The Theory of Business

第39章

Butthemachinetechnologynotonlytrainstheworkmenintomaterialisticiconoclasm,ithasalsoaselectiveeffect。Personsendowedwithpropensitiesandaptitudesofamaterialistic,matter-of-factkindaredraftedintothemechanicalemployments,andsucharealsopeculiarlyavailablesocialisticmaterial。

Aptitudeforthematter-of-factworkofthemachinetechnologymeans,inageneralway,ineptitudeforanuncriticalacceptanceofinstitutionaltruths,Itisprobable,therefore,thattheapparentfacilitywithwhichthemechanicalemployments(andthematerialsciences)induceasocialisticoriconoclasticbentistobesetdowninparttothefactthatthehumanmaterialintheseemploymentsispickedmaterial,peculiarlyamenabletothisdiscipline。Thereisasiftingoftheworkingclasses,wherebythesocialisticandmechanicallycapableareroughlysegregatedoutfromtherestandsubjectedtotheiconoclasticdisciplineofthemechanicalemploymentsandmatter-of-factthinking;whiletheresidue,whichisonthewholemadeupofthepersonsthatarerelativelyleastcapableofrevolutionarysocialism,isatthesametimelessexposedtothedisciplinethatmightfitthemforthesocialisticmovement。Thissiftingis,ofcourse,aroughone,andleavesmanyexceptionsbothways。

Inthelightofthisconsideration,then,itistobenoted:

(1)thatthedominanceofthemachineprocessinmodernindustryisnotsopotentafactorfortheinculcationofsocialisticnotions-itdoesnotsoirresistiblyshapemen’shabitofmindinthesocialisticsense-asthefirstsurveyofthefactswouldsuggest;and(2)thatthedifferentiationofoccupationsinvolvedinmodernindustrialmethodsselectivelybunchesthesocialisticelementstogether,andsoheightenstheirsenseofclasssolidarityandactstoaccentuatetheirbias,givesconsistencytotheirideals,andinducesthatboldnessofconvictionandactionwhichistobehadonlyinacompactbodyofmen。

Butineithercase,whetherthevisibleoutcomeischieflyduetotheirselectiveortotheirdisciplinaryeffect,thebearingoftheindustrialoccupationsuponthegrowthofsocialismseemsequallycloseandundeniable。Thetwomodesofinfluenceseemtoconvergetotheoutcomeindicatedabove,andforthepurposeofthepresentinquiryadetailedtracingoutofthetwostrandsofsequenceinthecaseneithercannorneedbeundertaken。(25*)

Withsuchgeneralityascommonlyholdsinstatementsofthiskind,itmaybesaidthatthemodernsocialisticdisaffectionislooselyboundupwiththemachineindustry-spreadingwherethisindustryspreadsandflourishingwherethisindustrygivesthedominantnoteoflife。Thecorrelationbetweenthetwophenomenaisofsuchakindastoleavenodoubtthattheyarecausallyconnected;whichmeanseitherthatthemachineindustry,directlyorindirectly,givesrisetosocialism,orthatthetwoareexpressionsofthesamecomplexofcauses。Theformerstatementprobablyexpressesthetruthofthecaseingreatpart,butthelatterneednotthereforebefalse。Whereverandinsofarastheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgehasmadethemachineprocessandthemechanicaltechnologythetone-givingfactorinmen’sschemeofthought,theremodernsocialisticiconoclasmfollowsbyeasyconsequence。

Thesocialisticbiasprimarilytoucheseconomicinstitutionsproper。Butthatisnotthewholeofit。Whenthetermisusedwithoutmodifyingphraseitcarriesacertainimplicationtouchingotherthanprimarilyeconomicmatters。Thepoliticalbiasofthisunmitigatedsocialismisalwaysradicallydemocratic,totheextentthatthesesocialistsareinahighdegreeintolerantofanymonarchical,aristocratic,orotherprescriptivegovernment。Thestateisdoomedinthesocialisticview。(26*)Thesocialistantagonismtothestatetakesvariousformsandgoestovaryingdegreesofintemperance,butitisconsistentlynegative。Exceptintheirdestructivelyhostileattitudetoexistingpoliticalorganizations,thesocialistshavenothingconsistenttoofferontheheadofpoliticalinstitutions,less

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