In this way, however, the three entrepreneurs will be faced with the already familiar dilemma: if they turn out 'common goods', there will be a crisis, since the workers lack means to purchase these additional provisions, having been bought off with half the value of their produce. If they go in for luxuries, they will have to consume them alone. There is no other possibility. The dilemma is not even affected by foreign trade which would 'only increase the range of commodities on the home market' or increase productivity. 'These foreign commodities are therefore either common goods--then the capitalist will not, and the worker, lacking the means, cannot buy them, or they are luxuries, in which case the worker, of course, is even less able to buy them, and the capitalist will not want them either because of his efforts to save.' This argument, however primitive, yet shows quite nicely and clearly the fundamental conception of v. Kirchmann and the nightmare of all economic theory: in a society consisting exclusively of workers and capitalists, accumulation will be impossible. v. Kirchmann is therefore frankly hostile to accumulation, 'saving', 'productive consumption' of the surplus value, and strongly attacks these errors advocated by classical economics. His gospel is increasing luxury together with the productivity of labour as the specific against crises. We see that v. Kirchmann, if he grotesquely aped Ricardo and Say in his theoretical assumptions, is a caricature of Sismondi in his final conclusions. Yet it is imperative to get v. Kirchmann's approach to the problem perfectly clear, if we are to understand the import of Rodbertus' criticism and the outcome of the whole controversy. FOOTNOTES: [230] _Die Forderungen der arbeitenden Klassen._ [231] _Die Handelskrisen und die Hypothekennot der Grundbesitzer._ [232] _Zur Erkenntnis unserer staatswirtschaftlichen Zustände._ [233] _Über die Grundrente in sozialer Beziehung._ [234] _Die Tauschgesellschaft._ [235] _Soziale Briefe._ [236] Rodbertus quotes v. Kirchmann's arguments explicitly and in great detail. But according to his editors, no complete copy of _Demokratische Blätter_ with the original essay is obtainable. _CHAPTER XVI_ RODBERTUS' CRITICISM OF THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL