large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_92
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Carry the machine used for art a step farther, and he becomes an unreasonable man, if he values art and is free. To avoid misunderstanding, I must say that I am thinking of the modern machine, which is as it were alive, and to which the man is auxiliary, and not of the old machine, the improved tool, which is auxiliary to the man, and only works as long as his hand is thinking; though I will remark, that even this elementary form of machine has to be dropped when we come to the higher and more intricate forms of art. CARRY THE MACHINES FOR ART A STEP FARTHER AND HE BECOMES AN UNREASONABLE MAN IF HE VALUES ART AND IS FREE TO AOID MISUNDERSTANDING I MUST SAY THAT I AM THINKING OF THE MODERN MACHINE WHICH IS AS IT WERE ALIVE AND TO WHICH THE MAN IS AUXILIARY AND NOT OF THE OLD MACHINE THE IMPROVED TOOL WHICH IS AUXILIARY TO THE MAN AND ONLY WORKS AS LONG AS HIS HAND IS THINKING THOUGH I WILL REMARK THAT EVEN THIS ELEMENTARY FORM OF MACHINE HAS TO BE DROPPED WHEN WE COME TO THE HIGHER AND MORE INTRICATE FORMS OF ART
d free man would stop there in his dealings with machinery; but such reason and freedom are too much to expect, so let us follow our machine-inventor a step farther. He has to weave plain cloth, and finds doing so dullish on the one hand, and on the other that a power-loom will weave the cloth nearly as well as a hand-loom: so, in order to gain more leisure or time for more pleasurable work, he uses a power-loom, and foregoes the small advantage of the little extra art in the cloth. But so doing, as far as the art is concerned, he has not got a pure gain; he has made a bargain between art and labour, and got a makeshift as a consequence. I do not say that he may not be right in so doing, but that he has lost as well as gained. Now, this is as far as a man who values art and is reasonable would go in the matter of machinery _as long as he was free_—that is, was not _forced_ to work for another man’s profit; so long as he was living in a society _that had accepted equality of condition_. THE PERFECTLY REASONABLE AND FREE MAN WOULD STOP THERE IN HIS DEALINGS WITH MACHINERY BUT SUCH REASON AND FREEDOM ARE TOO MUCH TO EXPECT SO LET US FOLLOW OUR MACHINE INVENTOR A STEP FARTHER HE HAS TO WEAVE PLAIN CLOTH AND FINDS DOING SO DULLISH ON THE ONE HAND AND ON THE OTHER THAT A POWER LOOM WILL WEAVE THE CROSS NEARLY AS WELL AS A HAND LOOM SO IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE LEISURE OR TIME FOR MORE PLEASURABLE WORK HE USES A POWER LOOM AND FOREGOES THE SMALL ADVANTAGE OF THE LITTLE EXTRA ART IN THE CLOTH BUT SO DOING AS FAR AS THE ART IS CONCERNED HE HAS NOT GOT A PURE CANE HE HAS MADE A BARGAIN BETWEEN ART AND LABOUR AND GOT A MAKESHIFT AS A CONSEQUENCE I DO NOT SAY THAT HE MAY NOT BE RIGHT IN SO DOING BUT THAT HE HAS LOST AS WELL AS GAINED NOW THIS IS AS FAR AS A MAN WHO VALUES ART AND IS REASONABLE WOULD GO IN THE MATTER OF MACHINERY AS LONG AS HE WAS FREE THAT IS WAS NOT FORCED TO WORK FOR ANOTHER MAN'S PROFIT SO LONG AS HE WAS LIVING IN A SOCIETY THAT HAD ACCEPTED EQUALITY OF CONDITION
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