large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_17
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
They were laws and customs obviously intended to rob him, and open violence of the highway robbery kind. In short, industrial production was not the instrument used for robbing the "lower classes;" it is now the main instrument used in that honourable profession. THEY WERE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO ROB HIM AND OPEN VIOLENCE OF THE HIGHWAY ROBBERY KIND IN SHORT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAS NOT THE INSTRUMENT USED FOR ROBBING THE LOWER CLASSES IT IS NOW THE MAIN INSTRUMENT USED IN THAT HONORABLE PROFESSION
ere serfs, or gild-craftsmen surrounded by brazen walls of trade restrictions; they had no political rights, and were exploited by their masters, the noble caste, most grievously. Well, I quite admit that the oppression and violence of the Middle Ages had its effect on the art of those days, its shortcomings are traceable to them; they repressed art in certain directions, I do not doubt that; and for that reason I say, that when we shake off the present oppression as we shook off the old, we may expect the art of the days of real freedom to rise above that of those old violent days. But I do say that it was possible then to have social, organic, hopeful progressive art; whereas now such poor scraps of it as are left are the result of individual and wasteful struggle, are retrospective and pessimistic. And this hopeful art was possible amidst all the oppression of those days, because the instruments of that oppression were grossly obvious, and were external to the work of the craftsman.  WERE NOT FREE THEY WERE SERFS OR GUILD CRAFTSMEN SURROUNDED BY BRAZEN WALLS OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS THEY HAD NO POLITICAL RIGHTS AND WERE EXPLOITED BY THEIR MASTERS THE NOBLE CASTE MOST GRIEVOUSLY WELL I QUITE ADMIT THAT THE OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE OF THE MIDDLE AGES HAD ITS EFFECT ON THE ART OF THOSE DAYS ITS SHORTCOMINGS ARE TRACEABLE TO THEM THEY REPRESSED ART IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS I DO NOT DOUBT THAT AND FOR THAT REASON I SAY THAT WHEN WE SHAKE OFF THE PRESENT OPPRESSION AS WE SHOOK OFF THE OLD WE MAY EXPECT THE ART OF THE DAYS OF REAL FREEDOM TO RISE ABOVE THAT OF THOSE OLD VIOLENT DAYS BUT I DO SAY THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THEN TO HAVE SOCIAL ORGANIC HOPEFUL PROGRESSIVE ART WHEREAS NOW SUCH POOR SCRAPS OF IT AS ARE LEFT ARE THE RESULT OF INDIVIDUAL AND WASTEFUL STRUGGLE ARE RETROSPECTIVE AND PESSIMISTIC AND THIS HOPEFUL ART WAS POSSIBLE AMIDST ALL THE OPPRESSION OF THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENTS OF THAT OPPRESSION WERE GROSSLY OBVIOUS AND WERE EXTERNAL TO THE WORK OF THE CRAFTSMAN
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