Finally,ananalysisofthehumanworthofexistingindustryonitsproductiveandconsumptivesideswouldnotsuffice。Forsuchananalysismerelyacceptstheexistingsystemofindustryandenquiresintothebesthumanmethodsofworkingit。
Buthumanistcriticismmust,ofcourse,gobehindthisacceptance。
Theproblemofindustrywhichitwillenvisagewillbeonethattakesasitsdatatheexistingresourcesofthenation,naturalandhuman,andconsidershowtheseresourcesmay,inaccordancewithpresentknowledge,bebestappliedfortheprovisionoforganicwelfareaccordingtothebestacceptedinterpretationofthatterm。Howeverdifficultitmaybetosecure,tojustifyandtoapplythatstandpoint,thisistheforminwhichtheeconomicproblemmustpresentitselftothestatesman,thepublicist,andthesocialreformer,sofarastheyareclear-sighted,rationalanddisinterestedintheirwork。
Soregarded,eachindividualwouldbeconsideredasacomplexofactivitiesandwants,whosespecialisedworkforsocietymustbeharmonisedwiththatfreedomandexerciseofhisnon-specialisedfunctionsneededtoenablehimtorealisehimselfasahumanpersonality。Dueconsiderationwouldbegiventotheinterplayofhisproductiveandconsumptivefunctionswithinhiseconomiclife。Hiseconomiclifemust,however,bekeptinduesubordinationtohiswiderhumanlife,consisting,asthelatterdoes,mainlyofnon-economicfunctions。
Finally,hiseconomicandhumanlifeasapersonalitymustbeharmonisedwiththeeconomicandhumanlifeofthesocietyofwhichheisamember。
Sucharethemainimplicationsofwhatmightbetermedthehumanscientificcalculusofindustrialvalues。
NOTES:
1。ThePrinciplesofScientificManagementHarper&;Bros。。
2。Op。cit。,p。65。
3。ThePrinciplesofScientificManagement,p。74。
4。ThePrinciplesofScientificManagement,p。100。
5。'Whileonewhoisnotexperiencedatmakinghismenreallyenthusiasticintheirworkcannotappreciatehowathleticcontestswillinterestthemen,itistherealsecretofthesuccessofourbestsuperintendents。
Itnotonlyreducescosts,butitmakesfororganisationandthussavesforemen'stime。'F。G。Gilbreth,BricklayingSystem,p。13。
6。ThePrinciplesofScientificManagement,p。83。
7。Taylor,p。85。
8。Op。cit。,p。103。
9。Op。cit。,p。37。
10。Taylor,p。126。
11。Taylor,p。59。
12。PsychologyandIndustrialEfficiency。
13。Op。cit。,p。23。
14。Op。cit。,p。66。
15。Op。cit。,p。85。
16。Thisrationalisationoflifefordistinctivelyeconomicpurposes,alikeonitsproductiveandexpenditureside,hasbeencarriedfurtherbytheJewsthanbyanyotherpeople,i。e。,theirreligion,politics,eugenicsandeducationhavebeendirectedmoreexclusivelyandmorerationalisticallytowardsthebusinessartsinwhichtheyexcel,thoseofthefinancier,undertaker,trader,thaninthecaseofotherpeoples。SeeSombart,TheJewsandModernCapitalism,Chs。IXandX。CHAPTERXV:THEDISTRIBUTIONOFWEALTH
§;1。Leisure,regardedasaneconomicgood,comesunderthegenerallawofdistributionofwealth。Butthenotoriousdefectsofitsdistribution,andtheirhumanconsequences,aresuchastoclaimforitaseparateplaceinourenquiry。Modernindustrialismbyitslargeunearnedsurplushasgreatlyincreasedthesizeoftheleisureclasses。Forwhereversuchsurplusgoes,thereisthepossibilityandprobabilityofalifeofleisure。InourstudyofConsumptionwetracedthepartplayedbyconspicuousleisureasanelementofprideandpowerintheeconomyoftherich。InGreatBritainthesizeofthisleisureclassisbynomeansmeasuredbythenumberofthosewhostandinthecensusas'unoccupied。'Inthetopstratumofthebusinessworldwefindconsiderablenumbersofthedirectingandmanagerialclasswhoareseldomorever'busy。'Theirofficehoursareshortandirregular,theirweek-endsextendfromFridaytoTuesday,theirholidaysarelongandfrequent。
Mostoftheirleisureisaccompaniedbyprofuseconsumption,involvingthusfromthestandpointofsocietyadoublewaste,awasteoftimeandofsubstance。Wheredoesallthisleisurecomefrom?Theanswertothisquestionseemstolerablysimple。Ithasoftenbeenobservedthatlabour-savingmachineryandotherdevicesforabridginghumantoilhavedoneverylittletolightenorshortenthework-dayfortheworkers。Whatthenhasbecomeofthelabourthatissaved?Mostofithasgonetoenlargetheleisureoftheleisuredclass,orperhapsweshouldsay,oftheleisuredclasses。
Forwesawthatthereexistedaloweraswellasanupperleisureclass,anecessaryproductofthesamemal-distributionofresourcesassustainsthelatter。Foranindustrialsystemthatgrindsoutunproductivesurplusbreaksdownthephysicalandmoralefficiencyoflargenumbersofactualorpotentialworkersasaby-productoftheoverdrivingandunderfeedingprocess。Therecklessbreedingoftheclassthusbrokendownfurnishesahordeofweaklings,shirkersandnomads,unassimilated,unassimilablebytheindustrialsystem。Thesebeings,keptalivebycharityandpoor-laws,havegrownwithmodernindustrialismandconstitutetheclassknownas'unemployables。'Theyareoftendescribedasa'standingmenacetocivilisation,'
andareinfactthemostpitiableproductofthemal-distributionofwealth。
§;2。Buttheirregularitiesofmodernproductionandconsumptionarealsoresponsibleforavastamountofinvoluntaryandinjuriousleisureamongthegenuineworking-classes。Thatleisureiscommonlytermed'unemployment。'
itisnottrueleisure,inthesenseoftimeforrecreationorenjoyment,thoughitmightbecomeso。Forthemostpartitisatpresentwastefulanddemoralisingidleness。
Acertainamountofunemploymentisofcourseunavoidableinanyorganisationofindustry。Therewillbesomeleakageoftimebetweenjobsandunpredictableirregularitiesofweatherandclimatewillinvolvesomeidleness。Expansionsandcontractionsofspecialtrades,changesinmethodsofproductionandofconsumption,thenecessaryelasticityofeconomiclife,willcontinuetoaccountforthetemporarydisplacementofgroupsofworkers。Thereis,ofcourse,nosocialwastageinthisprocess,ifitisproperlysafeguarded。
Buthithertoithasbeenagreatsourceofindividualandsocialwaste。
Societyisonlybeginningtorealisetheduty,orindeedthepossibility,oftakingactivestepstoreducethequantityofthisunemploymentandtoutilisewhatisunavoidableforthebenefitoftheunemployedandofsociety。Thecultivationofthesespareplotsoftimeinthenormallifeoftheworkersmaybecomeahighlyserviceableart。
Ifallunemploymentcouldbespreadevenlyovertheworkingyear,takenoutinashorteningoftheordinaryworking-dayandintheprovisionofperiodicandsufficientholidays,animmenseadditionwouldbemadetothesumofindustrialwelfare。Thus,withoutanyreductionintheaggregateoflabour-time,asensiblereductioninthehumancostoflabourmightbeachieved,iflaw,custom,ororganisedlabourpolicymadeitimpossibleforemployerstovaryviolentlyorsuddenlythevolumeofemploymentandtosandwichperiodsofover-timewithperiodsofshort-time。Thesebanefulirregularitiesofemploymentappearinevitablesolongastheyremainpermissible,asdosweatingwagesandotherbadconditionsoflabour。Whentheyarenolongerpermissible,theorganisedintelligenceofthetradewilladjustitselftothenewconditions,generallywithlittleornoloss,oftenwithpositivegain。
Iftherearetradesuponwhichseason,fashion,orotheruncontrollablefactorsimposegreatirregularityofemployment,asoundsocialpolicywillhavecloseregardtothenatureofthisirregularity。Whereanessentiallyirregulartradeisengagedinsupplyingsomenecessaryorconvenienceoflife,as,forinstance,ingas-worksandcertainbranchesoftransport,alternativetradesmaybefoundwhosefluctuationstendtovaryinverselywiththoseoftheformertrades,andwhichcanfurnishworksuitableinkindandplacetothosewhoareout。
Statisticsofemploymentshowthattheaggregateofemploymentduringanygivenyeardoesnotvarymuch。Itwouldvaryless,ifeverymanengagedinanessentiallyirregulartradehadanalternative,inwhichhewasqualifiedtoearnalivingwhenemploymentintheothertradewasshort。Forthereislittletruthinthecontentionthatspecialisationformostmanualtradesiscarriedsofarthatanalternativeorsubsidiaryemploymentspoilsaworkerforefficiencyinhisprimetrade。Ifthereareanynecessarytradesforwhoseunavoidableunemploymentnosucheffectiveprovisioncanbemade,societymusteithersaddlethetradewiththeobligationofkeepingthe'reserve'oflabourwhileitstandsinwaiting,oritmustitselfundertaketheadministrationofthetradeasonewhichcannotsafelybeleftinprivatehands。Inthecaseoffashionorluxurytrades,whichfurnishmanyinstancesofgreatestirregularity,legalprohibitionofover-timewilloftenoperatemostbeneficially。Wheremuchunemploymentstillremains,ahighcontributiontoanunemployedinsurancefundwouldstimulateadvantageousreadjustments。
Finally,iftherearetradesincapableofbearingthetruecostsofmaintenanceofthelabourtheyemploy,itwouldstillberighttoplaceonthemtheobligationtodoso,fortheirdestructionwillbeagainnotalosstoasocietythatunderstandsitshumaninterests。
Butthemainproblemofleisurewouldstillremainunsolved。Forthenormalburdenofindustrialtoil,imposedbyourpresenteconomicsystemuponmostworkers,isexcessive。Thatexcessconsistsprimarilyindurationofthework-day,thoughaggravatedinmanycasesbyintensityorpaceofworking。greatnumbersofworkers,especiallyamongwomen,areemployedinoccupationswhereneitherlaw,custom,nortradeorganisation,imposesanylimits。Nofactorydayaffectstheemployeesinshopsorofficesormostwarehouses,orinmosttransporttrades,orindomesticservicedepartmentsofemploymentwhichabsorbarapidlyincreasingnumberandproportionoftheemployedpopulation。Therearevastnumbersofdomesticworkshopsandhometradesinwhichmenandwomenareemployed,whereallhoursareworked。
Nolegalrestrictionsofhoursaresetuponadultmalelabourinmanufacturingandotherindustrialworkinmostofthemetalandothertradeswhichareexclusivelyorpredominantlymen'semployments,thoughintradeswherewomenalsoareemployedrestrictionsareoftenimposedwhichinfactextendtomenthefactoryday。
Butthereisagenerallyrecognisedfeelingthatthelengthofthefactorydayisgravelyexcessive,that101/2,oreven9hoursperdiem,undermodernconditionsofspeeded-upmachineryandnervoustension,involvetooheavyahumancost。
§;3。Itisthisgrowingvolumeoffeelingthathascrystallisedinthedemandforaneight-hoursday。Thisisnoimmoderatedemand。Aregularcontributionofeighthours'workingenergyofhand,orbrain,ornerves,tosomenarrowroutineprocess,isasmuchas,ormorethan,theordinarymanorwomancanafford,inthewholesomeinterestofhispersonality,togiveuptosociety。Forwehaverecognisedquiteclearlythataspecialisationoffunction,adivisionoflabour,growingeverfiner,isrequiredoftheindividualintheinterestsofsociety。Hemustmakethisapparentsacrificeofhisprivatetastes,feelingsandinterests,forthegoodofthesocietyofwhichheisamember。Itisnot,asweperceive,arealsacrifice,unlessthedemandmadeuponhimisexcessive,forthegoodofthesocietyheservesishisgood,andwhathegivesoutcomesbacktohiminparticipationofthecommonlife。But,whenthetaskimposedistoolongortoohard,thesacrificebecomesaninjury,theencroachmentuponthehumanlifeoftheworkerinflictsgravedamage,whichdamageagainreactsuponsociety。
ThestressoftheLabourMovementupontheurgencyofshorteningthework-dayto-dayisextremelysignificant。Ittestifiestotwoadvancesintheactualconditionofthelabouringclasses。Inthefirstplace,itindicatesthatsomesubstantialprogresshasbeenmadetowardsahigherlevelofmaterialstandardofconsumption。Forworkersonthelowerlevelsofpovertydarenotaskforreducedhoursoflabour,involving,asmaywelloccur,areductionofpay。Workersstrugglingforabarephysicalsubsistencecannotaffordtopurchaseleisure。
OfcourseIknowthateventhebetter-to-doworkerswhovoiceademandforaneight-hoursdayarenotreadytoproclaimtheirwillingnesstopayforitindiminishedwages。Norneedtheyinallcases。Wheretheshorterdayisattendedbyimprovedefficiencyorincreasedintensityoflabour,ormerelybybetterorganisationofthebusiness,theremaybenothingtopay。Moreleisurehasbeensqueezedoutoftheworking-day。Therearemanycaseswherethiscanbedone,fortheworking-dayinmanyinstancesiswastefullyprolonged。But,thoughincertaintradesaten-hoursdaymaybereducedtonine,oreveneight,withoutanyreductionofoutput,thisisnotthecaseinothertrades,norevenintheformertradescouldtheprocessbecarriedfarwithoutalossofoutput。Inagreatmanyemploymentsashortworking-daywillinvolvealargereconomiccostoflabour,andwhere,asisusualincompetitivetrade,thislargercostcannotbemadegoodoutofprofits,labourwillhavetobuythisleisure,inpartatanyrate,byreducedwages。Forevenifhecangetitshiftedontotheconsumerintheshapeofhigherprices,asconsumerhewillinhisturnhavetobearapartofit。
Wherethedemandforshorterhoursisgenuine,andisnotamerecoverforextendedover-time,tobepaidforatahigherrate,itmustbetakenasindicativeoftheworkers,willingnesstotakepartofhisshareofindustrialprogressinleisureinsteadofwages。
§;4。Butleisure,asaneconomicasset,isnotamerequestionofhours。Ashorterwork-daymightbedearlyboughtatthecostofanintensificationoflabourwhichleftbodyandmindexhaustedattheendofeachday。Theoppositionofworkerstoapolicyofspeeding-up,ortheuseofpace-setters,isusuallyasaneactofself-defence,andnotthefractiousobstructiontoindustrialprogressitissometimesrepresented。Noconsiderationsofhumanendurancelimitthepaceatwhichmachinerydrivenbymechanicalpowermaybeworked。Unless,therefore,restraintsareputbylaw,customorbargaining,uponthespeedofmachines,orthenumberwhichaworkeriscalledupontoserve,competitionmayimposeawork-daywhich,thoughnotundulylonginhours,habituallyexhauststheordinaryworker。Itisnotalwaysrealisedhowgreatachangetookplacewhentheweaver,theshoemaker,thesmith,passedfromtheworkshops,wherethepaceandotherconditionsofworkweremostlyregulatedbytheirvoluntaryaction,tothesteam-drivenfactory。Theshoemakerandthetailorundertheoldconditionshadtime,energyandlibertyforthoughtwhilecarryingontheirwork:
theycouldslacken,breakofforspeedup,theirwork,accordingtotheirinclination。Theclickerorheelerinashoefactory,thecutter-outinaclothingfactory,havenosuchmeasureoffreedom。Thisis,ofcourse,anormaleffectofmodernindustrialism。Closerandmorecontinuousattentionisdemandedduringtheworkinghours。
Thustherealquestionofleisureisaquestionofsparehumanenergyratherthanofsparehours。Theshorterworking-dayischieflyneededasaconditionfavourabletospareenergy。Thoughtherefore,aneight-hoursdaymaynotunreasonablybetakenasaproximatereform,forlabouringeneral,thereisnoreasonwhythework-dayinalloccupationsshouldbecuttothisoranyotherexactmeasure。Sucharithmeticalequalitywouldevidentlyworkoutmostinequitably,asbetweentradeandtrade,orprocessandprocessinthesametrade。Inmanylargedepartmentsofindustry,thetransportanddistributivetradesinparticular,numerousintersticesofleisureareinsertedinaday'swork,easingtheburdenoftheday,andsometimesaffordingopportunityforrecreationandintercourse。Inthemorearduousprocessesofmanufacture,mining,orinclericalandotherroutinebrainwork,thereislittleornoscopeforsuchrelaxation。
Butwhilesuchconsiderationsevidentlyaffectthedetailedpolicyoftheshorterdayinitspressureontheseveraloccupations,theydonotaffectthegeneralpolicy。
Therecanbenodoubtthatanexcessiveandinjuriousamountofspecialisedlabourisexactedfromtheworkersbytheordinaryindustrialconditionsofto-dayinnearlyallindustrialprocesses。
§;5。Thefirstpleaforashorterdayisonewhichouranalysishasmadeself-evident。
Itwillgreatlyreducethehumancostofproductioninmostprocesses。
For,aswerecognise,thestrainofmuscularandnervousfatigue,bothconsciousandunconscious,gathersforceandgrowswithgreatrapidityduringthelaterhoursoftheworkday,Thoughthecurverepresentingthevariationsofthehumancostwillofcoursedifferineverysortofworkandfordifferentworkers,theirage,sex,strength,healthandotherpersonalconditionsaffectingit,thelasthoursofeachshiftwillcontainadisproportionateamountoffatigue,painandother'costs,'whilethequalityandquantityoftheworkdoneintheselasthourswillbeinferior。
Ifoutofanystockofmaterialgoods,wewereabletoseparatetheproductofthelasthour'sworkfromthatoftheearlierhoursinthework-day,andcouldsubjectittotheanalysisofhumancostandutility,whichwehaveendeavouredtoapplytothegeneralincome,whatshouldwefind?Thislastincrementoftheproductwouldcontainaheavierburdenofhumancostofproductionthananyoftheearlierincrements。Again,turningtotheconsumptionside,whatshouldwefind?Thislastincrementmustbeconsideredasfurnishingthesmallestamountofhumanutilityinitsconsumption。
Indeed,ifwearerightinholdingthataconsiderablefractionofeachsupply,evenofwhatarecommonlyclassedasmaterialnecessariesoflife,suchasfoods,clothings,etc。,iswastefullyorevendetrimentallyconsumedbythewell-to-do,thereisreasontoholdthatthislastincrementofproduct,involvingthelargesthumancostinitsproduction,containsnoutilitybutsomeamountofhumandisutilityinitsconsumption。
Ifthisanalysisbetrue,thelasthour'sworkmaybedoublywastefulfromthestandpointofhumanwelfare。
Ofthe£;2,000,000,000whichconstitutesourincomeitmayverylikelybethecasethat£;200,000,000ofitrepresentswealth,which,fromthehumanstandpoint,is'illth,'alikeinthemodeofitsproductionandofitsconsumption。Ifithadnotbeenproducedatall,thenationmighthavebeenfarbetteroff,forbyabstainingfromtheproductionofthisshamwealth,itwouldhaveproducedasubstantialamountofleisure。
Itisofcoursetruethattheparticulargroupsofproducers,whobytheirlasthour'slabourmadethesegoods,maynothavebeenlosersbydoingso;theirheavytoilmayhavebeencompensatedbytheenhancedwagewhichtheycouldnototherwisehavegot,andthelossofwhichwouldhaveinjuredtheirstandardoflife。Itis,indeed,theoperationofcompetitionuponwagesthatactuallyforcesintoexistencethissham-wealth。Drawnoutofover-wroughtworkersbytheunequalconditionsofthewage-bargain,itpassesintowastefulconsumptionbytheback-strokeofthesamelawofdistribution,whichpaysitawayas'surplus'or'unearned'wealth。
Itisonlytheclearconsiderationofitsproductionandconsumptionfromthesocialstandpointthatexhibitsthewasteofthelasthour'sproduct。
Butfromthestandpointoftheindividualworkertheeconomyofashorterwork-dayhasadoublesignificance。Wehaveseenthatitmorethanproportionatelydiminisheshispersonalcost,bycancellingthelastandmostcostlyportionofhiswork-day。Butitalsoincreasesthehumanutilitywhichhecangetoutofhiswages。Adayofexhaustingtoilentailstheexpenditureofalargeportionofhiswageinmerereplacementofphysicalwearandtear,orincitestoexpenditureonphysicalexcesses,whiletheleisurehoursarehoursofidlenessandtorpor。Areductionofthework-daywill,bythelargerleisureandspareenergyitsecures,reducetheexpenditureuponmerewearandtear,andincreasetheexpenditureuponthehigherandmorevariedstrataofthestandardofcomfort。Moreleisurewillingeneralsoalterthemodeoflivingastoenabletheworkertogetmoreandbetterutilityoutoftheexpenditureofhiswages。Takeanextremecase。Amanwhotoilsalldaylongatsomeexhaustingwork,andgoeshomeatnighttootiredforanythingbutfoodandsleep,soastoenablehimtocontinuethesameroundto-morrow,thoughhemayearngoodwagesfromthistoil,cangetlittleoutofthem。Ifhewereinducedtoworklessandleavehimselfsometimeandenergyforrelaxationandenjoyment,hewouldgetalargerutilityoutoflessmoneyincome。
Thematter,however,doesnotneedlabouring。Itisevidentthatmanymodesofconsumptiondependinpart,forthepleasureandgaintheyyield,upontheamountoftimegiventotheconsumingprocesses。Itwouldbemerefoolishnessforatiredworkertospendmoneyuponimprovingbookswhichhehadnotthetimeandenergytodigest。Shortenhishours,leavehimmoreenergy,suchexpendituremaybeextremelyprofitable。Eventheenjoymentandgoodofhismealswillbeincreased,ifhehasmoretimeandenergyforwholesomeprocessesofdigestionandfortheexercisewhichfacilitatesdigestion。Andwhatistrueofhisfoodwillholdalsoofmostotheritemsinhisstandardofconsumption。Noconsumptionispurelypassive:togetthebestutilityorenjoymentoutofanysortofwealth,timeandenergyarerequisite。Thegreaterpartofaworkman'sincomegoestotheupkeepofhishomeandfamily。Doesthenormalwork-dayinourstrenuousagepermitthebread-winnertogetthefullenjoymentoutofhomeandfamily?Hebelongsperhapstoacluboracooperativesociety。Canhemakethemostoftheseopportunitiesofeducationandofcomradeship,ifhisdailytoilleaveshimlittlemarginofvitality?MostofthegrowingpublicexpenditurewhichthemodernStateorCitylaysoutupontheamenitiesofsociallife,theapparatusoflibraries,museums,parks,musicandrecreation,ishalfwastedbecauseindustryhastrenchedtoomuchuponhumanity。
§;6。Moreleisuremeansanincreasedfundofutilityorwelfaregotoutoftheincomeatthedisposalofeachworker。
ThisintroducesustothefullereconomyofleisureregardedaStheopportunityofopportunities——theconditionofalleffectivesocialreconstructionandprogress。
Consideritfirstinrelationtoindustrialwelfare。Wehaveseenhowsocietyenforcesitsclaimsupontheworkerbydivisionoflabourandspecialisationoffunctions。Thisspecialisationisusuallyjustifiedbythevarietyofconsumptionwhichityields。Butwillnotthismorecomplexandrefinedconsumptioninlargepartbewastedorpervertedtobaseends,iftheproducerbecomesevernarrowerinhisproductivefunction?
TheOrganicLawpresseshereinsistently。Itwouldbegoingtoofar,doubtless,toassertthathewhocanproduceonethingcanonlyconsumeonething。ButeveryonefamiliarwiththefinerartsofConsumptionwilladmitthataconsumerwhoisutterlyunskilledintheproductionofthesegoodscannotextractfromtheirconsumptionthefullenjoymentorutilitywhichtheycontain。Atrueconnoisseurofpicturesmust,intrainingandinstudy,beagooddealofanartist:theexquisitegourmetmustbesomethingofacook。
Inotherwords,ourindustrialcivilisationoffersadangerousparadox,ifitmerelypresentsmanexposedtotwoopposedforces,tendingontheonehandtogreaternarrownessofproduction,ontheother,togreaterwidthandcomplexityofconsumption。Tosolvethisparadoxisthefirstserviceofthelargenewfundofleisurewhich,forthefirsttimeinhistory,theneweconomiesofindustryrenderavailablenotforalittleclassbutforwholepeoples。
Thefirstuseofleisure,then,isthatitsuppliesacounterpoisetospecialisationbytheopportunityitgivesfortheexerciseoftheneglectedfaculties,thecultivationofneglectedtastes。Asthespecialisationgrowscloser,thisurgencyincreases。Moreleisureisrequiredfortheroutineworkertokeephimhuman。
Inthefirstplace,itmustaffordhimrelaxationorrecreationbyoccupationsinwhichthespontaneity,theliberty,theelementsofnovelty,increasinglyprecludedfromhiswork-day,shallfindexpression。Itmustliberatehimfromautomatism,andaffordhimopportunityforthecreativeandinterestingworkrequiredtopreserveinhimhumanity。
Aneight-hoursdaywouldmeanthatthousandsofmen,whoatpresentleavethefactoryorfurnace,theofficeortheshop,inastateofphysicalandmentallassitude,wouldtakeaturnatgardening,orhomecarpentry,wouldreadsomeseriousandstimulatingbook,ortakepartinsomeinvigoratinggame。
Thuseachmanwouldnotmerelygetmoreoutofeachitemofhiseconomicconsumption,buthewouldaddtothenetsumofhishumanity,andincidentallyofhiseconomicutility,bycultivatingthoseneglectedfacultiesofproductionwhichyieldhimapositivefundofinterestandhumanbenefit。
§;7。SofarIhavesetforththeeconomyofleisurefromthestandpointofphysicalandmoralhealth:theorderandharmonyofhumanpowers。This,however,isinthemainastaticaleconomy。Now,OrderischieflyvaluableasthemeansofProgress,HealthasthemeansofGrowth。ThedynamiceconomyofProgressdemandsleisureevenmoreinsistently。
EveryonewillformallyadmitthatEducationisimpossiblewithoutleisure。
ItisoftenpointedoutthattheGreekwordwhichhasbeenconvertedintoourword'School'meansLeisure。Onemight,therefore,supposethattheutmostcarewouldbetakentogetthefullestuseoutoftheleisurewhichchild-lifeaffords,andtoensurethatthroughoutlifethereshouldremainasufficientsupplyofthisrawmaterialofprogress——thesurplusenergybeyondthebareneedsofexistenceneededfororganicgrowth。
Theprodigalwasteofthissacredstoreofleisureforchild-lifeintheprocessesofourElementaryEducationisonlytoofamiliartoallofus。Mr。StephenReynolds1hardlyoverstatesthecasewhenhesays,'itgivestothechildrenaboutthreeyears,worthofsecond-rateeducationinexchangeforeightornineyearsoftheirlife。'2
Ibelievethatthetrainededucationalistofthenextgeneration,examiningtheexpensiveeducationgiveneveninthebestequippedofoursecondaryschoolsandouruniversities,inthelightofamorerationalconceptionofhumanprogress,willfindatleastaslargeawasteofopportunityintheseseatsoflearningasinourelementaryschools。Notuntileducationalstandardsandmethodsarebetteradjustedtotrueconditionsofthevitalprogressofindividualsandofsocieties,willthechiefsignificanceofleisureberealised。
§;8。Butthevalueofleisureisbynomeansexhaustedbytheseconsiderations。Thefinestfruitsofhumanlifecomenotbyobservation。
Tolayoutalloursparetimeandenergytotheverybestadvantagebyascrupulousseizureofopportunitiesisinrealityafalseeconomy。Industrialismhasundoubtedlydonemuchbothtodisciplineandtoeducatethepowersofman。Butithaspreachedtooarrogantlythegospelofeconomyandindustry。
Itisnotgoodforanymantoaccountforhistimeeithertohimselfortoanother,withtoogreatexactitude,ortoseektomakeamosaicofhisdays。TheSmilesianphilosophyofthriftandindustryimpartsmorecalculationintolifethanisgoodforman。Weshouldnotbesoterriblyafraidofidleness。Dr。Wattsheldthat'Satanfindssomemischiefstillforidlehandstodo。'ButfarsanerisWordsworth'sview,'thatwecanfeedthismindofoursinawisepassiveness,'andThoreau'sdemandfora'broadmarginoflife。'
Wearenotyetsufficientlyadvancedinpsychologytoknowmuchoftheprocesseswithinthemindbywhichnovelthoughtsandfeelingsseemtoenteroftheirownaccord,startingnewimpulsestoaction,orbywhichtheuncheckedimaginationworksalongsomerapidlineofintuition。Butthatsuchseasonsofvacancyandreverieareessentialtomanyofthefinestprocessesoftheintellectandheart,isindisputable。Todenythistoanymanistodeprivehimofapartofhisrightfulheritageofhumanopportunity。
Theinventor,thepoet,theartist,arereadilyallowedsuchfreedisposaloftime。Everyoneallowsthatgeniusmusthaveampleperiodsofincubation。
Buttheimplicationthatcommonmenoughttohavetheirfaceskepttothegrindstoneisquitefalse。Everybodywantsleisureforhissoultomoveaboutinandtogrow,notbysomecloselyprescribedplanofeducation,butbyfreeexperimentationofitssecretpowers。Averyslenderharvestofhappythoughtsandfeelingswilljustifymuchapparentidleness。
Inthenarrowerinvestigationofmethodsofindustrywhichweessayed,werealisedthecriticalpartplayedbyleisureintheartofinvention。
Thelackofleisureforthegreatmajorityofworkersisassuredlyawasteofinventivepower。Wethinkoursocietyprolificininventions,especiallyintheagewearelivingin,butitislikelythatthepaceofprogressthroughindustrialinventionswouldbegreatlyquickenediftheproperplay-timeofthemindwerenotdeniedtothegreatmajorityofmenandwomen。
Biologistsandpsychologistshavemademanyinterestingenquiriesintothemotivesthatpromptanimalsandhumanbeingstoplay。Theformsofplay,therhythmorpatternsintowhichtheorganiccooperationsofmuscularandnervoustensionsanddischargescastthemselves,arefoundtohavesomedirectrelationtotheseriouspursuitsofadultlife,theprotectionagainstenemies,thepursuitofpreyandotherfood,courtship,matingandthecareoftheyoung,andthecorporatemovementsnecessaryfortheprotectionofthehordeortribe。Sointerpreted,playisaninstinctiveeducationforlife。Natureisfullofindirectness,andagreatdealofthisplayisnotcloselyimitativeofanyparticularsortofusefulactivitybutisdirectedtogeneralfitness。Thisappliesparticularlytothehigheranimalswhoarelessexclusivelydirectedbyseparateparticularinstinctsandareliabletohavetomeetnovelandirregularemergenciesthatcallforgeneraladaptabilityofbodyandofmind。Theplayofhigheranimalsandespeciallyofhumanyoungwillthusrunlargelyintoformsinwhichtheintellectualandemotionalpowerswillhavelargescope,wherespontaneousvariationandfreeimaginationwillexpressthemselves,andwherethemoreorlessroutinerhythmsoftheprimitivedanceorsongormockfightwillpassintohigherformsofindividualcunningandcompetitiveexploit,havingastheirmainbiologicalandsocial'meaning'thepracticeofanefficientmentalandemotionalequipment。Playthusconsideredisanexperimentationofvitalpowers。Itsutilityforchild-lifeiscommonlyadmitted。Infact,thereisagravedangerlestthespontaneityandinstinctivedirectionwhichnaturehasimplantedshouldbedamagedbytheattemptsofeducationaliststoforcethevitalutilityofplaybyorganisingitinto'setgames。'Thoughweneednotrudelyruleoutreasonableregulationfromthis,asfromanyotherdepartmentoflife,itwouldbewelltorememberthatplayhaspowerfuldirectiveinstinctsbehinditinchild-lifewhichadultnotionsofeconomymaygravelymisconceiveandinjurebyover-regulation。Hastyendeavourstodisplaceinstinctbyreasoninchild-lifearelikelytoprovecostlytohumanwelfareinthelongrun。Thespontaneousjoyofthoseactivitiesofchildhoodthatseemmost'wasteful'isprobablyafarbetterindextowelfarethananypedagogiccalculations。
Butbecausethehumanutilityofplayisgreatforchildren,itdoesnotfollowthatitissmallformenandwomen。Eventhephysiologicalandmuchmorethepsychologicalutilityofplaylaststhroughlife,thoughdoubtlessindiminishingvalue。Foradultworkersmerereposeneverexhauststheuseofleisure。Thebiologicalorthesocialutilityofhisplaymaybemuchsmallerthaninthecaseoftheyoung。Butitwillremainconsiderable。
Noristhisutilitychieflyexpressedintherelationbetweenplayandinvention。Thechiefjustificationforleisuredoesnotconsistinitscontributiontotheartsofindustrybutratherinraisingthebannerofrevoltagainstthetyrannyofindustryoverhumanlife。
§;9。Wehavegrownsoaccustomedtoregardbusinessastheabsorbingoccupationofman,thatwhichnecessarilyandrightlyclaimsthemajorpartofhiswakinghours,thatasocietybasedonanyotherscaleofvaluesseemsinconceivable。Thoughhistoryhasmadeusfamiliarwithcivilisations,suchasthoseofAthensandofRome,wherealargebodyoffreecitizensregardedpolitics,art,literatureandphysicalrecreationsasfarmoreimportantoccupations,weknowthatsuchcivilisationsrestedonabasisofslavelabour。Wedonotseemtorealisethatforthefirsttimeinhistorytwoconditionsaresubstantiallyattainedwhichmakeittechnicallypossibleforawholepeopletothrowoffthedominionoftoil。MachineryandDemocracyarethesetwoconditions。Iftheycanbebroughtintoeffectivecoordination,sothatthefulleconomicsofmachineproductioncanberenderedavailableforthepeopleasawhole,thedominationofindustryoverthelives,thethoughts,andtheheartsofmen,canbeoverthrown。Thisisthegreatproblemofsocial-economicreconstruction,tomakeindustrytheservantofallmen,nottheservantsofthefew,themastersofthemany。Itssolutiondemands,ofcourse,thatafterthewholesomeorganicneedsaresatisfied,thestimulationofnewmaterialwantsshallbekeptincheck。Forifeveryclasscontinuesconstantlytodevelopnewcomplicateddemands,whichstrainthesinewsofindustryevenunderasocially-orderedmachine-economy,takingthewholeofitsincreasedcontrolofNatureinnewdemandsuponNatureforeconomicsatisfaction,thetotalburdenofindustryonManisnowiselightened。Ifwearetosecureadequateleisureforallmen,andsotodisplacethetyrannyofthebusinesslifebythedueassertionofotherhigherandmorevariedtypesoflife,wemustmanagetocheckthelustofcompetitivematerialismwhichindustrialismhasimplantedinourhearts。
Iamawarehowdifficultitistotranslatethesehandsomeaspirationsintopracticalachievement。Tourgetheworking-classesofthiscountry,orevenconsiderablesectionsofthemiddle-classesengagedinthetradesandprofessions,tosacrificesomeimmediatelyattainableriseintheirmaterialandintellectualstandardofcomfort,inordertherebytopurchasemoreleisure,willbetakentoindicateablankignoranceoftheactualconditionsoftheirlives。Ishallberemindedthatrecentstatisticsofwagesinthiscountryshowthataboutone-thirdofourworking-classfamiliesarelivinguponprecariousweeklyincomesamountingtolessthan25s。aweek,andthatthiscomputationdoesnottakeintoaccountalargebodyofthepopulationlivinguponcasualearningsindefinitelylowerthanthissum。NowMr。Rowntreeandothersearchersintoworking-classexpenditurehaveshownthat24s。willhardlypurchaseforanordinaryfamilyinanyEnglishtownasufficiencyoffood,clothing,housing,fuelandotherrequisitestomaintainitsmembersinfullphysicalefficiency。Itwillseemidletocontendthatworking-peopleinthiscasewoulddowelltopreferashorteningoftheirworkingday,howeverlongitbe,toanincreaseoftheirwages。
NoneoftheconsiderationsIhaveurgedrelatingtothebetterutilisationoftheirconsumptionwillbeheldtojustifysoobviouslywastefulapolicy。
Theseworkerssimplycannotaffordtobuymoreleisureatsohighaprice。
Theydarenotsacrificeanyfractionoftheircurrentwagestoprocureareductionofhoursfromtenhourstoeight,eveniftheconditionsoftheirtradeotherwiseadmittedsuchachange;andifincreasingprosperityintheirtradepresentsthemwiththeoptionofobtaininghigherwagesorshorterhours,theirpressingdemandsforbetterfoodandhousingwillrightlycompelthemtochoosetheformerofthetwoalternatives。
Noristhisreasoningrefutedbydwellingupontheundeniablefacts,thatmoststandardsofworking-classcomfortcontainelementsofconventionalconsumptionwhichmightbecutoutwithpositiveadvantage,andthat,apartfromthis,amoreintelligenthousekeepingwouldenablemostofthemtodomuchbetterwiththeiractualincomesthantheydo。Forwhenadueallowancehasbeenmadeforsucherrorsorextravagance,theordinarylabourer'swageintownandincountrystillremainsbelowthemarginoffamilyefficiency。
Ofcourse,inalmosteveryoccupationtherewillbeaconsiderablenumberofworkerswho,havingnofamilydependentonthem,willhavesomemeansattheirdisposalforcomforts,luxuries,savingorleisure。Butthenormalstandardwageforunskilledorlow-skilledlabourinthiscountrydoesnotappeartohaveattainedaheightatwhichthepurchaseofashorterworkingdayissoundeconomy。Wemustalwaysbearinmind,besides,thattheexistenceinatradeofevenaconsiderableminorityofworkerswhocouldaffordtotakeinincreasedleisurewhattheymighttakeinenhancedwages,wouldnotmakethissteppracticableordesirable。Formosttradesarenowsoorganisedthatacommonstandardworkingdayisevenmoreessentialthanauniformrateofwages。
Thesefactsenableustorealisewhyitisthatsomuchelasticityorambiguityattendstheactuallabourmovementforashorterworkingday。
Thedemandisseldomframedinsuchawayastoprecludethecommonuseofover-time,thoughsuchauseofcoursedefeatstheaimforleisure,convertingitintoanaimforhigherwages,thetimeandahalfrateusuallypaidforover-time。
But,thoughthisopenorsecretcompetitionbetweenmoreleisureandmorewagescontinuestotakeplaceintradeswheregeneralconditionsoflabourareimproving,therelativestrengthoftheclaimforleisureisadvancing。Therecomesapointintheimprovedconditionsofeachworking-classwhenthedemandforlibertyandeaseandrecreationbeginstoassertitselfwithsomuchinsistencethatitoutweighssomepartofthechronicdemandforhigherwages。Thoughworkersareusuallyreluctanttoadmittheeconomicnecessityofmakingawage-sacrificeinordertopurchaseleisure,andwillhardlyeverclaimashorterday,iftheyknowittoinvolveanactualfallofwages,theywillsometimesriskthisfall,andmoreoftentheywillforegoaportionofacontemplatedriseofwage,soastogetashorterday。Thestrengthandeffectivenessofthisdemandforleisureincomparisonwithwagesmust,ofcourse,varywiththeactualstandardofcomfortthatobtains,theonerousnessorirksomenessofthework,theage,sexandintelligenceoftheworkers,andthevarietyandsortsofopportunitieswhichincreasedleisurewillplaceattheirdisposal。IntheordinaryEnglishfeudalvillage,oreveninthesmallcountrytown,leisurecommonlymeanstorporqualifiedbythepublic-house。Thepriceofsuchleisure,intermsofsacrificeofwage,wouldbeverylow,fortheutilityinthesensationalenjoymentoftheleisurewouldbeslightascomparedwiththesubstantialadditiontothematerialstandardoffamilycomfortwhichevenashillingwouldafford。
Ontheotherhand,tothebetter-paidmechanic,compositor,orskilledfactoryworker,wherethefamilywagewasrelativelyhigh,andwhereorganisedcitylifepresentedmanyopportunitiesfortheuseandenjoymentofleisure,itmightseemwellworthwhiletopaysomethingincashfortheadvantageofalongerevening。
§;10。Thisproblem,ofcourse,ismerelyoneillustrationofthecomplicatedissueswhichariseinanyorderlystudyofthehumaneconomicsofclassandindividualstandardsofconsumption。Evensuchamerelycursoryglanceatthisdelicateorganicproblemwillservetoexposethefatuityofsomuchofthecrudedogmaticcriticismlavisheduponworking-classeconomybywell-to-doreformerswhohavenotsufficientimaginationordiscretiontoabstainfromapplyingthestandardsofvaluationappropriatetoanincomeof£;1,000ayeartoafamilylivingupon£;60ayear。Theexactincome-pointwhereaWestHamworkercanaffordtoobservethelegalrequirementsagainstovercrowdingbyhiringanotherroom,wherehecanjoinaClubwithareasonablechanceofkeepingupthesubscriptions,wherehecanaffordtokeeptheboysorgirlsatschoolbeyondthelegalage-limit,suchquestionscannotbesettledbygeneralmaximsastothedutyofthriftortheadvantagesofeducation,oreventhedangersofbadsanitation。Itmustberememberedthateveninthishighly-civilisedandChristianlandtherearestillsomemillionsofpeoplewhocannotaffordtosetasideanythingforarainyday,ortolettheirchildrenenjoytheeducationwhichtheStatefreelyprovides,oreventoobeysomeofthefundamentallawsofhealth。Asthefamilywagerisesbeyondabareminimumofcurrentsubsistence,apointwillemergewhereeachoftheseandmanyothersoundpracticesbecomeseconomicallyfeasible:theparticularincome-point,ofcourse,willdifferwitheachfamilyaccordingtoitscomposition,itsneeds,andtheopportunitiesofmeetingthem。
Whatappliessoevidentlytothenarrowincomesofthewage-earnersis,ofcourse,equallyapplicabletothehigherincomesofotherclasses。
Thewell-to-doprofessionalmanrecognisesthatanannualexpenditureoffiveoreventenpercentofhisincomeonholidaysmaybeasoundeconomy,justashecalculatesthatheisdoingbetterforhissonbyspending£;1,000
onhisprofessionaltrainingthanbyputtinghimtobusinessatsixteenwiththesamesumforcapital。Notonlyisitimpossibletogeneraliseforawholepeople,orforallfamiliesinagiventradeorofagivenincome,buttherewillbenotwocaseswherearisingincomeoughttobelaidoutpreciselyinthesameway。Thisisofcoursenothingelsethansayingthat,asnotwopersons,orfamilies,arepreciselyalikeinphysicalandmoralmake-up,intastes,needs,opportunities,theirexpenditurecannotrightlybethesame。
Thoughthisbelongstothemostobviousofcommon-places,noneismorehabituallyignored。Andthatneglectislargelyduetothefactthattheplatitudinarianmoralisthasalwaysbeenallowedtohaveafreerunintheregionofcommentaryonexpenditure。
Eulogiaofthriftandindustryhavebeenasindiscriminateandasunprofitableasdiatribesagainstluxuryandidleness。Whatisneededisaflowoforderlyinvestigationintotherealneedsandcapacitiesoftheindividualsandgroupswhoconstituteindustrialsociety,notconfinedtothehardfactswhichcanbetabulatedandplottedincurvesbuttakingcountofthosesofterandmoreplasticfactswhichacloserstudyofhumanlifewillalwaysshowasthemaindeterminantsofanyartofconduct。
Theplaceofleisureintheorganicstandardofagrouporclassornationwillbeoneofthemostdelicateproblemsinsuchastudy。Itsdelicacyfortheindividualeconomymay,indeed,bededucedfromtheexpressionwhichweusedattheoutsetofthistreatment,indescribingitas'theopportunityofopportunities。'Inotherwords,itshumanutilitytoanyman,and,therefore,itsimportance,relativetohiswagesoranyothergoodhegetsfromthem,willdependuponthenatureofalltheopportunitiesitopensup,andthatinitsturndependsupontheentiresumofthoseconditionswhichwenamehisNatureandhisEnvironment。
Theprogressiveachievementofthiseconomyofleisureiscloselylinkedwithagradualreorganisationofindustrysoastoeliminatethelargewasteoftimeandenergywhichpresentproductivemethodsinvolve。WithscienceandhumanitycooperatingintheartofsocialorganisationitoughttobepossibletoeffectsucheconomiesaswouldplaceallEnglishmeninprivatepossessionofthegreaterpartoftheirwakingdayfortheirownpurposesinlife。Itrequires,however,agenuinefaithintheorganicprogressofHumanNaturetourgewithconfidencethefullermeasureofsuchareform。Weneedatleasttoassumethatthenormaltendencywillbetowardstheuse,nottheabuse,ofmoreleisure,asofhigherwages。
Thatsomewastewillbeincurredinlearningtouseleisure,asalsoinbuildingupeachstageinarisingstandardofexpenditure,isofcourseinevitable。Muchmightbesaidabouttheconditionswhichfacilitatetheassimilationbothofleisureandofwagestonourishahigherhumanlife。
Race,climate,socialtraditionsandsurroundings,thenatureofthework,age,sexand,indeed,manyotherconditions,musthelptodeterminehowagivenshorteningofhours,orenhancementofwages,willaffectthestandardoflife。Somecrudedistinctionsofgreatsignificancehavebeenobserved。
TheBantuandmostotherAfricans,newtoprocessesofwage-labourandtotheneedsofcivilisedlife,willtakethewholeofasuddenriseofwagesinincreasedleisure,butthatleisurewillbespentalmostwhollyinidleness。PushfulGermantradersintropicalcountriescommonlycomplainofthe'verdammteBedü;rfnislö;sigkeit'accursedwantlessness
oftheinhabitants。Thislowconservativestandardoflivingimpedeseconomicprocessesofexchange。Italsoprecludesthefruitfuluseofleisure,thesatisfactionofthenon-economicneeds。Thoughthereisnoreasontoholdthatanyraceortypeofmanisunprogressive,inthesensethathismindisimpervioustonewwantsandisincapableofincitinghimtoneweffortsfortheirsatisfaction,theextentandpaceofsuchprogressvarygreatlywiththeeconomicenvironmentandwiththedegreeofconsciousculturehithertoattained。Thestimuliofeconomicneedsandofnon-economicneedswillnormallyproceedtogether,andinthemassesofaworkingpopulationwillmanifestthemselvesinasimultaneousdemandforhigherwagesandmoreleisure。Butaswagesreachatolerablyhighstandardofeconomiccomfort,itmightbeexpectedthattherelativelystrongerpressureofthenon-economicneedswouldgiveincreasingemphasistothedemandforashorterandeasierworkingday。This,indeed,willseemtoaccordwiththegeneralclaimwhichsocialistsaswellasindividualistsmakeforprogressiveindustrialism,thatitshallmakelargerprovisionforpersonallibertyandself-development。Asspecialisedandregimentedindustryrepresentsthedirecteconomicserviceeachmustrendertosociety,thedemandsofexpandingpersonalityareheldtorequirethatanincreasingproportionofeachman'stimeandenergyshallbeputathisdisposal。
§;11。Noabstractconsiderationsindeed,canbeadducedtosupportanindefinitereductionofthework-day。Asahighlevelofcivilisationisattainedinanycommunity,theproportionofenergydevotedtomaterial,ascomparedwithnon-materialCommoditiesandservices,willdoubtlessbereduced。Butthatdoesnotnecessarilyimplyacorrespondingreductionofeconomictimeandactivity。Foramongeconomicgoodsthemselves,thosewhicharewhollyormainlynon-materialwillformanincreasingproportionofthewhole。AcommunitylikethatofgreatBritain,withapopulationdeclininginitsgrowth,willtendtotakeacontinuallyincreasingshareofitsrealincomeintheshapeofintellectual,moral,aesthetic,recreative,andothernon-materialservices。Thesewillabsorbanever-growingshareoftheproductiveenergyofthepeople。Thisdemandforthesatisfactionofhighereconomicneedswillbelikelytoputacheckuponthetendencytowardsanillimitablereductionofthework-day。Formostofthesehighernon-materialgoodsdonotadmittheapplicationofthoseeconomiesofcapitalistproductionavailableinthemakingofmaterialgoods。Takeoneexample,thatofeducation。Hereisaservicewhichwillprobablyabsorbacontinuallyincreasingpercentageofthetotaltimeandenergydevotedtoeconomicservices。Thesameisprobablytrueofhygienicservices。Thoughportionsoftheseandotheractivitiesmaypassfromtheeconomicintothenon-economicsphere,beingundertakenbyindividualsasprivateoccupations,fortheirleisure,aspublicservicestheywillcertainlyfurnishemploymenttoanincreasingnumberofemployees。
Thustheclaimsofagrowingprogressivesocialorganisationwillimposesomenecessarylimitsuponthedemandsoftheindividualforlargerlibertyandleisure。