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produce　and　the　requirements　of　all　are　almost　alike；　everybody　is



himself　the　best　consumer　of　his　own　products；　here；　therefore；



little　inducement　exists　for　mental　intercourse　or　material



exchange。　The　agriculturist　has　to　deal　less　with　his　fellow…men



than　with　inanimate　nature。　Accustomed　to　reap　only　after　a　long



lapse　of　time　where　he　has　sown；　and　to　leave　the　success　of　his



exertions　to　the　will　of　a　higher　power；　contentment　with　little；



patience；　resignation；　but　also　negligence　and　mental　laziness；



become　to　him　a　second　nature。　As　his　occupation　keeps　him　apart



from　intercourse　with　his　fellow…men；　so　also　does　the　conduct　of



his　ordinary　business　require　but　little　mental　exertion　and　bodily



skill　on　his　part。　He　learns　it　by　imitation　in　the　narrow　circle



of　the　family　in　which　he　was　born；　and　the　idea　that　it　might　be



conducted　differently　and　better　seldom　occurs　to　him。　From　the



cradle　to　the　grave　he　moves　always　in　the　same　limited　circle　of



men　and　of　circumstances。　Examples　of　special　prosperity　in



consequence　of　extraordinary　mental　and　bodily　exertions　are　seldom



brought　before　his　eyes。　The　possession　of　means　or　a　state　of



poverty　are　transmitted　by　inheritance　in　the　occupation　of　mere



agriculture　from　generation　to　generation；　and　almost　all　that



power　which　originates　in　emulation　lies　dead。



　　　　The　nature　of　manufactures　is　fundamentally　different　from　that



of　agriculture。　Drawn　towards　one　another　by　their　business；



manufacturers　live　only　in　society；　and　consequently　only　in



commercial　intercourse　and　by　means　of　that　intercourse。　The



manufacturer　procures　from　the　market　all　that　he　requires　of　the



necessaries　of　life　and　raw　materials；　and　only　the　smallest　part



of　his　own　products　is　destined　for　his　own　consumption。　If　the



agriculturist　expects　a　blessing　on　his　exertions　chiefly　from



nature；　the　prosperity　and　existence　of　the　manufacturer　mainly



depend　on　his　commercial　intercourse。　While　the　agriculturist　does



not　know　the　purchasers　of　his　produce；　or　at　any　rate　need　have



little　anxiety　as　to　disposing　of　it；　the　very　existence　of　the



manufacturer　depends　on　his　customers。　The　prices　of　raw　materials；



of　the　necessaries　of　life　and　wages；　of　goods　and　of　money；　vary



incessantly；　the　manufacturer　is　never　certain　how　his　profits　will



turn　out。　The　favour　of　nature　and　mere　ordinary　industry　do　not



guarantee　to　him　existence　and　prosperity　as　they　do　to　the



agriculturist；　both　these　depend　entirely　upon　his　own　intelligence



and　activity。　He　must　strive　to　gain　more　than　enough　in　order　to



be　certain　of　having　enough　of　what　is　absolutely　necessary；　he



must　endeavour　to　become　rich　in　order　not　to　be　reduced　to



poverty。　If　he　goes　on　somewhat　faster　than　others；　he　thrives；　if



he　goes　slower；　he　is　certain　of　ruin。　He　must　always　buy　and　sell；



exchange　and　make　bargains。　Everywhere　he　has　to　deal　with　men；



with　changing　circumstances；　with　laws　and　regulations；　he　has　a



hundred　times　more　opportunity　for　developing　his　mind　than　the



agriculturist。　In　order　to　qualify　himself　for　conducting　his



business；　he　must　become　acquainted　with　foreign　men　and　foreign



countries；　in　order　to　establish　that　business；　he　must　make



unusual　efforts；　While　the　agriculturist　simply　has　to　do　with　his



own　neighbourhood；　the　trade　of　the　manufacturer　extends　itself



over　all　countries　and　parts　of　the　world。　The　desire　to　gain　the



respect　of　his　fellow…citizens　or　to　retain　it；　and　the　continual



competition　of　his　rivals；　which　perpetually　threaten　his　existence



and　prosperity；　are　to　him　a　sharp　stimulus　to　uninterrupted



activity；　to　ceaseless　progress。　Thousands　of　examples　prove　to



him；　that　by　extraordinary　performances　and　exertions　it　is



possible　for　a　man　to　raise　himself　from　the　lowest　degree　of



well…being　and　position　to　the　highest　social　rank；　but　that；　on



the　other　hand；　by　mental　inactivity　and　negligence；　he　can　sink



from　the　most　respectable　to　the　meanest　position。　These



circumstances　produce　in　the　manufacturer　an　energy　which　is　not



observable　in　the　mere　agriculturist。



　　　　If　we　regard　manufacturing　occupations　as　a　whole；　it　must　be



evident　at　the　first　glance　that　they　develop　and　bring　into　action



an　incomparably　greater　variety　and　higher　type　of　mental　qualities



and　abilities　than　agriculture　does。　Adam　Smith　certainly　expressed



one　of　those　paradoxical　opinions　which　（according　to　Dugald



Stewart；　his　biographer）　he　was　very　fond　of；　when　he　maintained



that　agriculture　requires　more　skill　than　manufactures　and



commerce。　Without　entering　into　the　investigation　whether　the



construction　of　a　clock　requires　more　skill　than　the　management　of



a　farm；　we　have　merely　to　observe　that　all　agricultural　occupations



are　of　the　same　kind；　while　in　manufactures　a　thousand　fold　variety



exists。　It　must　also　not　be　forgotten；　that　for　the　purpose　of　the



present　comparison；　agriculture　must　be　regarded　as　it　exists　in



the　primitive　state；　and　not　as　it　has　been　improved　by　the



influence　of　manufactures。　If　the　condition　of　English



agriculturists　appeared　to　Adam　Smith　much　nobler　than　the



condition　of　English　manufacturers；　he　had　forgotten　that　the



condition　of　the　former　has　been　thus　ennobled　through　the



influence　of　manufactures　and　commerce。



　　　　It　is　evident　that　by　agriculture　merely　personal　qualities　of



the　same　kind　are　put　into　requisition；　and　merely　those　which



combine　bodily　power　and　perseverance　in　executing　raw　and　manual



labour　with　the　simple　idea　of　order；　while　manufactures　require　a



thousand　fold　variety　of　mental　ability　skill；　and　experience。　The



demand　for　such　a　variety　of　talents　makes　it　easy　for　every



individual　in　a　manufacturing　State　to　find　an　occupation　and



vocation　corresponding　with　his　individual　abilities　and　taste；



while　in　an　agricultural　State　but　little　choice　exists。　In　the



former　mental　gifts　are　infinitely　more　prized　than　in　the　latter；



where　as　a　rule　the　usefulness　of　a　man　is　determined　according　to



his　bodily　strength。　The　labour　of　the　weak　and　the　cripple　in　the



former　is　not　unfrequently　valued　at　a　much　higher　rate　than　that



of　the　strongest　man　is　in　the　latter。　Every　power；　even　the



smallest；　that　of　children　and　women；　of　cripples　and　old　men；



finds　in　manufactures　employment　and　remuneration。



　　　　Manufactures　are　at　once　the　offspring；　and　at　the　same　time



the　supporters　and　the　nurses；　of　science　and　the　arts。　We　may



observe　how　little　the　condition　of　raw　agriculture　puts　sciences



and　arts　into　requisition；　how　little　of　either　is　necessary　to



prepare　the　rude　implements　which　it　employs。　It　is　true　that



agriculture　at　first　had；　by　yielding　rents　of　land；　made　it



possible　for　men　to　devote　themselves　to　science　and　art；　but



without　manufactures　they　have　always　remained　private　treasures；



and　have　only　extended　their　beneficial　effects　in　a　very　slight



degree　to　the　masses。　In　the　manufacturing　State　the　industry　of



the　masses　is　enlightened　by　science；　and　the　sciences　and　arts　are



supported　by　the　industry　of　the　masses。　There　scarcely　exists　a



manufacturing　business　which　has　not　relations　to　physics；



mechanics；　chemistry；　mathematics；　or　to　the　art　of　design；　&c。　No



progress；　no　new　discoveries　and　inventions；　can　be　made　in　these



sciences　by　which　a　hundred　industries　and　processes　could　not　be



improved　or　altered。　In　the　manufacturing　State；　therefore；



sciences　and　arts　must　necessarily　become　popular。　The　necessity



for　education　and　instruction；　through　writings　and　lectures　by　a



number　of　persons　who　have　to　bring　into　practice　the　results　of



scientific　investigations；　induces　men　of　special　talents　to　devote



themselves　to　instruction　and　authorship。　The　competition　of　such



talents；　owing　to　the　large　demand　for　their　efforts；　creates　both



a　division　and　co…operation　of　scientific　activity；　which　has　a



most　beneficial　influence　not　merely　on　the　further　progress　of



science　itself；　but　also　on　the　further　perfection　of　the　arts　and



of　industries。　The　effects　of　these　improvements　are　soon



afterwards　extended　even　to　agriculture。　Nowhere　can　more　perfect



agricultural　machines　and　implements　be　found；　nowhere　is



agriculture　carried　on　with　so　much　intelligence；　as　in　countries



where　industry　flourishes。　Under　the　influence　of　manufactures；



agriculture　itself　is　raised　to　a　skilled　industry；　an　art；　a



science。



　　　　The　sciences　and　industry　in　combination　have　produced　that



great　material　power　which　in　the　new　state　of　society　has　replaced



with　tenfold　benefits　the　slave　labour　of　ancient　times；　and　which



is　destined　to　exercise　on　the　condition　of　the　masses；　on　the



civilisation　of　barbarous　countries；　on　the　peopling　of　uninhabited



lands；　and　on　the　power　of　the　nations　of　primitive　culture；　such



an　immeasurable　influence…namely；　the　power　of　machinery。



　　　　A　manufacturing　nation　has　a　hundred　times　more　opportunities



of　applying　the　power　of　machinery　than　an　agricultural　nation。　A



cripple　can　accomplish　by　directing　a　steam　engine　a　hundred　times



more　than　the　strongest　man　can　with　his　mere　hand。



　　　　The　power　of　machinery；　combined　with　the　perfection　of



transport　facilities　in　modern　times；　affords　to　the　manufacturing



State　an　immense　superiority　over　the　mere　agricultural　State。　It



is　evident　that　canals；　railways；　and　steam　navigation　ar