8。Anotherkindoflabour,usuallyclassedasmental,but
conducingtotheultimateproductasdirectly,thoughnotso
immediately,asmanuallabouritself,isthelabourofthe
inventorsofindustrialprocesses。Isay,usuallyclassedas
mental,becauseinrealityitisnotexclusivelyso。Allhuman
exertioniscompoundedofsomementalandsomebodilyelements。
Thestupidesthodman,whorepeatsfromdaytodaythemechanical
actofclimbingaladder,performsafunctionpartly
intellectual;somuchso,indeed,thatthemostintelligentdog
orelephantcouldnot,probably,betaughttodoit。Thedullest
humanbeing,instructedbeforehand,iscapableofturningamill;
butahorsecannotturnitwithoutsomebodytodriveandwatch
him。Ontheotherhand,thereissomebodilyingredientinthe
labourmostpurelymental,whenitgeneratesanyexternalresult。
NewtoncouldnothaveproducedthePrincipiawithoutthebodily
exertioneitherofpenmanshiporofdictation;andhemusthave
drawnmanydiagrams,andwrittenoutmanycalculationsand
demonstrations,whilehewaspreparingitinhismind。Inventors,
besidesthelabouroftheirbrains,generallygothroughmuch
labourwiththeirhands,inthemodelswhichtheyconstructand
theexperimentstheyhavetomakebeforetheirideacanrealize
itselfsuccessfullyinact。Whethermental,however,orbodily,
theirlabourisapartofthatbywhichtheproductionisbrought
about。ThelabourofWattincontrivingthesteam—enginewasas
essentialapartofproductionasthatofthemechanicswhobuild
ortheengineerswhoworktheinstrument;andwasundergone,no
lessthantheirs,intheprospectofaremunerationfromthe
produce。Thelabourofinventionisoftenestimatedandpaidon
theverysameplanasthatofexecution。Manymanufacturersof
ornamentalgoodshaveinventorsintheiremployment,whoreceive
wagesorsalariesfordesigningpatterns,exactlyasothersdo
forcopyingthem。Allthisisstrictlypartofthelabourof
production;asthelabouroftheauthorofabookisequallya
partofitsproductionwiththatoftheprinterandbinder。
Inanational,oruniversalpointofview,thelabourofthe
savant,orspeculativethinker,isasmuchapartofproduction
intheverynarrowestsense,asthatoftheinventorofa
practicalart;manysuchinventionshavingbeenthedirect
consequencesoftheoreticdiscoveries,andeveryextensionof
knowledgeofthepowersofnaturebeingfruitfulofapplications
tothepurposesofoutwardlife。Theelectro—magnetictelegraph
wasthewonderfulandmostunexpectedconsequenceofthe
experimentsofOErstedandthemathematicalinvestigationsof
Amp鑢e:andthemodernartofnavigationisanunforeseen
emanationfromthepurelyspeculativeandapparentlymerely
curiousenquiry,bythemathematiciansofAlexandria,intothe
propertiesofthreecurvesformedbytheintersectionofaplane
surfaceandacone。Nolimitcanbesettotheimportance,even
inapurelyproductiveandmaterialpointofview,ofmere
thought。Inasmuch,however,asthesematerialfruits,thoughthe
result,areseldomthedirectpurposeofthepursuitsofsavants,
noristheirremunerationingeneralderivedfromtheincreased
productionwhichmaybecausedincidentally,andmostlyaftera
longinterval,bytheirdiscoveries;thisultimateinfluencedoes
not,formostofthepurposesofpoliticaleconomy,requiretobe
takenintoconsideration;aregenerallyclassedastheproducers
onlyofbooks,orotheruseableorsaleablearticles,which
directlyemanatefromthem。Butwhen(asinpoliticaleconomyone
shouldalwaysbepreparedtodo)weshiftourpointofview,and
considernotindividualacts,andthemotivesbywhichtheyare
determined,hutnationalanduniversalresults,intellectual
speculationmustbelookeduponasamostinfluentialpartofthe
productivelabourofsociety,andtheportionofitsresources
employedincarryingonandinremuneratingsuchlabour,asa
highlyproductivepartofitsexpenditure。
9。Intheforegoingsurveyofthemodesofemployinglabour
infurtheranceofproduction,Ihavemadelittleuseofthe
populardistinctionofindustryintoagricultural,manufacturing,
andcommercial。For,intruth,thisdivisionfulfilsverybadly
thepurposesofaclassification。Manygreatbranchesof
productiveindustryfindnoplaceinit,ornotwithoutmuch
straining;forexample(nottospeakofhuntersorfishers)the
miner,theroad—maker,andthesailor。Thelimit,too,between
agriculturalandmanufacturingindustrycannotbeprecisely
drawn。Themiller,forinstance,andthebaker—aretheytobe
reckonedamongagriculturists,oramongmanufacturers?Their
occupationisinitsnaturemanufacturing;thefoodhasfinally
partedcompanywiththesoilbeforeitishandedovertothem:
this,however,mightbesaidwithequaltruthofthethresher,
thewinnower,themakersofbutterandcheese;operationsalways
countedasagricultural,probablybecauseitisthecustomfor
themtobeperformedbypersonsresidentonthefarm,andunder
thesamesuperintendenceastillage。Formanypurposesallthese
persons,themillerandbakerinclusive,mustbeplacedinthe
sameclasswithploughmenandreapers。Theyareallconcernedin
producingfood,anddependfortheirremunerationonthefood
produced;whentheoneclassaboundsandflourishes,theothers
dosotoo;theyformcollectivelythe"agriculturalinterest;"
theyrenderbutoneservicetothecommunitybytheirunited
labours,andarepaidfromonecommonsource。Eventhetillersof
thesoil,again,whentheproduceisnotfood,butthematerials
ofwhatarecommonlytermedmanufactures,belonginmanyrespects
tothesamedivisionintheeconomyofsocietyasmanufacturers。
Thecotton—planterofCarolina,andthewool—growerofAustralia,
havemoreinterestsincommonwiththespinnerandweaverthan
withthecorngrower。But,ontheotherhand,theindustrywhich
operatesimmediatelyuponthesoilhas,asweshallsee
hereafter,somepropertiesonwhichmanyimportantconsequences
depend,andwhichdistinguishitfromallthesubsequentstages
ofproduction,whethercarriedonbythesamepersonornot;from
theindustryofthethresherandwinnower,asmuchasfromthat
ofthecotton—spinner。WhenIspeak,therefore,ofagricultural
labour,Ishallgenerallymeanthis,andthisexclusively,unless
thecontraryiseitherstatedorimpliedinthecontext。Theterm
manufacturingistoovaguetobeofmuchusewhenprecisionis
required,andwhenIemployit,Iwishtobeunderstoodas
intendingtospeakpopularlyratherthanscientifically。
NOTES:
1。Theableandfriendlyreviewerofthistreatiseinthe
EdinburghReview(October1848)conceivesthedistinctionbetween
materialsandimplementsratherdifferently;proposingto
considerasmaterials"allthingswhich,afterhavingundergone
thechangeimpliedinproduction,arethemselvesmatterof
exchange,"andasimplements(orinstruments)"thethingswhich
areemployedinproducingthatchange,butdonotthemselves
becomepartoftheexchangeableresult。"Accordingtothese
definitions,thefuelconsumedinamanufactorywouldbe
considered,notasamaterial,butasaninstrument。Thisuseof
thetermsaccordsbetterthatthatproposedinthetext,withthe
primitivephysicalmeaningoftheword"material";butthe
distinctiononwhichitisgroundedisonealmostirrelevantto
politicaleconomy。
ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy
byJohnStuartMill
Book1,Chapter3
OfUnproductiveLabour
1。Labourisindispensabletoproduction,buthasnotalways
productionforitseffect。Thereismuchlabour,andofahigh
orderofusefulness,ofwhichproductionisnottheobject。
LabourhasaccordinglybeendistinguishedintoProductiveand
Unproductive。Therehasbeennotalittlecontroversyamong
politicaleconomistsonthequestion,whatkindsoflabourshould
bereputedtobeunproductive;andtheyhavenotalways
perceived,thattherewasinrealitynomatteroffactindispute
betweenthem。
Manywritershavebeenunwillingtoclassanylabouras
productive,unlessitsresultispalpableinsomematerial
object,capableofbeingtransferredfromonepersontoanother。
Thereareothers(amongwhomareMr。M’CullochandM。Say)who
lookinguponthewordunproductiveasatermofdisparagement,
remonstrateagainstimposingituponanylabourwhichisregarded
asuseful—whichproducesabenefitorapleasureworththecost。
Thelabourofofficersofgovernment,ofthearmyandnavy,of
physicians,lawyers,teachers,musicians,dancers,actors,
domesticservants,&c。,whentheyreallyaccomplishwhattheyare
paidfor,andarenotmorenumerousthanisrequiredforits
performance,oughtnot,saythesewriters,tobe"stigmatized"as
unproductive,anexpressionwhichtheyappeartoregardas
synonymouswithwastefulorworthless。Butthisseemstobea
misunderstandingofthematterindispute。Productionnotbeing
thesoleendofhumanexistence,thetermunproductivedoesnot
necessarilyimplyanystigma;norwaseverintendedtodosoin
thepresentcase。Thequestionisoneofmerelanguageand
classification。Differencesoflanguage,however,arebynomeans
unimportant,evenwhennotgroundedondifferencesofopinion;
forthougheitheroftwoexpressionsmaybeconsistentwiththe
wholetruth,theygenerallytendtofixattentionupondifferent
partsofit。Wemustthereforeenteralittleintothe
considerationofthevariousmeaningswhichmayattachtothe
wordsproductiveandunproductivewhenappliedtolabour。
Inthefirstplace,eveninwhatiscalledtheproductionof
materialobjects,itmustberememberedthatwhatisproducedis
notthemattercomposingthem。Allthelabourofallthehuman
beingsintheworldcouldnotproduceoneparticleofmatter。To
weavebroadclothisbuttorearrange,inapeculiarmanner,the
particlesofwool;togrowcornisonlytoputaportionof
mattercalledaseed,intoasituationwhereitcandrawtogether
particlesofmatterfromtheearthandair,toformthenew
combinationcalledaplant。Thoughwecannotcreatematter,we
cancauseittoassumeproperties,bywhich,fromhavingbeen
uselesstous,itbecomesuseful。Whatweproduce,ordesireto
produce,isalways,asM。Sayrightlytermsit,anutility。
Labourisnotcreativeofobjects,butofutilities。Neither,
again,doweconsumeanddestroytheobjectsthemselves;the
matterofwhichtheywerecomposedremains,moreorlessaltered
inform:whathasreallybeenconsumedisonlythequalitiesby
whichtheywerefittedforthepurposetheyhavebeenappliedto。
Itis,therefore,pertinentlyaskedbyM。Sayandothers—since,
whenwearesaidtoproduceobjects,weonlyproduceutility,why
shouldnotalllabourwhichproducesutilitybeaccounted
productive?Whyrefusethattitletothesurgeonwhosetsalimb,
thejudgeorlegislatorwhoconferssecurity,andgiveittothe
lapidarywhocutsandpolishesadiamond?Whydenyittothe
teacherfromwhomIlearnanartbywhichIcangainmybread,
andaccordittotheconfectionerwhomakesbonbonsforthe
momentarypleasureofasenseoftaste。
Itisquitetruethatallthesekindsoflabourare
productiveofutility;anthequestionwhichnowoccupiesus
couldnothavebeenaquestionatall,iftheproductionof
utilitywereenoughtosatisfythenotionwhichmankindhave
usuallyformedofproductivelabour。Production,andproductive,
areofcourseellipticalexpressions,involvingtheideaofa
somethingproduced;butthissomething,incommonapprehension,I
conceivetobe,notutility,butWealth。Productivelabourmeans
labourproductiveofwealth。Wearerecalled,therefore,tothe
questiontoucheduponinourfirstchapter,whatWealthis,and
whetheronlymaterialproducts,orallusefulproducts,aretobe
includedinit。
2。Nowtheutilitiesproducedbylabourareofthreekinds。
Theyare,
First,utilitiesfixedandembodiedinoutwardobjects;by
labouremployedininvestingexternalmaterialthingswith
propertieswhichrenderthemserviceabletohumanbeings。Thisis
thecommoncase,andrequiresnoillustration。
Secondly,utilitiesfixedandembodiedinhumanbeings;the
labourbeinginthiscaseemployedinconferringonhumanbeings,
qualitieswhichrenderthemserviceabletothemselvesandothers。
Tothisclassbelongsthelabourofallconcernedineducation;
notonlyschoolmasters,tutors,andprofessors,butgovernments,
sofarastheyaimsuccessfullyattheimprovementofthepeople;
moralists,andclergymen,asfarasproductiveofbenefit;the
labourofphysicians,asfarasinstrumentalinpreservinglife
andphysicalormentalefficiency;oftheteachersofbodily
exercises,andofthevarioustrades,sciences,andarts,
togetherwiththelabourofthelearnersinacquiringthem;and
alllabourbestowedbyanypersons,throughoutlife,inimproving
theknowledgeorcultivatingthebodilyormentalfacultiesof
themselvesorothers。
Thirdlyandlastly,utilitiesnotfixedorembodiedinany
object,butconsistinginamereservicerendered;apleasure
given,aninconvenienceorapainaverted,duringalongerora
shortertime,butwithoutleavingapermanentacquisitioninthe
improvedqualitiesofanypersonorthing;thelabourbeing
employedinproducinganutilitydirectly,not(asinthetwo
formercases)infittingsomeotherthingtoaffordanutility。
Such,forexample,isthelabourofthemusicalperformer,the
actor,thepublicdeclaimerorreciter,andtheshowman。Some
goodmaynodoubtbeproduced,andmuchmoremightbeproduced,
beyondthemoment,uponthefeelingsanddisposition,orgeneral
stateofenjoymentofthespectators;orinsteadofgoodthere
maybeharm;butneithertheonenortheotheristheeffect
intended,istheresultforwhichtheexhibitorworksandthe
spectatorpays;nothingbuttheimmediatepleasure。Such,again,
isthelabourofthearmyandnavy;they,atthebest,preventa
countryfrombeingconquered,orfrombeinginjuredorinsulted,
whichisaservice,butinallotherrespectsleavethecountry
neitherimprovednordeteriorated。Such,too,isthelabourof
thelegislator,thejudge,theofficerofjustice,andallother
agentsofgovernment,intheirordinaryfunctions,apartfromany
influencetheymayexertontheimprovementofthenationalmind。
Theservicewhichtheyrender,istomaintainpeaceandsecurity;
thesecomposetheutilitywhichtheyproduce。Itmayappearto
some,thatcarriers,andmerchantsordealers,shouldbeplaced
inthissameclass,sincetheirlabourdoesnotaddany
propertiestoobjects:butIreplythatitdoes:itaddsthe
propertyofbeingintheplacewheretheyarewanted,insteadof
beinginsomeotherplace:whichisaveryusefulproperty,and
theutilityitconfersisembodiedinthethingsthemselves,
whichnowactuallyareintheplacewheretheyarerequiredfor
use,andinconsequenceofthatincreasedutilitycouldbesold
atanincreasedprice,proportionedtothelabourexpendedin
conferringit。Thislabour,therefore,doesnotbelongtothe
thirdclass,buttothefirst。
3。Wehavenowtoconsiderwhichofthesethreeclassesof
labourshouldbeaccountedproductiveofwealth,sincethatis
whatthetermproductive,whenusedbyitself,mustbeunderstood
toimport。Utilitiesofthethirdclass,consistinginpleasures
whichonlyexistwhilebeingenjoyed,andserviceswhichonly
existwhilebeingperformed,cannotbespokenofaswealth,
exceptbyanacknowledgedmetaphor。Itisessentialtotheidea
ofwealthtobesusceptibleofaccumulation:thingwhichcannot,
afterbeingproduced,bekeptforsometimebeforebeingused,
arenever,Ithink,regardedaswealth,sincehowevermuchof
themmaybeproducedandenjoyed,thepersonbenefitedbythemis
noricher,isnowiseimprovedincircumstances。Butthereisnot
sodistinctandpositiveaviolationofusageinconsideringas
wealthanyproductwhichisbothusefulandsusceptibleof
accumulation。Theskill,andtheenergyandperseverance,ofthe
artisansofacountry,arereckonedpartofitswealth,noless
thantheirtoolsandmachinery。(1*)Accordingtothisdefinition,
weshouldregardalllabourasproductivewhichisemployedin
creatingpermanentutilities,whetherembodiedinhumanbeings,
orinanyotheranimateorinanimateobjects。ThisnomenclatureI
have,inaformerpublication,(2*)recommended,asmostconducive
totheendsofclassification;andIamstillofthatopinion。
Butinapplyingthetermwealthtotheindustrialcapacities
ofhumanbeing,thereseemsalways,inpopularapprehension,to
beatacitreferencetomaterialproducts。Theskillofan
artisanisaccountedwealth,onlyasbeingthemeansofacquiring
wealthinamaterialsense;andanyqualitiesnottendingvisibly
tothatobjectarescarcelysoregardedatall。Acountrywould
hardlybesaidtobericher,exceptbyametaphor,however
preciousapossessionitmighthaveinthegenius,thevirtues,
ortheaccomplishmentsofitsinhabitants;unlessindeedthese
werelookeduponasmarketablearticles,bywhichitcould
attractthematerialwealthofothercountries,astheGreeksof
old,andseveralmodernnationshavedone。While,therefore,I
shouldprefer,wereIconstructinganewtechnicallanguage,to
makethedistinctionturnuponthepermanenceratherthanupon
thematerialityoftheproduct,yetwhenemployingtermswhich
commonusagehastakencompletepossessionof,itseemsadvisable
sotoemploythemastodotheleastpossibleviolencetousage;
sinceanyimprovementinterminologyobtainedbystrainingthe
receivedmeaningofapopularphrase,isgenerallypurchased
beyonditsvalue,bytheobscurityarisingfromtheconflict
betweennewandoldassociations。
Ishall,therefore,inthistreatise,whenspeakingof
wealth,understandbyitonlywhatiscalledmaterialwealth,and
byproductivelabouronlythosekindsofexertionwhichproduce
utilitiesembodiedinmaterialobjects。Butinlimitingmyselfto
thissenseoftheword,Imeantoavailmyselfofthefullextent
ofthatrestrictedacceptation,andIshallnotrefusethe
appellationproductive,tolabourwhichyieldsnomaterial
productasitsdirectresult,providedthatanincreaseof
materialproductsisitsultimateconsequence。Thus,labour
expendedintheacquisitionofmanufacturingskill,Iclassas
productive,notinvirtueoftheskillitself,butofthe
manufacturedproductscreatedbytheskill,andtothecreation
ofwhichthelabouroflearningthetradeisessentially
conducive。Thelabourofofficersofgovernmentinaffordingthe
protectionwhich,affordedinsomemannerorother,is
indispensabletotheprosperityofindustry,mustbeclassedas
productiveevenofmaterialwealth,becausewithoutit,material
wealth,inanythinglikeitspresentabundance,couldnotexist。
Suchlabourmaybesaidtobeproductiveindirectlyormediately,
inoppositiontothelabouroftheploughmanandthe
cotton—spinner,whichareproductiveimmediately。Theyareall
alikeinthis,thattheyleavethecommunityricherinmaterial
productsthantheyfoundit;theyincrease,ortendtoincrease,
materialwealth。
4。ByUnproductiveLabour,onthecontrary,willbe
understoodlabourwhichdoesnotterminateinthecreationof
materialwealth;which,howeverlargelyorsuccessfully
practised,doesnotrenderthecommunity,andtheworldatlarge,
richerinmaterialproducts,butpoorerbyallthatisconsumed
bythelabourerswhilesoemployed。
Alllabouris,inthelanguageofpoliticaleconomy,
unproductive,whichendsinimmediateenjoyment,withoutany
increaseoftheaccumulatedstockofpermanentmeansof
enjoyment。Andalllabour,accordingtoourpresentdefinition,
mustbeclassedasunproductive,whichterminatesinapermanent
benefit,howeverimportant,providedthatanincreaseofmaterial
productsformsnopartofthatbenefit。Thelabourofsavinga
friend’slifeisnotproductive,unlessthefriendisa
productivelabourer,andproducesmorethanheconsumes。Toa
religiouspersonthesavingofasoulmustappearafarmore
importantservicethanthesavingofalife;buthewillnot
thereforecallamissionaryoraclergymanproductivelabourers,
unlesstheyteach,astheSouthSeaMissionarieshaveinsome
casesdone,theartsofcivilizationinadditiontothedoctrines
oftheirreligion。Itis,onthecontrary,evidentthatthe
greaternumberofmissionariesorclergymenanationmaintains,
thelessithastoexpendonotherthings;whilethemoreit
expendsjudiciouslyinkeepingagriculturistsandmanufacturers
atwork,themoreitwillhaveforeveryotherpurpose。Bythe
formeritdiminishes,caeterisparibus,itsstockofmaterial
products;bythelatter,itincreasesthem。
Unproductivemaybeasusefulasproductivelabour;itmaybe
moreuseful,eveninpointofpermanentadvantage;oritsusemay
consistonlyinpleasurablesensation,whichwhengoneleavesno
trace;oritmaynotaffordeventhis,butmaybeabsolutewaste。
Inanycasesocietyormankindgrownoricherbyit,butpoorer。
Allmaterialproductsconsumedbyanyonewhileheproduces
nothing,aresomuchsubtracted,forthetime,fromthematerial
productswhichsocietywouldotherwisehavepossessed。Butthough
societygrowsnoricherbyunproductivelabour,theindividual
may。Anunproductivelabourermayreceiveforhislabour,from
thosewhoderivepleasureorbenefitfromit,aremuneration
whichmaybetohimaconsiderablesourceofwealth;buthisgain
isbalancedbytheirloss;theymayhavereceivedafull
equivalentfortheirexpenditure,buttheyaresomuchpoorerby
it。Whenatailormakesacoatandsellsit,thereisatransfer
ofthepricefromthecustomertothetailor,andacoatbesides
whichdidnotpreviouslyexist;butwhatisgainedbyanactoris
ameretransferfromthespectator’sfundstohis,leavingno
articleofwealthforthespectator’sindemnification。Thusthe
communitycollectivelygainsnothingbytheactor’slabour;and
itloses,ofhisreceipts,allthatportionwhichheconsumes,
retainingonlythatwhichhelaysby。Acommunity,however,may
addtoitswealthbyunproductivelabour,attheexpenseofother
communities,asanindividualmayattheexpenseofother
individuals。ThegainsofItalianoperasingers,German
governesses,Frenchballetdancers,&c。,areasourceofwealth,
asfarastheygo,totheirrespectivecountries,iftheyreturn
thither。ThepettystatesofGreece,especiallytheruderand
morebackwardofthosestates,werenurseriesofsoldiers,who
hiredthemselvestotheprincesandsatrapsoftheEasttocarry
onuselessanddestructivewars,andreturnedwiththeirsavings
topasstheirdecliningyearsintheirowncountry……thesewere
unproductivelabourers,andthepaytheyreceived,togetherwith
theplundertheytook,wasanoutlaywithoutreturntothe
countrieswhichfurnishedit;but,thoughnogaintotheworld,
itwasagaintoGreece。Atalaterperiodthesamecountryand
itscoloniessuppliedtheRomanempirewithanotherclassof
adventurers,who,underthenameofphilosophersorof
rhetoricians,taughttotheyouthofthehigherclasseswhatwere
esteemedthemostvaluableaccomplishments:theseweremainly
unproductivelabourers,buttheiramplerecompensewasasource
ofwealthtotheirowncountry。Innoneofthesecaseswasthere
anyaccessionofwealthtotheworld。Theservicesofthe
labourers,ifuseful,wereobtainedatasacrificetotheworld
ofaportionofmaterialwealth;ifuseless,allthatthese
labourersconsumedwastotheworldwaste。
Tobewasted,however,isaliabilitynotconfinedto
unproductivelabour。Productivelabourmayequallybewasted,if
moreofitisexpendedthanreallyconducestoproduction。If
defectofskillinlabourers,orofjudgmentinthosewhodirect
them,causesamisapplicationofproductiveindustry;ifafarmer
persistsinploughingwiththreehorsesandtwomen,when
experiencehasshownthattwohorseandonemanaresufficient,
thesurpluslabour,thoughemployedforpurposesofproduction,
iswasted。Ifanewprocessisadoptedwhichprovesnobetter,or
notsogoodasthosebeforeinuse,thelabourexpendedin
perfectingtheinventionandincarryingitintopractice,though
employedforaproductivepurpose,iswasted。Productivelabour
mayrenderanationpoorer,ifthewealthitproduces,thatis,
theincreaseitmakesinthestockofusefuloragreeablethings,
beofakindnotimmediatelywanted:aswhenacommodityis
unsaleable,becauseproducedinaquantitybeyondthepresent
demand;orwhenspeculatorsbuilddocksandwarehousesbefore
thereisanytrade。SomeoftheStatesofNorthAmerica,by
makingprematurerailwaysandcanals,arethoughttohavemade
thiskindofmistake;anditwasforsometimedoubtfulwhether
England,inthedisproportionatedevelopmentofrailway
enterprise,hadnot,insomedegree,followedtheexample。Labour
sunkinexpectationofadistantreturn,whenthegreat
exigenciesorlimitedresourcesofthecommunityrequirethatthe
returnberapid,mayleavethecountrynotonlypoorerinthe
meanwhile,byallwhichthoselabourersconsume,butlessrich
evenultimatelythanifimmediatereturnshadbeensoughtinthe
firstinstance,andenterprisesfordistantprofitpostponed。
5。ThedistinctionofProductiveandUnproductiveis
applicabletoconsumptionaswellastolabour。Allthemembers
ofthecommunityarenotlabourers,hutallareconsumers,and
consumeeitherunproductivelyorproductively。Whoever
contributesnothingdirectlyorindirectlytoproduction,isan
unproductiveconsumer。Theonlyproductiveconsumersare
productivelabourers;thelabourofdirectionbeingofcourse
included,aswellasthatofexecution。Buttheconsumptioneven
ofproductivelabourersisnotallofitproductiveconsumption。
Thereisunproductiveconsumptionbyproductiveconsumers。What
theyconsumeinkeepinguporimprovingtheirhealth,strength,
andcapacitiesofwork,orinrearingotherproductivelabourers
tosucceedthem,isproductiveconsumption。Butconsumptionon
pleasuresorluxuries,whetherbytheidleorbytheindustrious,
sinceproductionisneitheritsobjectnorisinanywayadvanced
byit,mustbereckonedunproductive:withareservationperhaps
ofacertainquantumofenjoymentwhichmaybeclassedamong
necessaries,sinceanythingshortofitwouldnotbeconsistent
withthegreatestefficiencyoflabour。Thataloneisproductive
consumption,whichgoestomaintainandincreasetheproductive
powersofthecommunity;eitherthoseresidinginitssoil,in
itsmaterials,inthenumberandefficiencyofitsinstrumentsof
production,orinitspeople。
Therearenumerousproductswhichmaybesaidnottoadmitof
beingconsumedotherwisethanunproductively。Theannual
consumptionofgoldlace,pineapples,orchampagne,mustbe
reckonedunproductive,sincethesethingsgivenoassistanceto
production,noranysupporttolifeorstrength,butwhatwould
equallybegivenbythingsmuchlesscostly。Henceitmightbe
supposedthatthelabouremployedinproducingthemoughtnotto
beregardedasproductive,inthesenseinwhichthetermis
understoodbypoliticaleconomists。Igrantthatnolabourtends
tothepermanentenrichmentofsociety,whichisemployedin
producingthingsfortheuseofunproductiveconsumers。The
tailorwhomakesacoatforamanwhoproducesnothing,isa
productivelabourer;butinafewweeksormonthsthecoatis
wornout,whilethewearerhasnotproducedanythingtoreplace
it,andthecommunityisthennoricherbythelabourofthe
tailor,thanifthesamesumhadbeenpaidforastallatthe
opera。Nevertheless,societyhasbeenricherbythelabourwhile
thecoatlasted,thatis,untilsociety,throughoneofits
unproductivemembers,chosetoconsumetheproduceofthelabour
unproductively。Thecaseofthegoldlaceorthepineappleisno
furtherdifferent,thanthattheyarestillfurtherremovedthan
thecoatfromthecharacterofnecessaries。Thesethingsalsoare
wealthuntiltheyhavebeenconsumed。
6。Wesee,however,bythis,thatthereisadistinction,
moreimportanttothewealthofacommunitythaneventhat
betweenproductiveandunproductivelabour;thedistinction,
namely,betweenlabourforthesupplyofproductive,andforthe
supplyofunproductive,consumption;betweenlabouremployedin
keepinguporinaddingtotheproductiveresourcesofthe
country,andthatwhichisemployedotherwise。Oftheproduceof
thecountry,apartonlyisdestinedtobeconsumedproductively;
theremaindersuppliestheunproductiveconsumptionofproducers,
andtheentireconsumptionoftheunproductiveclasses。Suppose
thattheproportionoftheannualproduceappliedtothefirst
purposeamountstohalf;thenone—halftheproductivelabourers
ofthecountryareallthatareemployedintheoperationson
whichthepermanentwealthofthecountrydepends。Theotherhalf
areoccupiedfromyeartoyearandfromgenerationtogeneration
inproducingthingswhichareconsumedanddisappearwithout
return;andwhateverthishalfconsumeisascompletelylost,as
toanypermanenteffectonthenationalresources,asifitwere
consumedunproductively。Supposethatthissecondhalfofthe
labouringpopulationceasedtowork,andthatthegovernmentor
theirparishesmaintainedtheminidlenessforawholeyear:the
firsthalfwouldsufficetoproduce,astheyhaddonebefore,
theirownnecessariesandthenecessariesofthesecondhalf,and
tokeepthestockofmaterialsandimplementsundiminished:the
unproductiveclasses,indeed,wouldbeeitherstaredorobliged
toproducetheirownsubsistence,andthewholecommunitywould
bereducedduringayeartobarenecessaries;butthesourcesof
productionwouldbeunimpaired,andthenextyeartherewouldnot
necessarilybeasmallerproducethanifnosuchintervalof
inactivityhadoccurred;whileifthecasehadbeenreversed,if
thefirsthalfofthelabourershadsuspendedtheiraccustomed
occupations,andthesecondhalfhadcontinuedtheirs,the
countryattheendofthetwelvemonthwouldhavebeenentirely
impoverished。
Itwouldbeagreaterrortoregretthelargeproportionof
theannualproduce,whichinanopulentcountrygoestosupply
unproductiveconsumption。Itwouldbetolamentthatthe
communityhassomuchtosparefromitsnecessities,forits
pleasuresandforallhigheruses。Thisportionoftheproduceis
thefundfromwhichallthewantsofthecommunity,otherthan
thatofmereliving,areprovidedfor;themeasureofitsmeans
ofenjoyment,andofitspowerofaccomplishingallpurposesnot
productive。Thatsogreatasurplusshouldbeavailableforsuch
purposes,andthatitshouldbeappliedtothem,canonlybea
subjectofcongratulation。Thethingstoberegretted,andwhich
arenotincapableofbeingremedied,aretheprodigious
inequalitywithwhichthissurplusisdistributed,thelittle
worthoftheobjectstowhichthegreaterpartofitisdevoted,
andthelargesharewhichfallstothelotofpersonswhorender
noequivalentserviceinreturn。
NOTES:
1。Someauthoritieslookuponitasanessentialelementinthe
ideaofwealth,thatitshouldbecapablenotsolelyofbeing
accumulatedbutofbeingtransferred;andinasmuchasthe
valuablequalities,andeventheproductivecapacities,ofa
humanbeing,cannotbedetachedfromhimandpassedtosomeone
else,theydenytothesetheappellationofwealth,andtothe
labourexpendedinacquiringthemthenameofproductivelabour。
Itseemstome,however,thattheskillofanartisan(for
instance)beingbothadesirablepossession,andoneofacertain
durability(nottosayproductiveevenofnationalwealth),there
isnobetterreasonforrefusingtoitthetitleofwealth
becauseitisattachedtoaman,thantoacoalpitormanufactory
becausetheyareattachedtoaplace。Besides,iftheskill
itselfcannotbepartedwithtoapurchaser,theuseofitmay;
ifitcannotbesold,itcanbehired;anditmaybe,andis,
soldoutrightinallcountrieswhoselawspermitthattheman
himselfshouldbesoldalongwithit。Itsdefectof
transferabilitydoesnotresultfromanaturalbutfromalegal
andmoralobstacle。Thehumanbeinghimself(asformerly
observed)Idonotclassaswealth。Heisthepurposeforwhich
wealthexists。Buthisacquiredcapacities,whichexistonlyas
means,andhavebeencalledintoexistencebylabour,fall
rightly,asitseemstome,withinthatdesignation。
2。EssaysonsomeUnsettledQuestionsofPoliticalEconomy。Essay
III。OnthewordsProductiveandUnproductive。
ThePrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy
byJohnStuartMill
Book1,Chapter4
OfCapital
1。Ithasbeenseenintheprecedingchaptersthatbesides
theprimaryanduniversalrequisitesofproduction,labourand
naturalagents,thereisanotherrequisitewithoutwhichno
productiveoperations,beyondtherudeandscantybeginningsof
primitiveindustry,arepossible:namely,astock,previously
accumulated,oftheproductsofformerlabour。Thisaccumulated
stockoftheproduceoflabouristermedCapital。Thefunctionof
Capitalinproduction,itisoftheutmostimportancethoroughly
tounderstand,sinceanumberoftheerroneousnotionswithwhich
oursubjectisinfested,originateinanimperfectandconfused
apprehensionofthispoint。
Capital,bypersonswhollyunusedtoreflectonthesubject,
issupposedtobesynonymouswithmoney。Toexposethis
misapprehension,wouldbetorepeatwhathasbeensaidinthe
introductorychapter。Moneyisnomoresynonymouswithcapital
thanitiswithwealth。Moneycannotinitselfperformanypart
oftheofficeofcapital,sinceitcanaffordnoassistanceto
production。Todothis,itmustbeexchangedforotherthings;
andanything,whichissusceptibleofbeingexchangedforother
things,iscapableofcontributingtoproductioninthesame
degree。Whatcapitaldoesforproduction,istoaffordthe
shelter,protection,toolsandmaterialswhichtheworkrequires,
andtofeedandotherwisemaintainthelabourersduringthe
process。Thesearetheserviceswhichpresentlabourrequires
frompast,andfromtheproduceofpast,labour。Whateverthings
aredestinedforthisuse——destinedtosupplyproductivelabour
withthesevariousprerequisites——areCapital。
Tofamiliarizeourselveswiththeconception,letusconsider
whatisdonewiththecapitalinvestedinanyofthebranchesof
businesswhichcomposetheproductiveindustryofacountry。A
manufacturer,forexample,hasonepartofhiscapitalinthe
formofbuildings,fittedanddestinedforcarryingonhisbranch
ofmanufacture。Anotherparthehasintheformofmachinery。A
thirdconsists,ifhebeaspinner,ofrawcotton,flax,orwool;
ifaweaver,offlaxen,woollen,silk,orcotton,thread;andthe
like,accordingtothenatureofthemanufacture。Foodand
clothingforhisoperatives,itisnotthecustomofthepresent
agethatheshoulddirectlyprovide;andfewcapitalists,except
theproducersoffoodorclothing,haveanyportionworth
mentioningoftheircapitalinthatshape。Insteadofthis,each
capitalisthasmoney,whichhepaystohisworkpeople,andso
enablesthemtosupplythemselves:hehasalsofinishedgoodsin
hiswarehouses,bythesaleofwhichheobtainsmoremoney,to
employinthesamemanner,aswellastoreplenishhisstockof
materials,tokeephisbuildingsandmachineryinrepair,andto
replacethemwhenwornout。Hismoneyandfinishedgoods,
however,arenotwhollycapital,forhedoesnotwhollydevote
themtothesepurposes:heemploysapartoftheone,andofthe
proceedsoftheother,insupplyinghispersonalconsumptionand
thatofhisfamily,orinhiringgroomsandvalets,or
maintaininghuntersandhounds,orineducatinghischildren,or
inpayingtaxes,orincharity。Whatthenishiscapital?
Preciselythatpartofhispossessions,whateveritbe,whichis
toconstitutehisfundforcarryingonfreshproduction。Itisof
noconsequencethatapart,oreventhewholeofit,isinaform
inwhichitcannotdirectlysupplythewantsoflabourers。
Suppose,forinstance,thatthecapitalistisahardware
manufacturer,andthathisstockintrade,overandabovehis
machinery,consistsatpresentwhollyinirongoods。Irongoods
cannotfeedlabourers。Nevertheless,byamerechangeofthe
destinationoftheseirongoods,hecancauselabourerstobe
fed。Supposethatwithaportionoftheproceedsheintendedto
maintainapackofhounds,oranestablishmentofservants;and
thathechangeshisintention,andemploysitinhisbusiness,
payingitinwagestoadditionalworkpeople。Theseworkpeopleare
enabledtobuyandconsumethefoodwhichwouldotherwisehave
beenconsumedbythehoundsorbytheservants;andthuswithout
theemployer’shavingseenortouchedoneparticleofthefood,
hisconducthasdeterminedthatsomuchmoreofthefoodexisting
inthecountryhasbeendevotedtotheuseofproductive
labourers,andsomuchlessconsumedinamannerwholly
unproductive。Nowvarythehypothesis,andsupposethatwhatis
thuspaidinwageswouldotherwisehavebeenlaidoutnotin
feedingservantsorhounds,butinbuyingplateandjewels;and
inordertorendertheeffectperceptible,letussupposethat
thechangetakesplaceonaconsiderablescale,andthatalarge
sumisdivertedfrombuyingplateandjewelstoemploying
productivelabourers,whomweshallsupposetohavebeen
previously,liketheIrishpeasantry,onlyhalfemployedandhalf
fed。Thelabourers,onreceivingtheirincreasedwages,willnot
laythemoutinplateandjewels,butinfood。Thereisnot,
however,additionalfoodinthecountry;noranyunproductive
labourersoranimals,asintheformercase,whosefoodisset
freeforproductivepurposes。Foodwillthereforebeimportedif
possible;ifnotpossible,thelabourerswillremainforaseason
ontheirshortallowance:buttheconsequencesofthischangein
thedemandforcommodities,occasionedbythechangeinthe
expenditureofcapitalistsfromunproductivetoproductive,is
thatnextyearmorefoodwillbeproduced,andlessplateand
jewellery。Sothatagain,withouthavinghadanythingtodowith
thefoodofthelabourersdirectly,theconversionbyindividuals
ofaportionoftheirproperty,nomatterofwhatsort,froman
unproductivedestinationtoaproductive,hashadtheeffectof
causingmorefoodtobeappropriatedtotheconsumptionof
productivelabourers。Thedistinction,then,betweenCapitaland
Not—capital,doesnotlieinthekindofcommodities,butinthe
mindofthecapitalist——inhiswilltoemploythemforone
purposeratherthananother;andallproperty,howeverill
adaptedinitselffortheuseoflabourers,isapartofcapital,
sosoonasit,orthevaluetobereceivedfromit,issetapart
forproductivereinvestment。Thesumofallthevaluesso
destinedbytheirrespectivepossessors,composesthecapitalof
thecountry。Whetherallthosevaluesareinashapedirectly
applicabletoproductiveuses,makesnodifference。Theirshape,
whateveritmaybe,isatemporaryaccident:butoncedestined
forproduction,theydonotfailtofindawayoftransforming
themselvesintothingscapableofbeingappliedtoit。
2。Aswhateveroftheproduceofthecountryisdevotedto
productioniscapital,so,conversely,thewholeofthecapital
ofthecountryisdevotedtoproduction。Thissecondproposition,
however,mustbetakenwithsomelimitationsandexplanations。A
fundmaybeseekingforproductiveemployment,andfindnone,
adaptedtotheinclinationsofitspossessor:ittheniscapital
still,butunemployedcapital。Orthestockmayconsistofunsold
goods,notsusceptibleofdirectapplicationtoproductiveuses,
andnot,atthemoment,marketable:these,untilsold,areinthe
conditionofunemployedcapital。Again,artificialoraccidental
circumstancesmayrenderitnecessarytopossessalargerstock
inadvance,thatis,alargercapitalbeforeenteringon
production,thanisrequiredbythenatureofthings。Suppose
thatthegovernmentlaysataxontheproductioninoneofits
earlierstages,asforinstancebytaxingthematerial。The
manufacturerhastoadvancethetax,beforecommencingthe
manufacture,andisthereforeunderanecessityofhavinga
largeraccumulatedfundthanisrequiredfor,orisactually
employedin,theproductionwhichhecarrieson。Hemusthavea
largercapital,tomaintainthesamequantityofproductive
labour;or(whatisequivalent)withagivencapitalhemaintains
lesslabour。Thismodeoflevyingtaxes,therefore,limits
unnecessarilytheindustryofthecountry:aportionofthefund
destinedbyitsownersforproductionbeingdivertedfromits
purpose,andkeptinaconstantstateofadvancetothe
government。
Foranotherexample:afarmermayenteronhisfarmatsucha
timeoftheyea,thathemayberequiredtopayone,two,oreven
threequarters’rentbeforeobtaininganyreturnfromthe
produce。This,therefore,musthepaidoutofhiscapital。Now
rent,whenpaidforthelanditself,andnotforimprovements
madeinitbylabour,isnotaproductiveexpenditure。Itisnot
anoutlayforthesupportoflabour,orfortheprovisionof
implementsormaterialstheproduceoflabour。Itistheprice
paidfortheuseofanappropriatednaturalagent。Thisnatural
agentisindeedasindispensable(andevenmoreso)asany
implement:butthehavingtopayapriceforit,isnot。Inthe
caseoftheimplement(athingproducedbylabour)apriceof
somesortisthenecessaryconditionofitsexistence:butthe
landexistsbynature。Thepaymentforit,therefore,isnotone
oftheexpensesofproduction;andthenecessityofmakingthe
paymentoutofcapital,makesitrequisitethatthereshouldbea
greatercapital,agreaterantecedentaccumulationoftheproduce
ofpastlabour,thanisnaturallynecessary,orthanisneeded
wherelandisoccupiedonadifferentsystem。Thisextracapital,
thoughintendedbyitsownersforproduction,isinreality
employedunproductively,andannuallyreplaced,notfromany
produceofitsown,butfromtheproduceofthelaboursupported
bytheremainderofthefarmer’scapital。
Finally,thatlargeportionoftheproductivecapitalofa
countrywhichisemployedinpayingthewagesandsalariesof
labourers,evidentlyisnot,allofit,strictlyand
indispensablynecessaryforproduction。Asmuchofitasexceeds
theactualnecessariesoflifeandhealth(anexcesswhichinthe
caseofskilledlabourersisusuallyconsiderable)isnot
expendedinsupportinglabour,butinremuneratingit,andthe
labourerscouldwaitforthispartoftheirremunerationuntil
theproductioniscompleted;itneedsnotnecessarilypre—exist
ascapital:andiftheyunfortunatelyhadtoforegoit
altogether,thesameamountofproductionmighttakeplace。In
orderthatthewholeremunerationofthelabourersshouldbe
advancedtothemindailyorweeklypayments,theremustexistin
advance,andbeappropriatedtoproductiveuse,agreaterstock,
orcapital,thanwouldsufficetocarryontheexistingextentof
production:greater,bywhateveramountofremunerationthe
labourersreceive,beyondwhattheself—interestofaprudent
slave—masterwouldassigntohisslaves。Intruth,itisonly
afteranabundantcapitalhadalreadybeenaccumulated,thatthe
practiceofpayinginadvanceanyremunerationoflabourbeyonda
baresubsistence,couldpossiblyhavearisen:sincewhateveris
sopaid,isnotreallyappliedtoproduction,buttothe
unproductiveconsumptionofproductivelabourers,indicatinga
fundforproductionsufficientlyampletoadmitofhabitually
divertingapartofittoamereconvenience。
ItwillbeobservedthatIhaveassumed,thatthelabourers
arealwayssubsistedfromcapital:andthisisobviouslythe
fact,thoughthecapitalneedsnotnecessarilybefurnishedbya
personcalledacapitalist。Whenthelabourermaintainshimself
byfundsofhisown,aswhenapeasant—farmerorproprietorlives
ontheproduceofhisland,oranartisanworksonhisown
account,theyarestillsupportedbycapital,thatis,byfunds
providedinadvance。Thepeasantdoesnotsubsistthisyearon
theproduceofthisyear’sharvest,butonthatofthelast。The
artisanisnotlivingontheproceedsoftheworkhehasinhand,
butonthoseofworkpreviouslyexecutedanddisposedof。Eachis
supportedbyasmallcapitalofhisown,whichheperiodically
replacesfromtheproduceofhislabour。Thelargecapitalistis,
inlikemanner,maintainedfromfundsprovidedinadvance。Ifhe
personallyconductshisoperations,asmuchofhispersonalor
householdexpenditureasdoesnotexceedafairremunerationof
hislabouratthemarketprice,mustbeconsideredapartofhis
capital,expended,likeanyothercapital,forproduction:and
hispersonalconsumption,sofarasitconsistsofnecessaries,
isproductiveconsumption。
3。Attheriskofbeingtedious,Imustaddafewmore
illustrations,tobringoutintoastillclearerandstronger
lighttheideaofCapital。AsM。Saytrulyremarks,itisonthe
veryelementsofoursubjectthatillustrationismostusefully
bestowed,sincethegreatesterrorswhichprevailinitmaybe
tracedtothewantofathoroughmasteryovertheelementary
ideas。Noristhissurprising:abranchmaybediseasedandall
theresthealthy,butunsoundnessattherootdiffuses
unhealthinessthroughthewholetree。
Letusthereforeconsiderwhether,andinwhatcases,the
propertyofthosewholiveontheinterestofwhattheypossess,
withoutbeingpersonallyengagedinproduction,canberegarded
ascapital。Itissocalledincommonlanguage,and,with
referencetotheindividual,notimproperly。Allfundsfromwhich
thepossessorderivesanincome,whichincomehecanusewithout
sinkinganddissipatingthefunditself,aretohimequivalentto
capital。Buttotransferhastilyandinconsideratelytothe
generalpointofview,propositionswhicharetrueofthe
individual,hasbeenasourceofinnumerableerrorsinpolitical
economy。Inthepresentinstance,thatwhichisvirtuallycapital
totheindividual,isorisnotcapitaltothenation,according
asthefundwhichbythesuppositionhehasnotdissipated,has
orhasnotbeendissipatedbysomebodyelse。
Forexample,letpropertyofthevalueoftenthousandpounds
belongingtoA,belenttoB,afarmerormanufacturer,and
employedprofitablyinB’soccupation。Itisasmuchcapitalas
ifitbelongedtoB。Aisreallyafarmerormanufacturer,not
personally,butinrespectofhisproperty。Capitalworthten
thousandpoundsisemployedinproduction——inmaintaining
labourersandprovidingtoolsandmaterials;whichcapital
belongstoA,whileBtakesthetroubleofemployingit,and
receivesforhisremunerationthedifferencebetweentheprofit
whichityieldsandtheinteresthepaystoA。Thisisthe
simplestcase。