wealbk04-第68节

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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