prel-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



separate　from　the　classes　engaged　in　industry。　in　others；　the

proprietor　of　the　land　is　almost　universally　its　cultivator；

owning　the　plough；　and　often　himself　holding　it。　Where　the

proprietor　himself　does　not　cultivate；　there　is　sometimes；

between　him　and　the　labourer；　an　intermediate　agency；　that　of　the

farmer；　who　advances　the　subsistence　of　the　labourers；　supplies

the　instruments　of　production；　and　receives；　after　paying　a　rent

to　the　landowner；　all　the　produce：　in　other　cases；　the　landlord；

his　paid　agents；　and　the　labourers；　are　the　only　sharers。

Manufactures；　again；　are　sometimes　carried　on　by　scattered

individuals；　who　own　or　hire　the　tools　or　machinery　they　require；

and　employ　little　labour　besides　that　of　their　own　family；　in

other　cases；　by　large　numbers　working　together　in　one　building；

with　expensive　and　complex　machinery　owned　by　rich　manufacturers。

The　same　difference　exists　in　the　operations　of　trade。　The

wholesale　operations　indeed　are　everywhere　carried　on　by　large

capitals；　where　such　exist；　but　the　retail　dealings；　which

collectively　occupy　a　very　great　amount　of　capital；　are　sometimes

conducted　in　small　shops；　chiefly　by　the　personal　exertions　of

the　dealers　themselves；　with　their　families；　and　perhaps　an

apprentice　or　two；　and　sometimes　in　large　establishments；　of

which　the　funds　are　supplied　by　a　wealthy　individual　or

association；　and　the　agency　is　that　of　numerous　salaried　shopmen

or　shopwomen。　Besides　these　differences　in　the　economical

phenomena　presented　by　different　parts　of　what　is　usually　called

the　civilized　world；　all　those　earlier　states　which　we　previously

passed　in　review；　have　continued　in　some　part　or　other　of　the

world；　down　to　our　own　time。　Hunting　communities　still　exist　in

America；　nomadic　in　Arabia　and　the　steppes　of　Northern　Asia；

Oriental　society　is　in　essentials　what　it　has　always　been；　the

great　empire　of　Russia　is　even　now；　in　many　respects；　the

scarcely　modified　image　of　feudal　Europe。　Every　one　of　the　great

types　of　human　society；　down　to　that　of　the　Esquimaux　or

Patagonians；　is　still　extant。

　　　　These　remarkable　differences　in　the　state　of　different

portions　of　the　human　race；　with　regard　to　the　production　and

distribution　of　wealth；　must；　like　all　other　phenomena；　depend　on

causes。　And　it　is　not　a　sufficient　explanation　to　ascribe　them

exclusively　to　the　degrees　of　knowledge　possessed　at　different

times　and　places；　of　the　laws　of　nature　and　the　physical　arts　of

life。　Many　other　causes　co…operate；　and　that　very　progress　and

unequal　distribution　of　physical　knowledge　are　partly　the

effects；　as　well　as　partly　the　causes；　of　the　state　of　the

production　and　distribution　of　wealth。

　　　　In　so　far　as　the　economical　condition　of　nations　turns　upon

the　state　of　physical　knowledge；　it　is　a　subject　for　the　physical

sciences；　and　the　arts　founded　on　them。　But　in　so　far　as　the

causes　are　moral　or　psychological；　dependent　on　institutions　and

social　relations；　or　on　the　principles　of　human　nature；　their

investigation　belongs　not　to　physical；　but　to　moral　and　social

science；　and　is　the　object　of　what　is　called　Political　Economy。

　　　　The　production　of　wealth；　the　extraction　of　the　instruments

of　human　subsistence　and　enjoyment　from　the　materials　of　the

globe；　is　evidently　not　an　arbitrary　thing。　It　has　its　necessary

conditions。　Of　these；　some　are　physical；　depending　on　the

properties　of　matter；　and　on　the　amount　of　knowledge　of　those

properties　possessed　at　the　particular　place　and　time。　These

Political　Economy　does　not　investigate；　but　assumes；　referring

for　the　grounds；　to　physical　science　or　common　experience。

Combining　with　these　facts　of　outward　nature　other　truths

relating　to　human　nature；　it　attempts　to　trace　the　secondary　or

derivative　laws；　by　which　the　production　of　wealth　is　determined；

in　which　must　lie　the　explanation　of　the　diversities　of　riches

and　poverty　in　the　present　and　past；　and　the　ground　of　whatever

increase　in　wealth　is　reserved　for　the　future。

　　　　Unlike　the　laws　of　Production；　those　of　Distribution　are

partly　of　human　institution：　since　the　manner　in　which　wealth　is

distributed　in　any　given　society；　depends　on　the　statutes　or

usages　therein　obtaining。　But　though　governments　or　nations　have

the　power　of　deciding　what　institutions　shall　exist；　they　cannot

arbitrarily　determine　how　those　institutions　shall　work。　The

conditions　on　which　the　power　they　possess　over　the　distribution

of　wealth　is　dependent；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　distribution

is　effected　by　the　various　modes　of　conduct　which　society　may

think　fit　to　adopt；　are　as　much　a　subject　for　scientific　enquiry

as　any　of　the　physical　laws　of　nature。

　　　　The　laws　of　Production　and　Distribution；　and　some　of　the

practical　consequences　deducible　from　them；　are　the　subject　of

the　following　treatise。