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wealbk04-第68章

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class enjoys its proper share of the whole annual produce。 Some

subsequent formularies represent the manner in which he supposes

this distribution is made in different states of restraint and

regulation; in which either the class of proprietors or the

barren and unproductive class is more favoured than the class of

cultivators; and in which either the one or the other encroaches

more or less upon the share which ought properly to belong to

this productive class。 Every such encroachment; every violation

of that natural distribution; which the most perfect liberty

would establish; must; according to this system; necessarily

degrade more or less; from one year to another; the value and sum

total of the annual produce; and must necessarily occasion a

gradual declension in the real wealth and revenue of the society;

a declension of which the progress must be quicker or slower;

according to the degree of this encroachment; according as that

natural distribution which the most perfect liberty would

establish is more or less violated。 Those subsequent formularies

represent the different degrees of declension which; according to

this system; correspond to the different degrees in which this

natural distribution is violated。

     Some speculative physicians seem to have imagined that the

health of the human body could be preserved only by a certain

precise regimen of diet and exercise; of which every; the

smallest; violation necessarily occasioned some degree of disease

or disorder proportioned to the degree of the violation。

Experience; however; would seem to show that the human body

frequently preserves; to all appearances at least; the most

perfect state of health under a vast variety of different

regimens; even under some which are generally believed to be very

far from being perfectly wholesome。 But the healthful state of

the human body; it would seem; contains in itself some unknown

principle of preservation; capable either of preventing or of

correcting; in many respects; the bad effects even of a very

faulty regimen。 Mr。 Quesnai; who was himself a physician; and a

very speculative physician; seems to have entertained a notion of

the same kind concerning the political body; and to have imagined

that it would thrive and prosper only under a certain precise

regimen; the exact regimen of perfect liberty and perfect

justice。 He seems not to have considered that; in the political

body; the natural effort which every man is continually making to

better his own condition is a principle of preservation capable

of preventing and correcting; in many respects; the bad effects

of a political economy; in some degree; both partial and

oppressive。 Such a political economy; though it no doubt retards

more or less; is not always capable of stopping altogether the

natural progress of a nation towards wealth and prosperity; and

still less of making it go backwards。 If a nation could not

prosper without the enjoyment of perfect liberty and perfect

justice; there is not in the world a nation which could ever have

prospered。 In the political body; however; the wisdom of nature

has fortunately made ample provision for remedying many of the

bad effects of the folly and injustice of man; in the same manner

as it has done in the natural body for remedying those of his

sloth and intemperance。

     The capital error of this system; however; seems to lie in

its representing the class of artificers; manufacturers; and

merchants as altogether barren and unproductive。 The following

observations may serve to show the impropriety of this

representation。

     First; this class; it is acknowledged; reproduces annually

the value of its own annual consumption; and continues; at least;

the existence of the stock or capital which maintains and employs

it。 But upon this account alone the denomination of barren or

unproductive should seem to be very improperly applied to it。 We

should not call a marriage barren or unproductive though it

produced only a son and a daughter; to replace the father and

mother; and though it did not increase the number of the human

species; but only continued it as it was before。 Farmers and

country labourers; indeed; over and above the stock which

maintains and employs them; reproduce annually a net produce; a

free rent to the landlord。 As a marriage which affords three

children is certainly more productive than one which affords only

two; so the labour of farmers and country labourers is certainly

more productive than that of merchants; artificers; and

manufacturers。 The superior produce of the one class; however;

does not render the other barren or unproductive。

     Secondly; it seems; upon this account; altogether improper

to consider artificers; manufacturers; and merchants in the same

light as menial servants。 The labour of menial servants does not

continue the existence of the fund which maintains and employs

them。 Their maintenance and employment is altogether at the

expense of their masters; and the work which they perform is not

of a nature to repay that expense。 That work consists in services

which perish generally in the very instant of their performance;

and does not fix or realize itself in any vendible commodity

which can replace the value of their wages and maintenance。 The

labour; on the contrary; of artificers; manufacturers; and

merchants naturally does fix and realize itself in some such

vendible commodity。 It is upon this account that; in the chapter

in which I treat of productive and unproductive labour; I have

classed artificers; manufacturers; and merchants among the

productive labourers; and menial servants among the barren or

unproductive。

     Thirdly; it seems upon every supposition improper to say

that the labour of artificers; manufacturers; and merchants does

not increase the real revenue of the society。 Though we should

suppose; for example; as it seems to be supposed in this system;

that the value of the daily; monthly; and yearly consumption of

this class was exactly equal to that of its daily; monthly; and

yearly production; yet it would not from thence follow that its

labour added nothing to the real revenue; to the real value of

the annual produce of the land and labour of the society。 An

artificer; for example; who; in the first six months after

harvest; executes ten pounds' worth of work; though he should in

the same time consume ten pounds' worth of corn and other

necessaries; yet really adds the value of ten pounds to the

annual produce of the land and labour of the society。 While he

has been consuming a half…yearly revenue of ten pounds' worth of

corn and other necessaries; he has produced an equal value of

work capable of purchasing; either to himself or some other

person; an equal half…yearly revenue。 The value; therefore; of

what has been consumed and produced during these six months is

equal; not to ten; but to twenty pounds。 It is possible; indeed;

that no more than ten pounds' worth of this value may ever have

existed at any one moment of time。 But if the ten pounds' worth

of corn and other necessaties; which were consumed by the

artificer; had been consumed by a soldier or by a menial servant;

the value of that part of the annual produce which existed at the

end of the six months would have been ten pounds less than it

actually is in consequence of the labour of the artificer。 Though

the value of what the artificer produces; therefore; should not

at any one moment of time be supposed greater than the value he

consumes; yet at every moment of time the actually existing value

of goods in the market is; in consequence of what he produces;

greater than it otherwise would be。

     When the patrons of this system assert that the consumption

of artificers; manufacturers; and merchants is equal to the value

of what they produce; they probably mean no more than that their

revenue; or the fund destined for their consumption; is equal to

it。 But if they had expressed themselves more accurately; and

only asserted that the revenue of this class was equal to the

value of what they produced; it might readily have occurred to

the reader that what would naturally be saved out of this revenue

must necessarily increase more or less the real wealth of the

society。 In order; therefore; to make out something like an

argument; it was necessary that they should express themselves as

they have done; and this argument; even supposing things actually

were as it seems to presume them to be; turns out to be a very

inconclusive one。

     Fourthly; farmers and country labourers can no more augment;

without parsimony; the real revenue; the annual produce of the

land and labour of their society; than artificers; manufacturers;

and merchants。 The annual produce of the land and labour of any

society can be augmented only in two ways; either; first; by some

improvement in the productive powers of the useful labour

actually maintained within it; or; secondly; by some increase in

the quantity of that labour。

     The improvement in the productive powers o
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