisprofessiongrows,anotherfeelingofwideroriginandmoreenduringforcefuseswiththenarrowerfeeling,enhancinggreatlyitseffectiveness。Thatfeelingisespritdecorps,acorporatespiritoftheservice,capableofovercomingpersonaldefects,thecowardice,apathyorgreedoftheindividual,andofevokinganenormousvolumeofunitedeffort。Ihavenointentionofsuggestingthattheroutineofordinaryindustrycanyieldscopefordisplaysofthisespritdecorpscomparableinintensitywiththedramaticexamplesofgreatmilitaryachievements。ButIdoaffirmthateveryconsciouscorporatelifeisaccompaniedandnourishedbysomecommonconsciousnessofwillandpurposewhichfeedsandfortifiesthepersonalcentres,stimulatingthosethatareweakerandraisingthemtoadecentlevelofeffort,reducingdissension,andimpartingconsciousunityofactionintocomplexprocessesofcooperation。
Thepowerofthissocialwillasaneconomicmotive-forceoughtnottobeignored。Astheprocessesofindustrialcooperationgrowcloser,morenumerous,moreregularintheiroperation,thiscooperationandcoordination,representingaunityofwillandpurposefartranscendingthevisionandthepurposeevenofthemostenlightenedandaltruisticmember,willformapowerfulcurrentofindustrialconsciousness,influencingandmouldingthewillandpurposesofindividuals。
Suchaforce,emanatingfromthesocialwhole,willofnecessitynotbeclearlycomprehensibletotheindividualswhofeelitsinfluenceandrespondtoit。Theyarethemany,whileitflowsfromtheirunion,whichmustalwaysbeimperfectlymirroredinthemindofeach。Yetthisdirectsocialwillonlyworksthroughitspowertostimulateanddirectthewillofeach,soastoproduceamoreeffectiveharmony。Vaguetheorythiswillseemtosome,utterlyremotefromthehardfactsoflife!Theproblemishowtoinducepublicorothersalariedemployeestodoafairday'swork,whentheymightshirkitwithoutlossofpay。Well,wesuggestthatwhenthatfairday'sworkisnotundulylongoronerous,whenitisfairlypaid,andwheneachseesthatalltheothersarecalledupontodotheirpropershare,thegeneralsenseoffairnessinthearrangementwillcometoexerciseacompellinginfluenceoneachmantokeephisoutputuptoadecentlevel。
Thispowerofthesocialwillhasneveryetbeentested。Forasocietywitharrangementsbasedonmanifestprinciplesofjusticeandreasonhasneveryetbeensetinoperation。Butthoughourorganiclawofdistributionmayneverattainaperfectapplication,sofarasitisapplieditmaysurelybeexpectedtoactinthewayheredescribed,appealingtothespringsofhonour,equity,comradeshipandrespectforpublicopinion,withaforceimmeasurablygreaterthanispossibleinasystemofindustryandpropertywherereasonandfairplayintheapportionmentofworkanditsrewardsaresoimperfectlyapparent。
§;3。Theseconditionsoforganicwelfareintheapportionmentofworkandwealthdonotimplyaconceptionofindustrialsocietyinwhichtheindividualandhispersonaldesiresandendsareimpairedorsacrificedtotheinterestsofthecommunity。Theydoimplyagrowthofthesocial-economicstructureinwhichtheimpulsesofmutualaid,whichfromtheearliesttimeshavebeencivilisingmankind,shallworkwithaclearerconsciousnessoftheirhumanvalue。Astheindividualperceivesmoreclearlyhowintimatelyhispersonaleffortsandeffectsare,inprocessandinproduct,linkedwiththoseofalltheothermembersofsociety,thatperceptionmustpowerfullyinfluencehisfeelings。Hewillcomeconsciouslytorealisehispersonalfreedominactionsthatareawillingcontributiontothecommongood。
Thisconsciousnesswillmakeitmoredifficultforhimtodefendinhimselforotherseconomicconductorinstitutionsinwhichindividual,classornationalconflictsareinvolved。Thusabettersocialconsciousnessandabettereconomicenvironmentwillreactononeanotherforfurthermutualbetterment。Theunityofthissocial-industriallifeisnotaunityofmerefusioninwhichtheindividualvirtuallydisappears,butafederalunityinwhichtherightsandinterestsoftheindividualshallbeconservedforhimbythefederation。Thefederalgovernment,however,conservestheseindividualrights,not,astheindividualistmaintains,becauseitexistsfornootherpurposethantodoso。Itconservesthembecauseitalsorecognisesthatanareaofindividuallibertyisconducivetothehealthofthecollectivelife。Itsfederalnaturerestsonarecognitionalikeofindividualandsocialends,or,speakingmoreaccurately,ofsocialendsthataredirectlyattainedbysocialactionandofthosethatarerealisedinindividuals。
Iregardsuchafederationasanorganicunionbecausenoneoftheindividualrightsorinterestsisabsoluteinitssanction。Societyinitseconomicasinitsotherrelationsisafederalstatenotafederationofstates。
Therightsandinterestsofsocietyareparamount:theyoverrideallclaimsofindividualstolibertiesthatcontravenethem。
§;4。Sofarasindustryisconcerned,weperceivehowthisharmonybetweenindividualandsocialrightsandinterestsisrealisedintheprimarydivisionofproductiveactivitiesintoArtandRoutine。Theimpulsesanddesireswhichinitiate,sustainanddirectwhatwetermart,includingallthecreativeactivitiesinindustry,flowfreelyfromtheindividualnature。Werecognisethatproductiveactivitiesinwhichtheseelementsareofparamountimportanceformaneconomicfieldwhichsociety,guidedbyitsintelligentself-interest,willsafelyandprofitablyleavetoindividualsandprivateenterprise。Industrieswhichareessentiallyofaroutinecharacter,affordinglittlescopeforcreativeactivitiesofindividuals,mustpassunderdirectsocialadministration。Forfreeindividualinitiativeanddesireswillnotsupportthem。Theycanonlybeworkedunderprivateenterpriseonconditionthatgreatgainsareprocurablefortheentrepreneursandanunfreebodyofproletarianlabourisavailableforcompulsoryservice。
Theroutineservicesofsocietycannotproperlybesecuredbyappealstotheseparateself-interestsofindividuals。Soadministered,theyinvolvethewasteofvastunearnedgainsaccruingtoaprivatecasteofmasters,theinjuryanddegradationofeconomicservitudeintheworkers,andagrowinginsecurityandirregularityofservicetotheconsumers。Theonlyvolumeoffree-willandvoluntaryenterprisethatcansupportthoseroutineindustriesisthefree-willandenterpriseofSociety。Ifwecanbringourselvestoregardthegreatnormalcurrentsofroutineindustry,engagedinsupplyingthecommondailyneeds,fromthestandpointofarealliveSociety,weshallrecognisethattothatSocietythisindustrialactivityanditsachievementsarefullofinterestandvariety。WhattotheindividualisdullroutineistoSocietycreativeart,thenaturalemploymentofsocialproductiveenergiesfortheprogressivesatisfactionofsocialneeds。Thoughtheindividualwillsoonflagsbeforedemandsforworksoirksomeandrepellenttoitsnature,thesocialwillgladlyrespondstoworkinwhichthatwillfindsitsfreenaturalexpression。
Thisistheultimateargumentinfavourofthesocialisationoftheroutineindustries,viz。,thereleaseoftheindividualwillfromworkthatiscostly,repellentandill-done,inordertoenablethesocialwilltofindinthatworkitshealthy,interesting,educativeself-realisation。
ForonceconceiveSocietyasabeingcapableofthoughtandfeeling,theseprocesseshaveaninterestforit。Theyaresocialart,partofthecollectivelifeinwhichSocietyrealisesitself,justastheindividualrealiseshimselfinindividualart。OnceaccepttheviewofSocietynotasameresetofsocialinstitutions,oranetworkofrelations,butasacollectivepersonality,thegreatroutineindustrialprocessesbecomethevitalfunctionsofthiscollectivebeing,interestingtothatbeingalikeintheirperformanceandtheirproduct。Thatsubdivisionoflabourandthatapparentcontradictionofinterestsbetweenproducerandconsumerwhichseemdesignedtofeedpersonalantagonismsandtothwartindividuality,nowacquirerationaljustificationasthecomplexadaptiveplayofhealthyvitalfunctionsinSociety。
§;5。Labour,thusinterpreted,becomesatrulysocialfunction,theorderlyhalf-instinctivehalf-rationalactivitybywhichsocietyhelpsitselfandsatisfiesitswants,acommontideofproductiveenergywhichpulsesthroughtheveinsofhumanity,impellingtheindividualmembersofsocietytoperformtheirpartascontributorstothegenerallife。Whetherthoseindividualactionsarestrictlyvoluntary,pleasurableandinterestinginthemselvestothosewhoperformthem,asinthefinerarts,orarecompulsoryintheirmainincidenceupontheindividual,andaccompaniedbylittleinterestorsocialfeelingonhispart,isamatterofquitesecondaryimportanceasviewedfromthesocialstandpoint。Aslabourissocial,soiscapital。Theotherapparentdiscrepancy,thatbetweentheinterestsofpresentandfuture,spendingandsaving,alsodisappearswhenweconsiderthesocialsignificanceofsaving。Forsocietysecretescapitalbythesamehalf-instinctivehalf-rationalprocessbywhichitgenerates,directsanddistributes,itssupplyoflabour。Onlybyahypothesiswhichthusassignsacentralindustrialpurposetosocietycanwepossiblyunderstandthelifeofindustryandthecomplexcooperationitdisplays。
Takeforasingleinstancethewheatsupplyoftheworld——orthecottonindustryofLancashire。Weseelargerhythmicactions,elaborateintheircomplicatedflows,responsivetoinnumerablestimuliofworld-markets,——anervoussystemofaffluentandeffluentcurrents,directedbythedesiresandbeliefsofinnumerableproducersandconsumers,eachconsciouslyactuatedbyhisownparticularmotivesandyetcooperatingtowardslargesocialends。
Wecanneithergrasp,intellectuallyoremotionally,thehumanorsocialsignificanceoftheseprocesses,ifwepersistinresolvingthemintotheideas,feelingsandactionsofindividualpersons。Theharmonybecomeseitherfortuitousorpurelymystical。But,ifweregardSocietyashavingalargelifeofitsown,thecooperativeharmonyofindividualaimsandactivitiesbecomesacorporateorganicprocess。Thesociallifedoesnotsufferfromdivisionoflabourandspecialisationoffunction,butgains,asintheanimalorganism。Thesociallifeisnotoppressed,degradedorinjuredbytheroutineofthesmallerworkinglives,anymorethantheanimalorganismbytheregularityandrepetitionoftherespiratory,circulatingandotherroutineoperationsofitsorgansandtheircells。
§;6。"But,"itwillbeobjected,"evenifwearejustifiedinpushingtheorganicanalogysofarastoclaimtheexistenceofarealsociallifewithameaningandendofitsown,superiortothatoftheindividual,asthelifeofeveryorganismissuperiortothatofitsorgansandcells,thatlargersocialbeingcanonlyremainashadowyorhypotheticalbeingtoactualmenandwomen。Anditistheaims,ideas,feelingsandactivitiesoftheselittleunitsthat,afterall,willalwaysabsorbourattentionandoccupyourheartsandminds。"
Hereisthefinalquintessenceofindividualismsurvivinginmanyprofessingsocialists,thedenialoftheexistenceofarationalmoralsociety。Yetsuchasocietyexists。Theearliestbeginningsofanimalgregariousness,sexualfeelings,andotherprimaryinstinctsofassociation,withthemutualaidtheygiveriseto,areafirsttestimonytotheexistence,evenattheopeningofthehumanera,ofarealthoughrudimentarysociety,physicalandpsychicalinitsnature。CivilisationhasitschiefmeaningintheextensionandgrowingrealisationofthisunityofSociety,byutilisingthesesecretthreadsofsocialfeelingfortheweavingofthefabricofsocialinstitutions。Thus,throughtheseinstrumentsofcommonsociallife,language,art,science,industry,politics,religion,societygathersalarger,moresolidandvariouslife。Race,Nationality,Church,thebondofsomecommoninterestinascience,anart,aphilanthropicpurpose,oftenpresentintenseexamplesofgenuinelycommonlifeandpurpose。Thesearenotmeresocialcontractsoffreeindividuals,seekingbycooperationtoforwardtheirindividualends。Suchaconceptionofmutualaidisasfalseforreligion,science,artorindustry,asforpolitics。Thestatementthat'manisasocialanimal'cannotmerelysignifythatamongman'sequipmentoffeelingsandideasthereexistsafeelingandideaofsympathywithothermen。Thatisonlyhowitlooksfromthestandpointofthecell。Itmeansthathumanityinallitsvariousaggregationsisasocialstuff,andthatwhateverformsofcoalescenceitassumes,i。e。,anation,caste,church,party,etc。,therewillexistagenuinelyorganicunity,acentralorgenerallife,strongorweak,but,sofarasitgoes,tobeconsideredasdistinctfromanddominantoverthelifeandaimofitsmembers。
Thiscentrallife,thoughdistinguishablefromthelivesofitsmembers,asanobjectofthoughtandwill,isyetonlylivedinandthroughthelifeoftheorgansandcells。Thisisthesubtlenatureoftheorganicbond。
Wearetoldindeedthat"Societyonlyexistsinindividuals。"This,however,isonlytrueinthesamerestrictedsenseinwhichitistruethatananimalorganismonlyexistsinthelifeofitscells。Thereisnothingbutthecellsplustheirorganiccooperation。ButIshouldrathersaythattheorganismexistsinthecooperationofthecells。SoIshouldsaythatSocietyexistsinthecooperationofindividuals。
Thisisnotamatteroftheoreticaccuracyofstatement,butofimmensepracticalsignificance。Forthefutureprogressoftheartsofsocialconduct,especiallyofindustryandpolitics,mustlargelydependuponthemeasureandmannerofacceptanceofthisviewofthenatureofSociety。Itmust,indeed,totheindividualmindalwaysremainasahypothesis,incapableoffullandexactverification。Forsuchverificationwouldimplyanabsolutemergingofindividualpersonalityinthesocialunity。Suchapublicspiritcanneverabsorbanddisplaceprivatespirits。Butthehypothesismay,forallthat,possessbothintellectualandemotionalvalidity。Itsclearprovisionalacceptancewillnotonlyexplainmanyofthedifficultiesandreconcilemanyofthediscrepanciesinthosetendencies,industrialandpolitical,whicharegenerallyacceptedasmakingforhumanprogress,butwillaffordincreasedeconomyofdirectionandofmotive。ForonceletusrealiseSocietyaspossessingaunityandalifeofitsown,tothefurtheranceofwhicheachofuscontributesinthepursuanceoftheparticularlifewecall'ourown,'theso-calledsacrificeswearecalledupontomakeforthatlargerlifewillbeconsiderednolongerencroachmentsonbutenlargementsofourpersonality。Weshallcomeinlargermeasuretoidentifyouraimsandendswillinglywiththeaimsandendsweimputetosociety,andeverystepinthatpublicconductwillenrichorstrengthenthatsocialsympathywhichweshallrecognisetobetheverylifeofsocietyflowinginourveins。Thisisthespiritofsocialreform,asdistinguishedfromtheconcretemeasuresofreform。Uponthecreationandrecognitionofthisspiritthepossibility,theusefulness,thedurabilityofeveryoneoftheinstitutionsandpolicies,whichareevolvedbymoderncivilisation,depend。Itis,therefore,ofsupremeandcriticalimportancetoobtainthewidestpossibleacceptanceoftheconceptionofSocietyasalivingbeingtowhicheachofus'belongs,'abeingcapableofthinkingandfeelingthroughusforitself,andofdesiring,pursuingandattainingendswhichareitsends,andwhichwearecapableofhelpingtorealise。SolongasSocietyisspokenofandthoughtofasanabstraction,nosocialconductcanbesoundorsafe。Foranabstractionisincapableofcallingforthourreverence,regardorlove。AnduntilweattributetoSocietysuchaformanddegreeof'personality'ascanevokeinusthoseinterestsandemotionswhichpersonalityalonecanwin,thesocialwillwillnotbeabletoperformgreatworks。
Thefinalclaimwemakeforthehumanvaluationofindustrypresentedhereisthatithelpstobringintoclearreliefasetofhumanproblemswhich,fromtheconceptionofsocietyasamerearrangementforsecuringindividualends,areperceivedtobeinsoluble,butforwhichreasonandemotionalikedemandasatisfactorysolution。Onlybysubstitutingfortheattainmentofindividualwelfaretheidealandthestandardofsocialwelfare,areweabletoobtainamethodofanalysisandvaluationwhichfurnishessatisfactorysolutionstotheproblemsthatindustrypresents。CHAPTERXXI:PERSONALANDSOCIALEFFICIENCY
§;1。Whatlightdoesourhumanvaluationofeconomicprocessesthrowupontheconditionsofindividualandsocialprogress?Ourexaminationofindustryhasshownusthewaysinwhichtheactualproductionandconsumptionofwealthaffectthepersonalefficiencyandwelfareofindividuals。Theorganiclawofdistributionclearlyindicatespersonalefficiency,alikeforpurposesofeconomicproductivityandforthewiderartoflife,todependprimarilyuponthemaintenanceofsoundrelationsbetweentheoutputofeconomicactivitiesandtheincomeofeconomicsatisfactions。Ahealthysystemofindustrywilldemandfromeachproduceranamountandkindof'costly'labouraccommodatedtohisnaturalandacquiredpowers。Bysuchadistributionofthesociallyusefulworkwhichisnotinitselfagreeabletoitsperformers,thecommoneconomicneedsofsocietyaresuppliedwiththesmallestaggregateamountofhumancost。Similarly,weseehow,byadistributionofwealthaccordingtotheneedsofeachmember,i。e。,accordingtohis'power'asconsumer,thelargestaggregateamountofhumanutilityisgotoutofthewealthdistributed。
Butthisburdenof'costly'work,requiredoftheproducerandadjustedtohispowers,isnottheonlyworkthathecando。Themainobjectoftheshorterwork-dayandthebetterapportionmentof'costly'labour,aswehavealreadyrecognised,istoliberatetheindividualsothathehastimeandenergyforthevoluntaryperformanceof'productive'activitiesthatare'costless,'interestingandbeneficialtohispersonallife。Someofthesevoluntaryactivitieswillbe'economic'inthesensethattheymayproducegoodsorserviceswhichhaveanexchangevalue。Suchisthegardeningorthewood-carvingwhichamanmaydoinhissparetime。Thoughitmaybringhimadirectreturnofpersonalgainandsatisfactionthatisnon-economic,itmayalsobeasupplementarymeansofincome。Thereisnoreasonwhyamanwhosehobbyishisgardenshouldnotbeabletoexchangesomeofthefruitandflowers,whichithasbeenapleasureforforhimtogrow,forthephotographsorthebook-bindingsonwhichhisneighboursmayprefertospendaportionoftheirleisure。Mostofthespareenergyorleisure,however,wonfortheworkerbyafairdistributionof'costly'labour,will,ofcourse,usuallybeappliedtopersonalemployments,totheartsofhomelifeandofsociety,which,thoughhighlyconducivetopersonalefficiency,lieoutsidetherangeof'economics。'Eachpersonwouldapplythisfreetimeandenergydifferently,hisvoluntaryworkhavingsomenaturalrelationas'relief'or'variety'tothesortof'costly'
orroutinelabourwhichearnedhislivelihood。Thusonthistrueequalitarianbasistherewouldariseanimmensevarietyoffreelyactivepersonalities。
Eachpersonwouldhavewhatmaybecalledapersonalstandardofproduction,anorderlyapplicationofhisproductiveenergies,which,thoughpartlyimposedbyhisstatusasamemberofsocietyboundtodohisshareinsocialwork,wouldlargelyrepresenthispersonaltastes,choicesandinterests,selfishoraltruistic,accordingtohistemperament。
§;2。Turningtotheothersideofindustry,thedistributionofwealthtoeachaccordingtohisneeds,i。e。,capacitiesofuse,personalitywouldimpressitselfsimilarlyuponanimmensevarietyofactualstandardsofconsumption,ormodesofapplyingincometothesatisfactionofdesires。
Thereis,however,animportantdistinctiontobenotedbetweenstandardsofconsumptionandofproduction。Whereasinmodernindustrytheearningofincomeisnormallyanindividualart,itsconsumptionisnormallyafamilyact。Whilethefamily,exceptinsomeagriculturalsocieties,isveryrarelyaunitofproduction,itremainsusuallyaunitofconsumption。
Itwouldappear,then,thatourhumandistributionwouldaffectpersonalefficiencydifferentlyuponthetwosidesofitsapplication。Asproducerhisstandardofproduction,orofuseofproductiveactivities,wouldappeartobedirectedbyabalancebetweenthesocialrequirementsoflabourandhispersonalproclivities,whereasonthesideofconsumptionthebalancewouldbebetweenthesocialrequirementsandthefamily。Societymustsecureforthestandardoffamilycomfortsuchanexpenditureaswillsustaintheworkingnumbersofthefamilyinfulleconomicefficiency,i。e。,apropereconomyofwhattheclassicaleconomistscalled'productiveconsumption'
musttakeplace。But,outsidethislimit,theparticularrequirementsandconditions,notoftheearneralone,butofthefamilyasawhole,mustdeterminetheexpenditurethatmakesforefficiency。Thisdiscrepancy,however,isnotreallysogreatasitappearsatfirstsight。Thedirectinterestofsocietyintheproductiveandconsumptivelifeofitsindividualmembersliesintheirperformanceofthispropershareof'costly'orsocialserviceandtheiruseofaproperportionoftheirincomeforconsumptionadjustedtomaintaintheirefficiencyforthissocialservice。Therestoftheirproductiveenergy,therestoftheirconsumptivewealth,lieundertheirowncontrolfortheirpersonallife。Thefactthatthispersonallifemaybemorenarrowlypersonalontheproductiveside,moreofafamilylifeontheconsumptiveside,doesnotseriouslyaffecttheissue。Indeed,thediscrepancyalmostwhollydisappearswhenwelookalittlecloseratthelibertieswhichabettersocialeconomyofproductionsecuresfortheworker。Thebetterlifewhichaslackeningoftheindustrialstrainwillbringtotheproducerwillconsistinthecultivationofinterestsandactivitieswhich,preciselybecausetheyarevoluntaryandinthemselvesdesired,cannotrightlybeclassifiedaseitherproductionorconsumptionbutunitethequalitiesofboth。Wehaveseenthatthisisthecharacteristicofallart,orallworkwhichisgoodandpleasantinitself。Anyactivitythatcarriesasurplusofhumanutilityoverhumancostisatoncefunctionandnutrition,productionandconsumption。Inaword,itisanincreaseoflife。Soitcomesaboutthatthe'humandistribution'feedspersonalefficiencyequallyonitsproductiveandconsumptivesides。Ahealthyapplicationofproductiveactivitieswillcontributeasmuchtoindividualprogressasahealthystandardofconsumption。
§;3。Itremainstorecognisethattheorganictreatmentofourproblemdoesnotpermitsocietytoadoptaseparatistviewofthedistributionofworkanditsproduct。Adistributionofwork'accordingtothepowers'
ofworkersisconceivableontermswhichwouldcauseheavydamagetosocietythroughignoringthereactionsofworkuponconsumption。Itmightappearsuperficiallyasoundhumaneconomytoplacealltheburdenoftheheaviestandmostrepellentmusculartoiluponclassesorracesofmenwhosepowerfulbodiesandinsensitivemindsseemedtoindicatethattheywerebestfittedbynatureforsuchwork。1Butiftheeffectofsuchaneconomywere,asitwouldbe,tokeepconsiderablebodiesofpopulationinalowgradeofanimalism,asrepresentedincoarsemodesoflivingandbrutalrecreations,thisone-sidedview,byneglectingtheseorganicreactions,wouldinjurethepersonalityoftheselowergradesofcitizens,andthroughthemdamagetheefficiencyofthesocietyofwhichtheyweremembers。Or,takinganoppositeinstance,aSocietywhichenabledclassesofartisticorliteraryfolktoescapeallshareof'costly'sociallabour,soastocultivateexclusivelytheirindividualactivitiesandtastes,wouldincurasimilarsocialdangerthroughthepresenceofhighlystimulatingpersonalities,uncheckedbyanyadequatesenseofsocialresponsibilities,whobytheirexampleandinfluencemightunderminetheroutineactivitieswhicharethefeedersofsociallife。
Sofar,then,aseconomicreformsareaimingatpersonalefficiency,theymusttakesimultaneouslyintoconsiderationtheeffectswhicheachreformwillhaveupontheproductionandtheconsumptionofwealth。Forexample,ashorteningoftheworkdayoughttobeaccompaniedbyimprovedopportunitiesofeducationandofrecreationasanintegralpartofthereform。
§;4。Oursettingoftheproblem,whichbringsintocontrasttheroutinesocialproductionthatis'costly'toindividualsandthecreativeorindividualproductionwhichis'costless,'mightseemtoinvolvetheviewthatsocialprogress,asdistinctfromindividual,wouldinvolveanincreasingtotalburdenofroutineworkunderdirectsocialcontrol。Thusanantagonismbetweentheconsciousinterestsoftheindividualandthesocialinterestsmightappeartoremain。For,thoughabettersocialwill,operatingupontheindividual,mightdisposehimtoaccepthisdutyofservingsocietyintheperformanceofhisshareofroutinework,itwouldstillbetruethatsuchservicewaslessdesirabletohimandlessnourishedhispersonallifethanthefreepersonalactivitiesuponwhichitencroached。
Thisopensupanexceedinglyimportantissueinsocialeconomy。Ithasbeenassumedthatareallyenlightenedsocietywillsoadministerindustrythatalightday'slaboursharedamongallwillsufficetowinthewealthnecessaryforthesupportofsocietyandthesatisfactionofthecommonmaterialneedsofitsmembers。Thusanincreasingproportionofhumanenergywillbeliberatedfortheperformanceofthoseactivitieswhicharepleasantandinterestingtothosewhoengageinthem。Adiminishingamountoftimeandenergywillbeappliedtothemechanicalprocessesofgettingfoodandothermaterialsfromtheearth,andoffashioningthemandcarryingthemabout。Thustherewillbemoretimeandenergyforthefineartsandcrafts,whichdependlessuponquantityofmaterialsandmoreupontheskilledapplicationofpersonalpowers。Fromthestandpointofhumanwelfaresuchaneconomyisobvious。Itmeans,ontheproductiveside,aprogressiveincreaseofactivitythatishumanly'costless'andpleasurable,aprogressivedecreaseofthatwhichiscostlyandunpleasurable。Ontheconsumptiveside,itmeansthesubstitutionofnon-materialwealth,suchasbooks,pictures,poetry,science,whicharevirtuallyinfiniteinthehumanutilitythattheyarecapableofyielding,formaterialwealthwhichismostlyconsumedinasingleactofappropriation。Thehigherkindofgoodsthusbringsaminimumofcostsandamaximumofutilities,andthatuponeachsideoftheorganicequation。
Inmostadvancednationsofourtimethisgainintherelativeimportanceoftheartsandprofessionsengagedinartistic,professional,recreative,educational,scientificandothercreativeactivities,isrecognisedasbeinganevidenceandameasureofadvancingcivilization,andsomeoffsettotheadvanceofmaterialluxury。
§;5。If,however,thereistobeacontinuousincreaseintheproportionoftimeandenergyavailablefortheproductionandconsumptionofthehighergradesofnon-materialeconomicgoodsandforotheractivitiesofanon-economicnature,somelimitationmusttakeplaceofthedemandandsupplyofmaterialeconomicgoods。Ifinanycountry,orthroughouttheindustrialworld,thegrowthofpopulationweresuchas,intheoldphrase,topress'uponthemeansofsubsistence,'theamountofproductiveenergyneededfortheartsofagriculture,mining,andthestaplebranchesofmanufactureandtransportwouldbesuchastodefeattheeconomyofsocialprogressjustindicated。Evenifthepopulationdidnotadvance,butwerechieflyengagedinseekingfullersatisfactionofanincreasingnumberofdistinctivelyphysicalwants,thesameresultwouldfollow。Largerdraftsmustcontinuallybemadeuponthenaturalresourcesofthesoil,bymeansofindustriessubjecttowhatpoliticaleconomycalls"thelawofdiminishingreturns,"andanincreasingproportionoflabourmustbeengagedintheseindustries。Thoughmechanicsandthedivisionoflabourinthemanufactures,andeveninagriculture,temperthetyrannyofmatter,enablingagivenamountofroutinetoiltoachieveanincreasingoutputofgoods,thispolicyofhumanliberationisimpededandmaybeentirelyfrustratedbyaconstantpreferenceamonglargepopulationsforastrictlyquantitativesatisfactionofnewmaterialwants。Therootissueofsocialprogressfromtheeconomicstandpointisheredisclosed。Itisthequestionoftherelativeimportanceofquantityofmatterinthesatisfactionofwants。Inurgingthatsocialprogressrequiresaprogressivediminutionofthepartplayedbymatterandtheindustriesinwhichquantityofmatterisachiefdeterminantfactor,Idonotmerelymeanthatcivilisationimpliesanincreasingvaluationoftheintellectualandmoralfacultiesandoftheiractivities。Mostofthefineartsrequiresomematterfortheirmanipulationandfortheirinstruments;everybranchoftheintellectuallifeneedssomematerialequipment。Butintheseoccupationsandintheirproductsquantityofmatterisofanimportancethatisslight,oftenwhollynegligible。Afineart,askilledcraft,amachineindustry,mayeachhandlethesamesortofmaterial,metal,stoneorwood,butthequantityofthismaterialwillhavearapidlyincreasingimportance,asonedescendsfromthemanipulationoftheartisttothecraftsmanandfromthecraftsmantothemanufacturer。
If,then,wearetosecureaneconomyofsocialprogressinwhichrelativelylessimportanceistobegiventothoseindustrieswhicharelesshumanlydesirable,alikeintheworktheyinvolveandinthesatisfactiontheirproductsyield,wemusthaveasocietywhichbecomesincreasinglyqualitativeinitstastesandinterestsandinitshumanconstitution。Alargerproportionofitsrealincomemusttakeshapeinnon-materialgoods,orinmaterialgoodswhichdependmoreforthesatisfactiontheyyieldupontheirquality。
Inaword,theremustbeatendencytokeeplifesimpleinregardtomaterialconsumption。
Butwhenonesaysthatsocietyitselfmustgrowmorequalitativeinitsconstitution,amoredifficultconsiderationemerges。
Inthediscussionregardingthebearingofthegrowthofpopulationupongeneralwelfaretoomuchattentionwasformerlyaccordedtothemerelyquantitativequestion。Toolittleisnowaccorded。Underthetitleofeugenicsthepopulationquestionthreatenstobecomeentirelyqualitative。Nowthisisevidentlyamistake。Forwhateverinterpretationweaccordtosocialwelfare,someconsiderationastothedesirablenumberandrateofgrowthofthepopulationisevidentlyofimportance。Thoughitmaybeagreedthatvitalvaluesintheirspiritualandeveninthephysicalmeaningsaredistinctlyqualitative,andthat,asfaraspossible,asocietyshouldsetitselftomaintainconditionsofsexselectionfavourabletoadmittedlyfinerandhealthiertypes,thisissueofqualitymustnotbedetachedfromtheissueofquantity。
Asintheeconomyoftheindividuallifeaproperallowanceofattentionmustbesecuredforphysicalwantsandforthematerialproductionandconsumptiontheyinvolve,soinasocietythesizeofitsphysicalstructure,thenumberofcooperatinghumancellsthroughwhichitlives,isaconsiderationthatinheresintheartofsociallife。Ruskinwassurelyrightinhisgeneralsettingofthesocialquestion'Howcansocietyconsciouslyorderthelivesofitsmemberssoastomaintainthelargestnumberofnobleandhappyhumanbeings?'2Howmuchconsciousnessorcalculationcanadvantageouslybebroughttobearupontheregulationoftheplayofthesexualandrelatedinstinctsanddesires,isahighlycontroversialquestionintowhichweneednotenterhere。Butsofarassocialreformcanmakegoodanyclaimtoregulatethegrowthofthepopulation,itsregulationshouldclearlyhaveregardtoquantityaswellasquality。Alargenumberofphysicallysoundandhappyhumanbeingsmustbetakenasaprimeconditionofsocialwelfare。Itisnoteasytodefendtheprosperityofapeoplewhoshallseemtopurchaseafullerandevenamorespirituallycomplexlifeforsomeoralltheirmembersbyacontinuousreductionoftheirnumbers。Wherelifeisvaluedandvaluablethenaturaldispositiontoextenditsvaluesaswidelyasisconsistentwiththeirmaintenanceisanaturalinstinctdifficulttoimpugn。Ifitbecontendedthatthisisinsomesenseanadmissionofthesocialvalidityofthetendencytomultiplysoasto'pressonthemeansofsubsistence,'Imightadmittheinterpretation,provideditwereunderstoodthat'meansofsubsistence'includedalltheessentialsofspiritualaswellasofphysicallife。
Idonot,however,wishtodogmatiseuponadifficultandexceedinglydebateablematter,butonlytoinsistthataconsciousartofsocialprogresscannomoreignorequantitythanqualityofpopulationinanygeneralcalculusofhumanwelfare。
§;6。Thegreaterequalisationofincomeswhichwouldfollowfromtheabsorptionofunproductivesurplusintopublicincomeandintoremunerationoflabour,wouldbefavourabletothetwoconditionsofsocialprogressherelaiddown,arestriction