Principles of Political EconomyPerry, Arthur Latham
General
Principles of Political Economy
Perry, Arthur Latham
Economics
Now, this broad association as between persons and nations, instead of
detracting at all from the individuality and power of each, is the
very thing that brings out the individuality and intensifies the power
of each; because it is only thus that full scope is given to the
exercise and development of each peculiar power whether of the
individual or the nation. Hence the strong tendency everywhere visible
in the world of commerce towards Specialties: the old single trades
and vocations and professions are constantly breaking themselves up
into parts, and each man is taking up that for which he is naturally
best fitted and has specially trained himself, and all to the great
advantage of individuality and personal power and progress. Mr. Carey
is certainly right in his principle (much insisted on in all his
books), that the degree of individuality depends on the degree of
association, each advancing hand in hand with the other; and he is as
certainly wrong in lacking confidence in the natural forces at work
tending to the highest degree of association and consequently to the
highest degree of individuality. These forces are immensely strong.
Men come together as it were by instinct, being conscious of
individual feebleness; personal interest is soon seen to follow the
bent of social attraction; a just sense of personal dignity and
importance in being a substantive part in the ongoings of society
enormously strengthens the impulse to association and individuality;
the progress of each and all in achievement and elevation still
further knits the ties of union; and lastly, a strong feeling of
social justice, of what is _due_ to others as well as to one's
self,--that every man has an inalienable right to his full
_opportunity_ and all that that implies, to buy and sell and get gain,
to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When motives and
powers and potencies such as these, proven to be universal by broad
and constant inductions, fail as economical forces to secure
association and individuality, then it will be time to look around
with Mr. Carey for some inferior and factitious force.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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