Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 2Roscher, Wilhelm
General
Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 2
Roscher, Wilhelm
Economics
In the higher stages of civilization, the use of goods is wont to be
divided more and more into special branches, according to the different
peculiarities of the goods themselves, and of the different wants of
men; a course of things which is, both as cause and effect, intimately
related to the division of labor. I here speak of a principle of
_division of use_ (differentiation and specialization). Thus, for
instance, Lorenz Lange, in 1722, found only one kind of tea in the trade
between Russia and China; Müller, in 1750, found seven; Pallas, in 1772,
ten; and Erman, in 1829, about seven hundred.[207-4] As the number of
gradations of different kinds of the same goods increases with
civilization, there is, in times of war, a retrogression in this
respect, to a lower economic stage.[207-5]
Opposed to this, we have the principle of the combination of use. There
are numberless kinds of goods which may serve a great many just as well
as they can one exclusive user; and this either successively or
simultaneously, inasmuch as there is no necessity why, with the
increasing use of the object, the size of the object itself should
increase in an equal proportion. (According to Marlo: wealth usable by
one; wealth usable by many; wealth usable by all.) Thus, for instance, a
public library may be incomparably more complete, and accessible in a
still higher degree than ten private libraries which together cost as
much as it did. And so, a restaurant-keeper may serve a hundred guests
at the same time, with a much greater table-variety, more to their
taste, and at a more convenient time, than if each person made the same
outlay for his private kitchen.[207-6] While formerly, only the great
could travel rapidly, combination of use has enabled even the lower
classes to do so in our own days. There is, doubtless, a dark side to
this picture, too. Combination of use requires frequently great
sacrifices of personal independence, which should not be underestimated
when they affect individuality of character, or threaten the intimacy
and closeness of family life. It is, however, a bad symptom when the
division of use increases without any corresponding combination of
use.[207-7] [207-8]
[Footnote 207-1: We should also mention here destructive
consumption, where the defenders of a country destroy
buildings, supplies, etc., only that the enemy may not use
them.]
[Footnote 207-2: Compare Die Lebensaufgabe der Hausfrau,
Leipzig, 1853; _von Stein_, Die Frau auf dem Gebiete der
National Oekonomie, 1875, and the beautiful remarks of
_Schäffle_, N. Oek., 166; and _Lotz_, Mikrokosmus, II, 370
ff.]
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