Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1

Name: Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1
Author: Roscher, Wilhelm

Roscher, Wilhelm

Economics

It is impossible to fail to notice at once that those ideal descriptions
which have enjoyed great fame and exerted great influence, depart very
little from the real conditions of the public economy (of the state, law
etc.) surrounding their authors.(170) This is not mere chance. The power
of great theorizers, as, indeed, of all great men, lies, as a rule, in
this, that they satisfy the want of their own time to an unusual extent;
and it is the peculiar task of theorizers to give expression to this want
with scientific clearness, and to justify it with scientific depth. But
the real wants of a people will, in the long run, be satisfied in
life,(171) so far as this is possible to the moral imperfection of man. We
should at least be on our guard when we hear it said that whole nations
have been forced into an “unnatural” course by priests, tyrants and
cavilers. For, to leave human freedom and divine Providence out of
consideration entirely, how is such a thing possible? The supposed tyrants
are generally part and parcel of the people themselves; all their
resources are derived from the people. They must have been new
Archimedeses standing outside of their own world. (Compare, however,
_infra_, § 263.)

It is true, that if the result of the growth of generations be to
gradually produce a different people, these different men may require
different institutions. Then a struggle arises between the old and those
of the younger generation; the former wish to retain what has been tested
by time, the latter to seek for the satisfaction of their new wants by new
means. As the sea always oscillates between the flowing and ebbing of the
tides, so the life of nations, between periods of repose and of crisis:
periods of repose, when existing forms answer to the real substance of
things, and of crisis, when the changed substance or contents seeks to
build up a new form for itself. Such crises are called _reforms_ when they
are effected in a peaceful way, and in accordance with positive law. When
accomplished in violation of law, they are called revolutions.(172)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1Roscher, Wilhelm

History

Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1

Roscher, Wilhelm

Economics

It is impossible to fail to notice at once that those ideal descriptions
which have enjoyed great fame and exerted great influence, depart very
little from the real conditions of the public economy (of the state, law
etc.) surrounding their authors.(170) This is not mere chance. The power
of great theorizers, as, indeed, of all great men, lies, as a rule, in
this, that they satisfy the want of their own time to an unusual extent;
and it is the peculiar task of theorizers to give expression to this want
with scientific clearness, and to justify it with scientific depth. But
the real wants of a people will, in the long run, be satisfied in
life,(171) so far as this is possible to the moral imperfection of man. We
should at least be on our guard when we hear it said that whole nations
have been forced into an “unnatural” course by priests, tyrants and
cavilers. For, to leave human freedom and divine Providence out of
consideration entirely, how is such a thing possible? The supposed tyrants
are generally part and parcel of the people themselves; all their
resources are derived from the people. They must have been new
Archimedeses standing outside of their own world. (Compare, however,
_infra_, § 263.)

It is true, that if the result of the growth of generations be to
gradually produce a different people, these different men may require
different institutions. Then a struggle arises between the old and those
of the younger generation; the former wish to retain what has been tested
by time, the latter to seek for the satisfaction of their new wants by new
means. As the sea always oscillates between the flowing and ebbing of the
tides, so the life of nations, between periods of repose and of crisis:
periods of repose, when existing forms answer to the real substance of
things, and of crisis, when the changed substance or contents seeks to
build up a new form for itself. Such crises are called _reforms_ when they
are effected in a peaceful way, and in accordance with positive law. When
accomplished in violation of law, they are called revolutions.(172)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1

Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 1

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