a new view of society-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Application　of　the　Principle　to　Practice　by　Robert　Owen　1813…16


＇Original　Dedication　of　First　Essay；　Omitted　in　subsequent　Editions；＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　To　William　Wilberforce；　Esq。；　MP

MY　DEAR　SIR　　　　　In　contemplating；　the　public　characters　of　the　day；　no　one　among　them　appears　to　have　more　nearly　adopted　in　practice　the　principles　which　this　Essay　develops　than　yourself。　　　　　In　all　the　most　important　questions　which　have　come　before　the　senate　since　you　became　a　legislator；　you　have　not　allowed　the　mistaken　considerations　of　sect　or　party　to　influence　your　decisions；　so　far　as　an　unbiased　judgement　can　be　formed　of　them；　they　appear　generally　to　have　been　dictated　by　comprehensive　views　of　human　nature；　and　impartiality　to　your　fellow　creatures。　The　dedication；　therefore；　of　this　Essay　to　you；　I　consider　not　as　a　mere　compliment　of　the　day；　but　rather　as　a　duty　which　your　benevolent　exertions　and　disinterested　conduct　demand。　　　　　Yet　permit　me　to　say　that　I　have　a　peculiar　personal　satisfaction　in　fulfilling　this　duty。　My　experience　of　human　nature　as　it　is　now　trained；　does　not；　however；　lead　me　to　expect　that　even　your　mind；　without　personal　inspection；　can　instantaneously　give　credit　to　the　full　extent　of　the　practical　advantages　which　are　to　be　derived　from　an　undeviating　adherence　to　the　principles　displayed　in　the　following　pages。　And　far　less　is　such　an　effect　to　be　anticipated　from　the　first　ebullition　of　public　opinion。　　　　　The　proposer　of　a　practice　so　new　and　strange　must　be　content　for　a　time　to　be　ranked　among　the　good　kind　of　people；　the　speculatists　and　visionaries　of　the　day；　for　such　it　is　probable　will　be　the　ready　exclamations　of　those　who　merely　skim　the　surface　of　all　subjects；　exclamations；　however；　in　direct　contradiction　to　the　fact；　that　he　has　not　brought　the　practice　into　public　notice　until　he　patiently　for　twenty　years　proved　it　upon　an　extensive　scale；　even　to　the　conviction　of　inspecting　incredulity　itself。　　　　　And　he　is　so　content；　knowing　that　the　result　of　the　most　ample　investigation　and　free　discussion　will　prove　to　a　still　greater　extent　than　he　will　yet　state；　the　beneficial　consequences　of　the　introduction　of　the　principles　for　which　he　now　contends。　　　　　With　confidence；　therefore；　that　you　will　experience　this　conviction；　and；　when　experienced；　will　lend　your　aid　to　introduce　its　influence　into　legislative　practice。　I　subscribe　myself；　with　much　esteem　and　regard；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　dear　Sir；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　obliged　and　obedient　Servant；　New　Lanark　Mills　　　　　　　　ROBERT　OWEN


＇Original　Dedication　of　Second　Essay。　Second　Dedication　of　the　Four　Essays　in　subsequent　Editions；＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　To　the　British　public

FRIENDS　AND　COUNTRYMEN　　　　　I　dedicate　this　Essay　to　you；　because　your　primary　and　most　essential　interests　are　deeply　involved　in　the　subjects　of　which　it　treats。　　　　　You　will　find　errors　described；　and　remedies　proposed；　but　as　those　errors　are　the　errors　of　our　forefathers；　they　call　for　something　like　veneration　from　their　successors。　You　will　therefore　not　attribute　them　to　any　of　the　individuals　of　the　present　day；　neither　will　you　for　your　own　sakes　wish　or　require　them　to　be　prematurely　removed；　beneficial　changes　can　alone　take　place　by　well…digested　and　well…arranged　plans　temperately　introduced　and　perseveringly　pursued。　　　　　It　is　however　an　important　step　gained　when　the　cause　of　evil　is　ascertained。　The　next　is　to　devise　a　remedy　for　the　evil；　which　shall　create　the　least　possible　inconvenience。　To　discover　that　remedy；　and　try　its　efficacy　in　practice；　have　been　the　employments　of　my　life；　and　having　found　what　experience　proved　to　be　safe　in　its　application；　and　certain　in　its　effects；　I　am　now　anxious　you　should　all　partake　of　its　benefits。　　　　　But　be　satisfied；　fully　and　completely　satisfied；　that　the　principles　on　which　the　New　View　of　Society　is　founded　are　true；　that　no　specious　error　lurks　within　them；　and　that　no　sinister　motive　now　gives　rise　to　their　publicity。　Let　them　therefore　be　investigated　to　their　foundation。　Let　them　be　scrutinized　with　the　eye　of　penetration　itself；　and　let　them　be　compared　with　every　fact　which　has　existed　from　the　earliest　knowledge　of　time；　and　with　all　those　which　now　encircle　the　earth。　Let　this　be　done　to　give　you　full　confidence；　beyond　the　shadow　of　doubt　or　suspicion；　in　the　proceedings　which　are　or　may　be　recommended　to　your　attention。　For　they　will　bear　this　test；　and　such　investigation　and　comparison　will　fix　them　so　deep　in；　your　hearts　and　affections；　that　never　more　but　with　life　will　they　be　removed　from　your　minds；　and　your　children's　from　the　end　of　time。　　　　　Enter　therefore　fearlessly　on　the　investigation　and　comparison；　startle　not　at　apparent　difficulties；　but　persevere　in　the　spirit　and　on　the　principles　recommended；　you　will　then　speedily　overcome　those　difficulties；　your　success　will　be　certain；　and　you　will　eventually　firmly　establish　the　happiness　of　your　fellow　creatures。　That　your　immediate　and　united　exertions　in　this　cause　may　be　the　means　of　commencing　a　new　system　of　acting；　which　shall　gradually　remove　those　unnecessary　evils　which　afflict　the　present　race　of　men；　is　the　ardent　wish　of　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　fellow　subject；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　AUTHOR



＇Address　prefixed　to　Third　Essay。＇

　To　the　superintendents　of　manufactories；　and　to　those　individuals　generally；　who；　by　giving　employment　to　an　aggregated　population；　may　easily　adopt　the　means　to　form　the　sentiments　and　manners　of　such　a　population

Like　you；　I　am　a　manufacturer　for　pecuniary　profit；　but　having　for　many　years　acted　on　principles　the　reverse　in　many　respects　of　those　in　which　you　have　been　instructed；　and　having　found　my　procedure　beneficial　to　others　and　to　myself；　even　in　a　pecuniary　point　of　view；　I　am　anxious　to　explain　such　valuable　principles；　that　you　and　those　under　your　influence　may　equally　partake　of　their　advantages。　　　　　In　two　Essays；　already　published；　I　have　developed　some　of　these　principles；　and　in　the　following　pages　you　will　find　still　more　of　them　explained；　with　some　detail　of　their　application　to　practice　under　the　peculiar　local　circumstances　in　which　I　took　the　direction　of　the　New　Lanark　Mills　and　Establishment。　　　　　By　those　details　you　will　find　that　from　the　commencement　of　my　management　I　viewed　the　population；　with　the　mechanism　and　every　other　part　of　the　establishment；　as　a　system　composed　of　many　parts；　and　which　it　was　my　duty　and　interest　so　to　combine；　as　that　every　hand；　as　well　as　every　spring；　lever；　and　wheel；　should　effectually　co…operate　to　produce　the　greatest　pecuniary　gain　to　the　proprietors。　　　　　Many　of　you　have　long　experienced　in　your　manufacturing　operations　the　advantages　of　substantial；　well…contrived；　and　well…executed　machinery。　　　　　Experience　has　also　shown　you　the　difference　of　the　results　between　mechanism　which　is　neat；　clean；　well…arranged；　and　always　in　a　high　state　of　repair；　and　that　which　is　allowed　to　be　dirty；　in　disorder；　without　the　means　of　preventing　unnecessary　friction；　and　which　therefore　becomes；　and　works；　much　out　of　repair。　　　　　In　the　first　case　the　whole　economy　and　management　are　good；　every　operation　proceeds　with　ease；　order；　and　success。　In　the　last；　the　reverse　must　follow；　and　a　scene　be　presented　of　counteraction；　confusion；　and　dissatisfaction　among　all　the　agents　and　instruments　interested　or　occupied　in　the　general　process；　which　cannot　fail　to　create　great　loss。　　　　　If；　then；　due　care　as　to　the　state　of　your　inanimate　machines　can　produce　such　beneficial　results；　what　may　not　be　expected　if　you　devote　equal　attention　to　your　vital　machines；　which　are　far　more　wonderfully　constructed？　　　　　When　you　shall　acquire　a　right　knowledge　of　these；　of　their　curious　mechanism；　of　their　self…adjusting　powers；　when　the　proper　mainspring　shall　be　applied　to　their　varied　movements　you　will　become　conscious　of　their　real　value；　and　you　will　readily　be　induced　to　turn　your　thoughts　more　frequently　from　your　inanimate　to　your　living　machines；　you　will　discover　that　the　latter　may　be　easily　trained　and　directed　to　procure　a　large　increase　of　pecuniary　gain；　while　you　may　also　derive　from　them　high　and　substantial　gratification。　　　　　Will　you　then　continue　to　expend　large　sums　of　money　to　procure　the　best　devised　mechanism　of　wood；　brass；　or　iron；　to　retain　it　in　perfect　repair；　to　provide　the　best　substance　for　the　prevention　of　unnecessary　friction；　and　to　save　it　from　falling　into　premature　decay？　　Will　you　also　devote　years　of　intense　application　to　understand　the　connection　of　the　various　parts　of　these　lifeless　machines；　to　improve　their　effective　powers；　and　to　calculate　with　mathematical　precision　all　their　minute　and　combined　movements？　　And　when　in　these　transactions　you　estimate　time　by　minutes；　and　the　money　expended　for　the　chance　of　increased　gain　by　fractions；　will　you　not　afford　some　of　your　attention　to　consider　whether　a　portion　of　your　time　and　capital　would　not　be　more　advantageously　applied　to　improve　your　living　machines？　From　experience　which　cannot　deceive　me；　I　venture　to　assure　you；　that　your　time　and　money　so　applied；　if　directed　by　a　true　knowledge　of　the　subject；　would　return　you；　not