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！
system of protection。 At the same time Chaptal endeavours by an
article in praise of free trade； directly in opposition to the
whole tendency of his book； to solicit pardon for his heresy from
the school of Say。 Say imitated the Papacy even so far as to its
'Index。' He certainly did not prohibit heretical writings
individually by name； but he was stricter still； he prohibits all；
the non…heretical as well as the heretical； he warns the young
students of political economy not to read too many books； as they
might thus too easily be misled into errors； they ought to read
only a few； but those good books； which means in other words； 'You
ought only to read me and Adam Smith； no others。' but that none too
great sympathy should accrue to the immortal father of the school
from the adoration of his disciples； his successor and interpreter
on earth took good care； for； according to Say； Adam Smith's books
are full of confusion； imperfection； and contradictions； and he
clearly gives us to understand that one can only learn from himself
'how one ought to read Adam Smith。'
Notwithstanding； when Say was at the zenith of his fame；
certain young heretics arose who attacked the basis of his system
so effectually and so boldly； that he preferred privately to reply
to them； and meekly to avoid any public discussion。 Among these；
Tanneguy du Ch鈚el （more than once a minister of State） was the
most vigorous and the most ingenious。
'Selon vous； mon cher critique；' said Say to Du Ch鈚el in a
private letter； ' il ne reste plus dans mon 閏onomie politique que
des actions sans motifs； des faits sans explication； une cha頽e de
rapports dont les extr閙it閟 manquent et dont les anneaux les plus
importants sont bris閟。 Je partage donc l'infortune d'Adam Smith；
dont un de nos critiques a dit qu'il avait fait r閠rograder
l'閏onomie politique。'（4*） In a postscript to this letter he
remarks very naively； 'Dans le second article que vous annoncez； il
est bien inutile de revenir sur cette pol閙ique； par laquelle nous
pouvions bien ennuyer le public。'
At the present day the school of Smith and Say has been
exploded in France； and the rigid and spiritless influence of the
Theory of Exchangeable Values has been succeeded by a revolution
and an anarchy which neither M。 Rossi nor M。 Blanqui are able to
exorcise。 The Saint…Simonians and the Fourrierists； with remarkable
talent at their head； instead of reforming the old doctrines； have
cast them entirely aside； and have framed for themselves a Utopian
system。 Quite recently the most ingenious persons among them have
been seeking to discover the connection of their doctrines with
those of the previous schools； and to make their ideas compatible
with existing circumstances。 Important results may be expected from
their labours； especially from those of the talented Michel
Chevalier。 The amount of truth； and of what is practically
applicable in our day which their doctrines contain； consists
chiefly in their expounding the principle of the confederation and
the harmony of the productive powers。 Their annihilation of
individual freedom and independence is their weak side； with them
the individual is entirely absorbed in the community； in direct
contradiction to the Theory of Exchangeable Values； according to
which the individual ought to be everything and the State nothing。
It may be that the spirit of the world is tending to the
realisation of the state of things which these sects dream of or
prognosticate； in any case； however； I believe that many centuries
must elapse before that can be possible。 It is given to no mortal
to estimate the progress of future centuries in discoveries and in
the condition of society。 Even the mind of a Plato could not have
foretold that after the lapse of thousands of years the instruments
which do the work of society would be constructed of iron； steel；
and brass； nor could that of a Cicero have foreseen that the
printing press would render it possible to extend the
representative system over whole kingdoms； perhaps over whole
quarters of the globe； and over the entire human race。 If meanwhile
it is given to only a few great minds to foresee a few instances of
the progress of future thousands of years； yet to every age is
assigned its own special task。 But the task of the age in which we
live appears not to be to break up mankind into Fourrierist
'phalanst鑢es；' in order to give each individual as nearly as
possible an equal share of mental and bodily enjoyments； but to
perfect the productive powers； the mental culture； the political
condition； and the power of whole nationalities； and by equalising
them in these respects as far as is possible； to prepare them
beforehand for universal union。 For even if we admit that under the
existing circumstances of the world the immediate object which its
apostles had in view could be attained by each 'phalanst鑢e；' what
would be its effect on the power and independence of the nation？
And would not the nation which was broken up into 'phalanst鑢es；'
run the risk of being conquered by some less advanced nation which
continued to live in the old way； and of thus having its premature
institutions destroyed together with its entire nationality？ At
present the Theory of Exchangeable Values has so completely lost
its influence； that it is almost exclusively occupied with
inquiries into the nature of Rent； and that Ricardo in his
'Principles of Political Economy' could write； 'The chief object of
political economy is to determine the laws by which the produce of
the soil ought to be shared between the landowner； the farmer； and
the labourer。'
While some persons are firmly convinced that this science is
complete； and that nothing essential can further be added to it；
those； on the other hand； who read these writings with
philosophical or practical insight； maintain； that as yet there is
no political economy at all； that that science has yet to be
constructed； that until it is so； what goes by its name is merely
an astrology； but that it is both possible and desirable out of it
to produce an astronomy。
Finally； we must remark； in order not to be misunderstood； that
our criticism of the writings alike of J。 B。 Say and of his
predecessors and successors refers only to their national and
international bearing； and that we recognise their value as
expositions of subordinate doctrines。 It is evident that an author
may form very valuable views and inductions on individual branches
of a science； while all the while the basis of his sy