下载辰思小说免费APP
SpencedriftedtoLondon，pickedupaprecariousliving，partlybysellingbooksofarevolutionarykind，anddiedin1815，leaving，itseems，afewproselytes。AwriterofhigherliterarycapacitywasCharlesHall，aphysicianatTavistock，whoin1805publishedabookonTheEffectsofCivilisation。61Theeffectsofcivilisation，heholds，aresimplypernicious。Landedpropertyoriginatedinviolence，andhascausedallsocialevils。Agreatlandlordconsumesunproductivelyasmuchaswouldkeepeightthousandpeople。62Hegetseverythingfromthelabourofthepoor；whiletheyareforcedtostarvationwagesbytheraisingofrents。Tradeandmanufacturesareequallymischievous。IndiagetsnothingbutjewelleryfromEurope，andEuropenothingbutmuslinfromIndia，whilesomuchlessfoodisproducedineithercountry。63Manufacturesgenerallyareacauseandsignofthepovertyofnations。64
Suchsporadicprotestsagainsttheinequalitiesofwealthmaybetakenaspartsofthat’ancienttaleofwrong’whichhasinallagesbeensteamingupfromthesufferingworld，andprovokingasmilefromepicureandeities。AsOwenismadvanced，theargumenttookamoredistinctform。Mill65mentionsWilliamThompsonofCorkasa’veryestimableman，’whowasthe’principalchampion’
oftheOwenitesintheirdebateswiththeBenthamites。Hepublishedin1824abookuponthedistributionofwealth，66Itiswordy，andisapttoremainintheregionof’vaguegeneralities’justatthepointswherespecificstatementswouldbewelcome。Butbesidesthemeritofobvioussincerityandgoodfeeling，ithastheinterestofshowingveryclearlytherelationbetweentheopposingschools。ThompsonhadacommongroundwiththeUtilitarians，thoughtheyundoubtedlywouldconsiderhislogictobelooseandoverriddenbysentimentalism。Inthefirstplace，heheartilyadmiredBentham：’themostprofoundandcelebratedwriteronlegislationinthisoranyothercountry。’67Heacceptsthe’greatesthappinessprinciple’asapplicabletothesocialproblem。HearguesforequalityuponBentham’sground。Takeapennyfromapoormantogiveittotherichman，andthepoormanclearlylosesfarmorehappinessthantherichmangains。WithBentham，too，headmitstheimportanceof’security，’andagreesthatitisnotalwayscompatiblewithequality。
Amanshouldhavethefruitsofhislabour；andthereforethemanwholaboursmostshouldhavemost。But，unlikeBentham，heregardsequalityasmoreimportantthansecurity。Tohimthemainconsiderationisthemonstrousmassofevilresultingfromvastaccumulationsofwealthinafewhands。
Inthenextplace，headaptstohisownpurposetheRicardiantheoryofvalue。Allvaluewhatever，heargues，iscreatedbylabour。Thelabourer，heinfers，shouldhavethevaluewhichhecreates。Asthingsare，thelabourerpartswithmostofittothecapitalistortheownerofrents。Thecapitalistclaimsarighttothewholeadditionalproductionduetotheemploymentofcapital。Thelabourer，ontheotherhand，mayclaimarighttothewholeadditionalproduction，afterreplacingthewearandtearandallowingtothecapitalistenoughtosupporthiminequalcomfortwiththeproductivelabourers，68Thompsonholdsthatwhileeithersystemwouldbecompatiblewith’security，’thelabourer’sdemandissanctionedby’equality。’
Inpointoffact，neithersystemhasbeenfullycarriedout；butthelabourer’sviewwouldtendtoprevailwiththespreadofknowledgeandjustice。WhilethusanticipatinglaterSocialism，hediffersonasignificantpoint。Thompsoninsistsupontheimportanceof’voluntaryexchange’asoneofhisfirstprinciples。Nooneistobeforcedtotakewhathedoesnothimselfthinkafairequivalentforhislabour。Here，again，hewouldcoincidewiththeUtilita
