list2-第24章

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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　are　called



into　existence　only　by　means　of　the　manufacturing　power；　and　can



only　by　means　of　it　be　extended　over　the　whole　surface　of　the



country。　In　the　mere　agricultural　State；　where　everybody　produces



for　himself　the　greater　part　of　what　he　requires；　and　consumes



himself　the　greater　part　of　what　he　produces；　where　the　individuals



among　themselves　can　only　carry　on　a　small　amount　of　goods　and



passenger　traffic；　it　is　impossible　that　a　sufficiently　large



traffic　in　either　goods　or　passengers　can　take　place　to　defray　the



costs　of　the　erection　and　maintenance　of　the　machinery　of



transport。



　　　　New　inventions　and　improvements　in　the　mere　agricultural　State



are　of　but　little　value。　Those　who　occupy　themselves　with　such



things　in　such　a　State　fall　themselves；　as　a　rule；　a　sacrifice　to



their　investigations　and　endeavours；　while　in　the　manufacturing



State　there　is　no　path　which　leads　more　rapidly　to　wealth　and



position　than　that　of　invention　and　discovery。　Thus；　in　the



manufacturing　State　genius　is　valued　and　rewarded　more　highly　than



skill；　and　skill　more　highly　than　mere　physical　force。　In　the



agricultural　State；　however；　excepting　in　the　public　service；　the



reverse　is　almost　the　rule。



　　　　As；　however；　manufactures　operate　beneficially　on　the



development　of　the　mental　powers　of　the　nation；　so　also　do　they　act



on　the　development　of　the　physical　power　of　labour；　by　affording　to



the　labourers　means　of　enjoyment；　inducements　to　exert　their



powers；　and　opportunities　for　making　use　of　them。　It　is　an



undisputed　observation；　that　in　flourishing　manufacturing　States



the　workman；　irrespective　of　the　aid　which　he　obtains　from　better



machinery　and　tools；　accomplishes　a　far　larger　day's　work　than　in



mere　agricultural　countries。



　　　　Moreover；　the　circumstance　that　in　manufacturing　States　the



value　of　time　is　recognised　much　more　than　in　agricultural　States；