A Critical Examination of Socialism

by W. H. Mallock

Overview

A Critical Examination of Socialism - Mallock, W. H. Originally published in 1908, for the Conservative Thought society. Probably the best refutation of the economic, logical, and psychological errors of socialism and 'equality' ever written. Mallock wrote in the late 1890s/early 1900s, but has never been bettered. A thorough, calm, rational demolition job, without a trace of invective. Contents include: Historical Beginning of Socialism, Theory of Marx, Root Error of Marxian Theory, Repudiation of Marx, Proximate Difficulties, Ultimate Difficulty, Individual Motive and Democracy, Christian Socialism, Just Reward of Labour, Interest and Abstract Justice, Equality of Opportunity, Keywords:Socialism Communism Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788835808350
Publisher:	Caramna Corporation
Publication date:	04/15/2020
Sold by:	StreetLib SRL
Format:	eBook
File size:	439 KB

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER IV THE ERRORS OF MARX, CONTINUED. CAPITAL AS THE IMPLEMENT OF ABILITY Two kinds of human effort being thus involved in modern production, it is necessary for all purposes of intelligible discussion to distinguish them by different names. The word "labor" being appropriated by common custom to the manual task-work of the majority, some other technical word must be found to designate the directive faculties as applied to productive industry. The word here chosen, in default of a better, is "ability." Ability, then, being the faculty which directs labor, by what means does it give effect to its directions ? It gives effect to its directions by means of its control of capital, in the form of wage-capital. Ability, using wage-capital as its implement of direction, gives rise to fixed capital, in the form of the elaborate implements of modern production, which are the material embodiments of the knowledge, ingenuity, and energy of the highest minds. The human activities and faculties, then, which are involved in the production of modern wealth, are not, as Marx says—and as the orthodox economists said, whom he rightly calls his masters, and as their followers still say—of one kind—namely, those embodied in the individual task-work of the individual, to which Marx, Ricardo, and Mill alikegive the name of "labor"; they are of two kinds. And this, indeed, the earlier economists recognized, as we may see by Mill's casual admission that the progress of industrial effort depends before all things on thought and the advance of knowledge. But they recognized the fact in a general way only. How thought and knowledge affected the industrial process they made no attempt toexplain, otherwise than by comprehending them on occasion under the common name of labor, which t...