第 21 节
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翱翔1981 更新:2021-02-19 18:34 字数:9322
with cerium or iridium; than on the sunlight colour and
unalterable purity by which it attracts the admiration and
answers the trust of mankind。
It must be kept in mind; however; that I use the word
〃demand〃 in a somewhat different sense from economists usually。
They mean by it 〃the quantity of a thing sold。〃 I mean by it 〃the
force of the buyer's capable intention to buy。〃 In good English;
a person's 〃demand〃 signifies; not what he gets; but what he asks
for。
Economists also do not notice that objects are not valued by
absolute bulk or weight; but by such bulk and weight as is
necessary to bring them into use。 They say; for instance; that
water bears no price in the market。 It is true that a cupful does
not; but a lake does; just as a handful of dust does not; but an
acre does。 And were it possible to make even the possession of
the cupful or handful permanent; (i。e。 to find a place for them;)
the earth and sea would be bought up for handfuls and cupfuls。
21。 Compare George Herbert; The Church Porch; Staza 28。
22。 〃O Zeus dipou penetai〃 Arist。 Plut。 582。 It would but
weaken the grad words to lean on the preceding ones: 〃Oti tou
Platon parecho Beltionas; andpas; kai tin gnomen; kai ten idean。〃
23。 Zech。 v。 ii。
24。 Labour which is entirely good of its kind; that is to say;
effective; or efficient; the Greeks called 〃weighable;〃 or axios;
translated usually 〃worthy;〃 and because thus substantial and
true; they called its price time; the 〃honourable estimate〃 of it
(honorarium): this word being founded on their conception of true
labour as a divine thing; to be honoured with the kind of honour
given to the gods; whereas the price of false labour; or of that
which led away from life; was to be; not honour; but vengeance;
for which they reserved another word; attributing the exaction of
such price to a peculiar goddess; called Tisiphone; the 〃requiter
(or quittance…taker) of death〃; a person versed in the highest
branches of arithmetic; and punctual in her habits; with whom
accounts current have been opened also in modern days。
25。 The most accurately nugatory labour is; perhaps; that of
which not enough is given to answer a purpose effectually; and
which; therefore; has all to be done over again。 Also; labour
which fails of effect through non…co…operation。 The cure of a
little village near Bellinzona; to whom I had expressed wonder
that the peasants allowed the Ticino to flood their fields; told
me that they would not join to build an effectual embankment high
up the valley; because everybody said 〃that would help his
neighbours as much as himself。〃 So every proprietor built a bit
of low embankment about his own field; and the Ticino; as soon as
it had a mind; swept away and swallowed all up together。
26。 Observe; I say; rearing;〃 not 〃begetting。〃 The praise is in
the seventh season; not in sporitos; nor in phutalia; but in
opora。 It is strange that men always praise enthusiastically any
person who; by a momentary exertion; saves a life; but praise
very hesitatingly a person who; by exertion and self…denial
prolonged through years; creates one。 We give the crown 〃ob civem
servatum〃; why not 〃ob civem natum?〃 Born; I mean; to the
full; in soul as well as body。 England has oak enough; I think;
for both chaplets。
27。 When Mr Mill speaks of productive consumption; he only means
consumption which results in increase of capital; or material
wealth。 See I。 iii。 4; and I。 iii。 5。
28。 So also in the vision of the women bearing the ephah; before
quoted; 〃the wind was in their wings;〃 not wings 〃of a stork;〃 as
in our version; but 〃miivi;〃 of a kite; in the Vulgate; or
perhaps more accurately still in the Septuagint; 〃hoopoe;〃 a bird
connected typically with the power of riches by many traditions;
of which that of its petition for a crest of gold is perhaps the
most interesting。 The 〃Birds〃 of Aristophanes; in which its part
is principal; are full of them; note especially the
〃fortification of the air with baked bricks; like Babylon;〃 I。
550; and; again; compare the Plutus of Dante; who (to show the
influence of riches in destroying the reason) is the only one of
the powers of the Inferno who cannot speak intelligibly and also
the cowardliest; he is not merely quelled or restrained; but
literally 〃collapses〃 at a word; the sudden and helpless
operation of mercantile panic being all told in the brief
metaphor; 〃as the sails; swollen with the wind; fall; when the
mast breaks。〃
29。 The value of raw material; which has; indeed; to be deducted
from the price of the labour; is not contemplated in the passages
referred to; Mr。 Mill having fallen into the mistake solely by
pursuing the collateral results of the payment of wages to
middlemen。 He says〃 The consumer does not; with his own funds;
pay the weaver for his day's work。 〃Pardon me; the consumer of
the velvet pays the weaver with his own funds as much as he pays
the gardener。 He pays; probably; an intermediate ship…owner;
velvet merchant; and shopman; pays carriage money; shop rent;
damage money; time money; and care money; all these are above and
beside the velvet price; (just as the wages of a head gardener
would be above the grass price)。 but the velvet is as much
produced by the consumer's capital; though he does not pay for it
till six months after production; as the grass is produced by his
capital; though he does not pay the man who mowed and rolled it
on Monday; till Saturday afternoon。 I do not know if Mr。 Mill's
conclusion; 〃the capital cannot be dispensed with; the
purchasers can 〃 (p。 98); has yet been reduced to practice in the
City on any large scale。
30。 Which; observe; is the precise opposite of the one under
examination。 The hardware theory required us to discharge our
gardeners and engage manufacturers; the velvet theory requires us
to discharge our manufacturers and engage gardeners。
31。 It is one very awful form of the operation of wealth in
Europe that it is entirely capitalists' wealth which supports
unjust wars。 Just wars do not need so much money to support them;
for most of the men who wage such; wage them gratis; but for an
unjust war; men's bodies and souls have both to be bought; and
the best tools of war for them besides; which makes such war
costly to the maximum; not to speak of the cost of base fear; and
angry suspicion; between nations which have not grace nor honesty
enough in all their multitudes to buy an hour's peace of mind
with: as; at present; France and England; purchasing of each
other ten millions sterling worth of consternation annually; (a
remarkably light crop; half thorns and half aspen leaves;
sown; reaped; and granaried by the 〃science〃 of the modern
political economist; teaching covetousness instead of truth。) And
all unjust war being supportable; if not by pillage of the enemy;
only by loans from capitalists; these loans are repaid by
subsequent taxation of the people; who appear to have no will in
the matter; the capitalists' will being the primary root of the
war; but its real root is the covetousness of the whole nation;
rendering it incapable of faith; frankness; or justice; and
bringing about; therefore; in due time; his own separate loss and
punishment to each person。
32。 〃In all reasoning about prices; the proviso must be
understood; 'supposing all parties to take care of their own
interest。'〃 Mill; III。 i。 5。
33。 James v。 4。 Observe; in these statements I am not talking up;
nor countenancing one whit; the common socialist idea of division
of property; division of property is its destruction; and with it
the destruction of all hope; all industry; and all justice: it is
simply chaos a chaos towards which the believers in modern
political economy are fast tending; and from which I am striving
to save them。 The rich man does not keep back meat from the poor
by retaining his riches; but by basely using them。 Riches are a
form of strength; and a strong man does not injure others by
keeping his strength; but by using it injuriously。 The socialist;
seeing a strong man oppress a weak one; cries out。 〃Break the
strong man's arms。〃 but I say; 〃Teach him to use them to better
purpose。〃 The fortitude and intelligence which acquire riches are
intended; by the Giver of both; not to scatter; nor t