第35章

thetechnologicalcharacterofthismachineprocesshasbeensetforthatsomelength。Themachineprocesspervadesthemodernlifeanddominatesitinamechanicalsense。Itsdominanceisseenintheenforcementofprecisemechanicalmeasurementsandadjustmentandthereductionofallmannerofthings，purposesandacts，necessities，conveniences，andamenitiesoflife，tostandardunits。Thebearingofthissweepingmechanicalstandardizationuponbusinesstrafficisalargepartofthesubject-matteroftheforegoingchapters。Thepointofimmediateinteresthereisthefurtherbearingofthemachineprocessuponthegrowthofculture，-thedisciplinaryeffectwhichthismovementforstandardizationandmechanicalequivalencehasuponthehumanmaterial。

Thisdisciplinefallsmoreimmediatelyontheworkmenengagedinthemechanicalindustries，andonlylessimmediatelyontherestofthecommunitywhichlivesincontactwiththissweepingmachineprocess。Whereverthemachineprocessextends，itsetsthepacefortheworkmen，greatandsmall。Thepaceisset，notwhollybytheparticularprocessesinthedetailsofwhichthegivenworkmanisimmediatelyengaged，butinsomedegreebythemorecomprehensiveprocessatlargeintowhichthegivendetailprocessfits。Itisnolongersimplythattheindividualworkmanmakesuseofoneormoremechanicalcontrivancesforeffectingcertainresults。Suchusedtobehisofficeintheearlierphasesoftheuseofmachines，andtheworkwhichhenowhasinhandstillhasmuchofthatcharacter。Butsuchacharacterizationoftheworkman’spartinindustrymissesthepeculiarlymodernfeatureofthecase。Henowdoesthisworkasafactorinvolvedinamechanicalprocesswhosemovementcontrolshismotions。Itremainstrue，ofcourse，asitalwayshasbeentrue，thatheistheintelligentagentconcernedintheprocess，whilethemachine，furnace，roadway，orretortareinanimatestructuresdevisedbymanandsubjecttotheworkman’ssupervision。Buttheprocesscompriseshimandhisintelligentmotions，anditisbyvirtueofhisnecessarilytakinganintelligentpartinwhatisgoingforwardthatthemechanicalprocesshasitschiefeffectuponhim。Theprocessstandardizeshissupervisionandguidanceofthemachine。Mechanicallyspeaking，themachineisnothistodowithitashisfancymaysuggest。Hisplaceistotakethoughtofthemachineanditsworkintermsgivenhimbytheprocessthatisgoingforward。Histhinkinginthepremisesisreducedtostandardunitsofgaugeandgrade。Ifhefailsoftheprecisemeasure，bymoreorless，theexigenciesoftheprocesschecktheaberrationanddrivehometheabsoluteneedofconformity。

Thereresultsastandardizationoftheworkman’sintellectuallifeintermsofmechanicalprocess，whichismoreunmitigatedandprecisethemorecomprehensiveandconsummatetheindustrialprocessinwhichheplaysapart。Thismustnotbetakentomeanthatsuchworkneedlowerthedegreeofintelligenceoftheworkman。Nodoubtthecontraryisnearerthetruth。Heisamoreefficientworkmanthemoreintelligentheis，andthedisciplineofthemachineprocessordinarilyincreaseshisefficiencyevenforworkinadifferentlinefromthatbywhichthedisciplineisgiven。Buttheintelligencerequiredandinculcatedinthemachineindustryisofapeculiarcharacter。Themachineprocessisasevereandinsistentdisciplinarianinpointofintelligence。Itrequirescloseandunremittingthought，butitisthoughtwhichrunsinstandardtermsofquantitativeprecision。Broadly，otherintelligenceonthepartoftheworkmanisuseless；oritisevenworsethanuseless，forahabitofthinkinginotherthanquantitativetermsblurstheworkman’squantitativeapprehensionofthefactswithwhichhehastodo。(4*)

Insofarasheisarightlygiftedandfullydisciplinedworkman，thefinaltermofhishabitualthinkingismechanicalefficiency，understanding“mechanical“inthesenseinwhichitisusedabove。Butmechanicalefficiencyisamatterofpreciselyadjustedcauseandeffect。Whatthedisciplineofthemachineindustryinculcates，therefore，inthehabitsoflifeandofthoughtoftheworkman，isregularityofsequenceandmechanicalprecision；andtheintellectualoutcomeisanhabitualresorttotermsofmeasurablecauseandeffect，togetherwitharelativeneglectanddisparagementofsuchexerciseoftheintellectualfacultiesasdoesnotrunontheselines。

Ofcourse，innocaseandwithnoclassdoesthedisciplineofthemachineprocessmouldt

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