The Socialism of to-day

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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SOCIALISM IN' ENGLAND. 293 of wealth is dual, not tripartite ; capital is but a form of labour, and the law to be sought is the law which divides the produce between rent and wages. Accepting Ricardo’s law of rent, Mr. George finds as a corollary that wages also depend on the margin of cultivation, but inversely to rent, so that, as the margin of cultivation lowers, rent rises and wages fall. Finally, he finds that increase in population, improvements in the arts, —everything, in short, that augments the productive power of labour—tends to advance rent and not to advance wages. Hence it appears that the employer, whether capitalist or not, and the labourer are not the real antagonists, but factory lord and factory hand are both ground down by the common enemy of mankind, the landowner. It is unnecessary to expose the long chain of fallacies by which Mr. George arrives at this surprising result The critics of his book have been sufficiently numerous. M. de Laveleye has made some remarks upon it in a former chapter, and a more detailed criticism by the same writer will be found in the Contemporary Review for November, 1882. Mr. John Rae’s recent work on “ Contemporary Socialism ” comprises a long chapter vigorously criticising “ Progress and Poverty.” Mr. Mallock has also entered the lists against the prophet of San Francisco.* His other critics include the Duke of Argyle, Lord Bramwell, Professor Fawcett, Mr. Frederic Harrison, the late Mr. Arnold Toynbee, and his fellow-countryman. Professor F. Walker. Mr. George’s last book, “ Social Problems,” per haps because it has less pretensions to the character of a scientific work, is, in the main, less unsatisfactory and more suggestive than its more ambitious predecessor. It is worth noting, however, that Mr. George is advancing in revolutionary ideas. He now apparently advocates the repudiation of public debts, as resting, like private property in land, “on the preposterous assumption that one generation may bind another.” | Before noticing the societies which have been formed for carrying out Mr. George’s ideas, it will be convenient to give • See his “Property and Progress,” eh. i. (Murray, London, 1884). t “ Social Problems,” p. 154 (Kegan Paul, 1884).

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