Disadvantages Created by the Commercial System

Disadvantages Created by the Commercial System

However, there are some inconveniences arising from a commercial spirit.

1. It confines the views of men.

When the division of labour is perfected, every man only has a simple operation to perform.

• His whole attention is confined to this.
• Only the few ideas that are immediately connected with it pass in his mind*.

When the mind is employed on various objects, it is expanded and enlarged.

A country artist generally has a range of thoughts much above a city artist.

A country artist is perhaps a:

• joiner,
• house carpenter, and
• cabinet-maker all in one.

His attention must be employed in many different kinds of objects.

A city artists is perhaps only a cabinet-maker.

• That kind of work employs all his thoughts.
• He does not have an opportunity of comparing many objects.
• His views of things beyond his own trade are not as extensive as those of the country artist.

This is much more the case when a person’s whole attention is bestowed on the 1/17 part of a pin or the 1/80 part of a button.

These manufactures are so divided.

It is remarkable that in every commercial nation, the low people are exceedingly stupid.

• The Dutch vulgar are eminently so.
• The English are more so than the Scotch.

This rule is general.

In towns, they are not so intelligent as in the country, nor in a rich country as in a poor one.

2. Education is greatly neglected.

In rich and commercial nations, the division of labour reduces all trades to very simple operations.

Children can be employed very young.

In Britain, the division of labour is not far advanced.

Here, even the meanest porter can read and write because education is cheap.

A parent cannot employ his child at six or seven years old.

However, this is not the case in the commercial parts of England.

A six or seven year-old boy at Birmingham can gain his 3-pence or 6-pence a day.

Parents find it to be their interest to set them soon to work.

• Thus, their education is neglected.

The education received by the children of low people is not considerable.

However, it does them an immense deal of service.

The lack of it is certainly one of their greatest misfortunes.

They learn to read through education.

This gives them the benefit of religion.

Religion is a great advantage:

• in a pious sense and
• in affording them a subject for thought and speculation.

From this, we may observe the benefit of country schools. We must acknowledge them to be an excellent institution, however much neglected.

Besides this lack of education, there is another great loss which attends putting boys to work too soon.

2b. Bad morals [we added this]

The boy begins to find that his father is obliged to him.

• He therefore throws off his father’s authority.
• When he is grown up, he has no ideas to amuse himself.

When he is away from his work, he falls to drunkenness and riot.

Accordingly, in the commercial parts of England, the tradesmen are mostly in this despicable condition.

Their work through half the week is sufficient to maintain them.

Through a lack of education, they have no amusement for the other half, but riot and debauchery. We may very justly say that the people who clothe the whole world are in rags themselves.

3. It sinks human courage and tends to extinguish martial spirit.

In all commercial countries, the division of labour is infinite.

Everyone’s thoughts are employed at one thing.

For example, in great trading towns, the linen merchants are of several kinds because the dealing in Hamburg and Irish linens are distinct professions.

• Some of the lawyers attend at King’s Bench.
• Some are at the court of Common Pleas.
• Others at the Chancery.

Each of them is unacquainted with his neighbour’s business.

In the same way, war comes to be a trade also.

A man has then time to study only one branch of business.

It would be a great disadvantage to oblige everyone:

• to learn the military art and
• to keep practicing it.

The country’s defence is committed to men who have nothing else ado.

The people’s military courage diminishes.

By having their minds constantly employed on the arts of luxury, they grow effeminate and dastardly.

In 1745, 5,000 naked unarmed Highlanders took the improved parts of Scotland without any opposition.

• They penetrated into England and alarmed the whole nation.
• Had they not been opposed by a standing army, they would have seized the throne with little difficulty.
• 200 years ago, such an attempt would have roused the nation’s spirit.

Our ancestors were brave and warlike.

• Their minds were not enervated by cultivating arts and commerce.
• They were all ready with spirit and vigour to resist the most formidable foe.

For the same reason:

• an army of 500 Europeans have often penetrated into India, and
• the Mongols were able to overthrow the huge Chinese armies.

In those countries, the division of labour and luxury have arrived at a very high pitch.

• They have no standing army.
• The people are all intent on the arts of peace.

If Holland’s barriers were removed, it would be an easy prey.

In the start of the 18th century, the Dutch standing army was beaten.

• Instead of defending themselves, the rest of the inhabitants planned to desert their country and settle in the East Indies.

A commercial country may be formidable abroad.

• It might defend itself by fleets and standing armies.

But the conquest is easy when:

• they are overcome, and
• the enemy penetrates into the country.

The happened with respect to Rome and Carthage.

The Carthaginians were often victorious abroad.

• But when the war was carried into their own country, they had no share with the Romans.

These are the disadvantages of a commercial spirit.

1. The minds of men are contracted and rendered incapable of elevation.
2. Education is despised, or at least neglected.
3. Heroic spirit is almost utterly extinguished.

To remedy these defects would be an object worthy of serious attention.

We have finished the 3 first great objects of law:

• justice, [law]
• police, and [executive]
• revenue. [economics]

We proceed to arms.

• It is the fourth part of the general division of jurisprudence.