首页 >出版文学> WorkWealth Work and Wealth>第2章
  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。