第42章

Theunpropertiedclassesemployedinbusinessdonottaketosocialisticvagarieswithsuchalacrityasshouldinspireaconfidenthopeintheadvocatesofsocialismoraseriousapprehensioninthosewhostandforlawandorder。Tbispecuniarilydisfranchisedbusinesspopulation，initsrevulsionagainstunassimilatedfacts，turnsrathertosomeexcursionintopragmaticromance，suchasSocialSettlements，Prohibition，CleanPolitics，SingleTax，ArtsandCrafts，NeighborhoodGuilds，InstitutionalChurch，ChristianScience，NewThought，orsomesuchculturalthimblerig。Theworkofthecaptainofindustryincurtailingtherangeofindividualdiscretioninbusinessandinreducingthelesserundertakerstotherankofclerksandsubalternsneednotbelookeduponasunavoidablyfurtheringthespreadofthesocialisticbias，exceptinsofarasthechangeresultsinthrowingthemenaffectedbyitoutofthepecuniaryorbusinessoccupationsandsubjectingthemtothedisciplineofthemechanicalindustry。Atthemost，apparently，thechangefromanindependenttoadependentbusinesslifeservestoweakenthemen’sinterestinthequestionofproperty；itdoesnotappearthatitthrowsthemintoanattitudeofsubstantialdistrustoriconoclasm。Theirinterestinthisparticularinstitutionslackensthroughthelossofthatemulativemotiveonwhichpecuniaryendeavorproceeds，buttheirfaithinitsintrinsicfitnessisnottherebyshaken，noraretheythrownintothetanksofthechronicdissentients。Thetraininggivenbytheirlifecontinuesprevailinglytorunonconventionalgrounds；thatistosay，ongroundsoflegalrelation，solvency，andthelike。 Accountantsandofficeemployeesarenearlyascouservativeasclergymenandlawyers，andtheirbeingsoisapparentlyduetothefactthattheirexperiencerunsonmuchthesamegroundofconventionalfinality。 Connectedwiththisapparentselectiveactionwhichthemodemspecializationofoccupationsexerts，thereisafurther，andatfirstsightmoresingular，pointofdisparitybetweenthesocialistsandtheconservatives；andthisdifferencehasalsoacuriouscorrelationwiththedistributionofthemachineindustry。Inadegree，-slightanduncertain，perhaps，butsearcelytobemistaken，-thesocialistsandtheconservativesareapparentlyofdifferentracialantecedents。Ithasbeenseenabovethatthepropagandaismostvitalandwidespreadintheindustrialtowns，ascontrastedwiththeagriculturalcountry。 ButiftheresearchesofsuchstudentsasAmmon，Ripley，Lapouge，Closson，andothersthatmightbenamed，aretakenattheirfacevalue，itappearsthatthetownsdifferperceptiblyfromtheopencountryinpointofrace；andthatthemigrationfromthecountryintotheindustrialtownshasaselectiveeffectofsuchakindthatalargerproportionofoneracialstockthanofanotherresortstothetowns。Thetowns，inthosecountrieswheredataareavailable，showalargeradmixtureofthedolicho-blondstockthantheopencountry。Thisseemstoarguethatthedolicho-blondstock，ortheracialmixtureofthetownsinwhichthereisarelativelylargeadmixtureofthedolicho-blond，isperceptiblymoreefficientinthemachineindustries，morereadilyinclinedtothinkinmaterialisticterms，moregiventoradicalinnovation，lessboundbyconventionandprescription。Thisgeneralizationisstrengthenedbythefactthatthemoredolicho-blondregionsarealso，onthewhole，moresocialisticthanthoseinwhichthiselementislessinevidence。Atthesametimetheyareindustriallyinadvanceofthelatterinthematterofmachineindustry；andtheyarealsoProtestant(irreligious) ratherthanCatholic。 This，ofcourse，doesnotholdfortheinoffensivepseudo-socialisticdiversionssetafootbyvariouswell-meaningpoliticiansandclergmen，knownbyvariousqualifyingdesignations，suchas“State，““Christian，““Catholic，“etc。，anddesiredtoactascorrectivesofthesocialisticdistemper。 TheculturaleraofNaturalRights，NaturalLiberty，andNaturalReligionreducedGodtotherankofa“GreatArtificer，“ andthemachinetechnologyis，inturn，relegatingHimtothatfringeofminoremploymentsandthoseoutlyingindustrialregionstowhichthehandicraftsmenhavebeenretired。 Thereisasimilarsuggestionintherelative(slightbutperceptible)declineofscientificanimusinEnglandsincetheEnglishcommunityhasturneditsattentionandaspirationstoimperialisticfeatsofprowessmorethantoindustrialmatters。 Compare，however，Sombart，Kapitalismus，especiallyvol。I。 ch。Sombartfindsthemodernseientificconceptofcauseandeffecttobeessentiallyanoutcomeofthedisciplineofaccountancyenforcedbybusinesstraffic。Sothathemakesbusinessenterpriseratherthanmechanicalindustryaccountablefortheriseofmodernscienceandforthematter-of-factcharacterwhichdistinguishesthisscience。Inthisviewthereis，nodoubt，alargeandvaluableelementoftruth。Totheendofamathematicalformulationofcausalphenomenaaswellasatenaciousgraspoftheprincipleofquantitativeequivalence，theaccountancyenfoxedbythepettytradeofearlymoderntimes，aswellasbycommercialtrafficproper，appearstohavegiventhemosteffectivetraining。Insofarasthiselementofquantitativeequivalence，simply，hasdominatedthegrowthofscience，ithasgiven，asitsmostperfectproduct，Positivism。 PositivismflourishedatitsbestandfreestinFrance，wherethemoderneconomicculturewascommercialratherthanmechanical。 AndwhenthemachinedisciplineseriouslyinvadedFrance，Positivismlanguishedanddied。Butmodernseienceisnotacalculussimply。Itdealsnotwithcalculationsofquantitativeequivalenceonly，butwithefficientcauses，activerelations，creativefoxes。Theconceptofefficientcauseisnotaderivativeofaccountancy，norisitformedintheimageofaccountancy。Butthisgenericconceptofefficientcause，thekineticconcept，antedatesPositivismandhasoutlivedit。Initsearlier(eighteenth-century)phasethisconceptshowscloserelationshipwiththenotionofworkmanship，initslater(nineteenth-century)useithasmuchincommonwiththenotionofmechanicalefficiency。 30。Darwin，ofcourse，doesnotstandalone。Heisthegreatexponentofamassmovementwhichinvolvesashiftingofthepointofviewandofthepointofinterestinseientificresearchandspeculation。 31。ThisisthesubstanceofDarwin’sadvanceoverLamarck，forinstance。 TheTheoryofBusinessEnterprisebyThorsteinVeblen1904 TheNaturalDecayofBusinessEnterpriseBroadly，themachinedisciplineactstodisintegratetheinstitutionalheritage，ofalldegreesofantiquityandauthenticity-whetheritbetheinstitutionsthatembodytheprinciplesofnaturallibertyorthosethatcomprisetheresidueofmorearchaicprinciplesofconductstillcurrentincivilizedlife。Ittherebycutsawaythatgroundoflawandorderonwhichbusinessenterpriseisfounded。Thefurtherculturalbearingofthisdisintegrationofthereceivedorderisnodoubtsufficientlyseriousandfar-reaching，butitdoesnotdirectlyconcernthepresentinquiry。Itcomesinquestionhereonlyinsofarassuchadeteriorationofthegeneralculturaltissuesinvolvesasetbacktothecontinuedvigorofbusinessenterprise。 Butthefutureofbusinessenterpriseisboundupwiththefutureofcivilization，sincetheculturalschemeis，afterall，asingleone，comprisingmanyinterlockingelements，nooneofwhichcanbegreatlydisturbedwithoutdisturbingtheworkingofalltherest。 Initsbearingonthequestioninhand，the“socialproblem“ atlargepresentsthissingularsituation。Thegrowthofbusinessenterpriserestsonthemachinetechnologyasitsmaterialfoundation。Themachineindustryisindispensabletoit；itcannotgetalongwithoutthemachineprocess，Butthedisciplineofthemachineprocesscutsawaythespiritual，institutionalfoundationsofbusinessenterprise；themachineindustryisincompatiblewithitscontinuedgrowth；itcannot，inthelongrun，getalongwiththemachineprocess。Intheirstruggleagainsttheculturaleffectsofthemachineprocess，therefore，businessprinciplescannotwininthelongrun；sinceaneffectualmutilationorinhibitionofthemachinesystemwouldgraduallypushbusinessenterprisetothewall；whereaswithafreegrowthofthemachinesystembusinessprincipleswouldpresentlyfallintoabeyance。 Theinstitutionalbasisofbusinessenterprisethesystemofnaturalrights-appearstobeapeculiarlyinstableaffair。 Thereisnowayofretainingitunderchangingcircumstances，andthereisnowayofreturningtoitaftercircumstanceshavechanged。Itisahybridgrowth，ablendofpersonalfreedomandequalityontheonehandandofprescriptiverightsontheotherhand。Theinstitutionsandpointsoflawunderthenatural-rightsschemeappeartobeofanessentiallyprovisionalcharacter。 Thereisrelativelygreatflexibilityandpossibilityofgrowthandchange；naturalrightsaresingularlyinsecureunderanychangeofcircumstances。Themaximiswellapprovedthateternalvigilanceisthepriceof(natural)liberty。When，asnow，thissystemisendangeredbysocialisticoranarchisticdisaffectionthereisnorecoursethatwillcarrytheinstitutionalapparatusbacktoasecurenatural-rightsbasis。Thesystemofnaturallibertywastheproductofapeacefulregimeofhandicraftandpettytrade；butcontinuedpeaceandindustrypresentlycarriedtheculturalgrowthbeyondthephaseofnaturalrightsbygivingrisetothemachineprocessandthelargebusiness；andthesearebreakingdownthestructureofnaturalrightsbymakingtheserightsnugatoryontheonehandandbycuttingawaythespiritualfoundationsofthemontheotherhand。Naturalrightsbeingaby-productofpeacefulindustry，theycannotbereinstatedbyarecoursetowarlikehabitsandacoercivegovernment，sincewarlikehabitsandcoercionarealientothenatural-rightsspirit。Norcantheybereinstatedbyarecoursetosettledpeaceandfreedom，sinceaneraofsettledpeaceandfreedomwouldpushonthedominanceofthemachineprocessandthelargebusiness，whichbreakdownthesystemofnaturalliberty。 Whenthequestioniscastupastowhatwillcomeofthisconflictofinstitutionalforces-calledtheSocialProblem-itiscommonlymadeaquestionofremedies:Whatcanbedonetosavecivilizedmankindfromthevulgarizationanddisintegrationwroughtbythemachineindustry？ Now，businessenterpriseandthemachineprocessarethetwoprimemoversinmodernculture；andtheonlyrecoursethatholdsapromiseofbeingeffective，therefore，isarecoursetotheworkingsofbusinesstraffic。Andthisisaquestion，notofwhatisconceivably，ideally，idyllicallypossibleforthebusinesscommunitytodoiftheywilltakethoughtandactadvisedlyandconcertedlytowardachosenculturaloutcome，butofwhatistheprobableculturaloutcometobeachievedthroughbusinesstrafficcarriedonforbusinessends，notforculturalends。Itisaquestionnotofwhatoughttobedone，butofwhatistotakeplace。 Personswhoaresolicitousfortheculturalfuturecommonlyturntospeculativeadviceastowhatoughttobedonetowardholdingfastthatwhichisgoodintheculturalheritage，andwhatoughtfurthertobedonetoincreasethetalentthathasbeenintrustedtothisgeneration。Thepracticalremedyofferediscommonlysomeproposalforpalliativemeasures，someappealtophilanthropic，aesthetic，orreligioussentiment，someendeavortoconjurewiththenameofoneoranotheroftheepiphenomenaofmodernculture。Somethingmustbedone，itisconceived，andthissomethingtakestheshapeofcharityorganizations，clubsandsocietiesforsocial“purity“，foramusement，education，andmanualtrainingoftheindigentclasses，forcolonizationofthepoor，forpopularizationofchurches，forcleanpolitics，forculturalmissionaryworkbysocialsettlements，andthelike。 Theseremedialmeasureswherebyitisproposedtosaveortorehabilitatecertainpraiseworthybutobsolescenthabitsoflifeandofthoughtare，allandseveral，besidethepointsofarastouchesthequestioninhand。Notthatitisherebyintendedtocastasluronthesemeritoriousendeavorstosavemankindbytreatingsymptoms。Thesymptomstreatedarenodoubtevil，astheyaresaidtobe；oriftheyarenotevil，themeritsofthatparticularquestiondonotconcernthepresentinquiry。Theendeavorsinquestionarebesidethepointinthattheydonotfallintotheshapeofabusinessproposition。Theyare，onthewhole，notsoprofitablealineofinvestmentascertainotherventuresthatareopentomodernenterprise。Hence，iftheytraversethecourseofbusinessenterpriseandofindustrialexigencies，theyarenugatory，beinginthesameclasswiththelaborofSisyphus；whereasiftheycoincideineffectwiththelinealongwhichbusinessandindustrialexigenciesmove，theyareaworkofsupererogation，exceptsofarastheymaybeconceivedtoaccelerateachangethatisalreadyunderway。 Nothingcandeflectthesweepofbusinessenterprise，unlessitbeanoutgrowthofthisenterpriseitselforoftheindustrialmeansbywhichbusinessenterpriseworks。