按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
may be charitable to provide； for some people； lighter dinner；
and more work； for others； it may be equally expedient to provide
lighter work； and more dinner。
14。 Book I。 chap。 iv。 s。 1。 To save space； my future references
to Mr Mill's work will be by numerals only； as in this instance；
I。 iv。 I。 Ed。 in 2 vols。 8vo。 Parker； 1848。
15。 If Mr Mill had wished to show the difference in result
between consumption and sale； he should have represented the
hardware merchant as consuming his own goods instead of selling
them； similarly； the silver merchant as consuming his own goods
instead of welling them。 Had he done this； he would have made his
position clearer； though less tenable； and perhaps this was the
position he really intended to take； tacitly involving his
theory； elsewhere stated； and shown in the sequel of this paper
to be false； that demand for commodities is not demand for
labour。 But by the most diligent scrutiny of the paragraph now
under examination； I cannot determine whether it is a fallacy
pure and simple； or the half of one fallacy supported by the
whole of a greater one； so that I treat it here on the kinder
assumption that it is one fallacy only。
16。 I take Mr Helps' estimate in his essay on War。
17。 Also when the wrought silver vases of Spain were dashed to
fragments by our custom…house officers； because bullion might be
imported free of duty； but not brains； was the axe that broke
them productive？ the artist who wrought them unproductive？ Or
again。 If the woodman's axe is productive； is the executioner's？
as also； if the hemp of a cable be productive； does not the
productiveness of hemp in a halter depend on its moral more than
on its material application？
18。 Filigree： that is to say； generally； ornament dependent on
complexity； not on art。
19。 These statements sound crude in their brevity； but will be
found of the utmost importance when they are developed。 Thus； in
the above instance； economists have never perceived that
disposition to buy is a wholly moral element in demand： that is
to say； when you give a man half…a…crown； it depends on his
disposition whether he is rich or poor with it whether he will
buy disease； ruin； and hatred； or buy health； advancement； and
domestic love。 And thus the agreeableness or exchange value of
every offered commodity depends on production； not merely of the
commodity； but of buyers of it； therefore on the education of
buyers； and on all the moral elements by which their disposition
to buy this； or that； is formed。 I will illustrate and expand
into final consequences every one of these definitions in its
place： at present they can only be given with extremest brevity；
for in order to put the subject at once in a connected form
before the reader； I have thrown into one； the opening
definitions of four chapters； namely； of that on Value （〃Ad
Valorem〃）； on Price （〃Thirty Pieces〃）； on Production （〃Demeter〃）；
and on Economy （〃The Law of the House〃）。
20。 Perhaps it may be said； in farther support of Mr Ricardo；
that he meant； 〃when the utility is constant or given； the price
varies as the quantity of labour。〃 If he meant this； he should
have said it； but； had he meant it； he could have hardly missed
the necessary result； that utility would be one measure of price
（which he expressly denies it to be）； and that； to prove
saleableness； he had to prove a given quantity of utility； as
well as a given quantity of labour： to wit； in his own instance；
that the deer and fish would each feed the same number of men；
for the same number of days； with equal pleasure to their
palates。 The fact is； he did not know what he meant himself。 The
general idea which he had derived from commercial experience；
without being able to analyze it； was； that when the demand is
constant； the price varies as the quantity of labour required for
production； or； using the formula I gave in last paper when
y is constant； x y varies as x。 But demand never is； nor can be；
ultimately constant； if x varies distinctly； for； as price rises；
consumers fall away； and as soon as there is a monopoly （and all
scarcity is a form of monopoly； so that every commodity is
affected occasionally by some colour of monopoly）； y becomes the
most influential condition of the price。 Thus the price of a
painting depends less on its merits than on the interest taken in
it by the public； the price of singing less on the labour of the
singer than the number of persons who desire to hear him； and the
price of gold less on the scarcity which affects it in common
with cerium or iridium； than on the sunlight colour and
unalterable purity by which it attracts the admiration and
answers the trust of mankind。
It must be kept in mind； however； that I use the word
〃demand〃 in a somewhat different sense from economists usually。
They mean by it 〃the quantity of a thing sold。〃 I mean by it 〃the
force of the buyer's capable intention to buy。〃 In good English；
a person's 〃demand〃 signifies； not what he gets； but what he asks
for。
Economists also do not notice that objects are not valued by
absolute bulk or weight； but by such bulk and weight as is
necessary to bring them into use。 They say； for instance； that
water bears no price in the market。 It is true that a cupful does
not； but a lake does； just as a handful of dust does not； but an
acre does。 And were it possible to make even the possession of
the cupful or handful permanent； （i。e。 to find a place for them；）
the earth and sea would be bought up for handfuls and cupfuls。
21。 Compare George Herbert； The Church Porch； Staza 28。
22。 〃O Zeus dipou penetai〃 Arist。 Plut。 582。 It would but
weaken the grad words to lean on the preceding ones： 〃Oti tou
Platon parecho Beltionas； andpas； kai tin gnomen； kai ten idean。〃
23。 Zech。 v。 ii。
24。 Labour which is entirely good of its kind； that is to say；
effective； or efficient； the Greeks called 〃weighable；〃 or axios；
translated usually 〃worthy；〃 and because thus substantial and
true； they called its price time； the 〃honourable estimate〃 of it
（honorarium）： this word being founded on their conception of true
labour as a divine thing； to be honoured with the kind of honour
given to the gods； whereas the price of false labour； or of that
which led away from life； was to be； not honour； but vengeance；
for which they reserved another word； attributing the exaction of
such price to a peculiar goddess； called Tisiphone； the 〃requiter