Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1Roscher, Wilhelm
History
Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1
Roscher, Wilhelm
Economics
296 On the inevitableness of slavery, where capital is needed, and no
one cares to save, see _de Metz Noblet_, Phénomènes économiques, I,
306.
297 The origination of capital by “social connexions”
(_gesellschaftliche Zusammenhänge_) _Lassalle_ (Bastiat-Schultze,
92, 98) exaggerates into the absurdity that no capital was ever
saved. This is in part related to his confounding land with capital
(103 seq.). On the other hand, _P. L._ (_v. Lilienfeld_), Gedanken
über die Staatswissenschaft der Zukunft (1873), distinguishes
between the external and internal creation of capital in human
society; the latter based on the condition of every organic being,
by virtue of which the present is generated by the past, and
generates the future. The intercellular substance of plants, the
honey-comb of bees, and the blood in the animal body, correspond to
the capital of a nation.
_ 298 Hermann_, St. Untersuchungen, 289 ff.; _List_, System der
politischen Œkonomie, I, 325 ff. Thus, for instance, capitalization
among a race of hunters may be continued longest by the creation of
herds; that of a race of shepherds by the building of houses, and by
land-improvements; that of an agricultural people by the
establishment of trades, artificial roads, etc. As to how, in
general the accumulation of goods to any great extent, supposes
exchange, and as to how, first of all, with exchange through the
existence of a superabundance wealth may originate, see _Hermann_,
loc. cit., II, Aufl., 25 ff.
299 The annual increase of the capital of France during the later years
of Louis Philippe’s reign, was estimated at from 200 to 300 million
of francs; during the best years of Napoleon III’s reign, at 600
million. Journal des Econ., Nov., 1861, 170. The capital of the
British empire, judging from the statistics of the income tax,
increased from 1843 to 1853, in Great Britain alone, at least
£42,000,000 yearly; from 1854 to 1860, in the whole empire, at least
£114,000,000; and in 1863 alone by £130,000,000. London Statis.
Journal, 1864, 118 ff. A war carried on on English soil would
doubtless be more destructive of capital than one waged in Russia;
but Russia would recover from one like that of 1854-55 with much
greater difficulty because of the small tendency of its people to
amass capital. In countries in which the middle classes
preponderate, the influence of the amassing of capital on foreign
politics is one that favors peace. In despotic or democratic
countries, it may as readily favor war.
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