large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_34
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
Perhaps a 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 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. PERHAPS 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
f art in the human mind to be deathless, and also because it seems to me easy to see the causes of the present obliteration of the arts. For we civilized people have not given them up consciously, or of our free will; we have been _forced_ to give them up. Perhaps I can illustrate that by the detail of the application of machinery to the production of things in which artistic form of some sort is possible. Why does a reasonable man use a machine? Surely to save his labour. There are some things which a machine can do as well as a man’s hand, _plus_ a tool, can do them. He need not, for instance, grind his corn in a hand-quern; a little trickle of water, a wheel, and a few simple contrivances will do it all perfectly well, and leave him free to smoke his pipe and think, or to carve the handle of his knife. That, so far, is unmixed gain in the use of a machine—always, mind you, supposing equality of condition among men; no art is lost, leisure or time for more pleasurable work is gained.  BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE SPRINGS OF ART IN THE HUMAN MIND TO BE DEATHLESS IT ALSO BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME EASY TO SEE THE CAUSES OF THE PRESENT OBLITERATION OF THE ARTS FOR WE CIVILIZED PEOPLE HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM UP CONSCIOUSLY OR OF OUR FREE WILL WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO GIVE THEM UP PERHAPS I CAN ILLUSTRATE THAT BY THE DETAIL OF THE APPLICATION OF MACHINERY TO THE PROJECTION OF THINGS IN WHICH ARTISTIC FORM OF SOME SORT IS POSSIBLE WHY DOES A REASONABLE MAN USE A MACHINE SURELY TO SAVE HIS LABOUR THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHICH A MACHINE CAN DO AS WELL AS A MAN'S HAND PLUS A TOOL CAN DO THEM HE NEED NOT FOR INSTANCE GRIND HIS CORN IN A HANDCORN A LITTLE TRICKLE OF WATER A WHEEL AND A FEW SIMPLE CONTRIVANCES WILL DO IT ALL PERFECTLY WELL AND LEAVE HIM FREE TO SMOKE HIS PIPE AND THINK OR TO CARVE THE HANDLE OF HIS KNIFE THAT SO FAR IS AN UNMIXED GAIN IN THE USE OF A MACHINE ALWAYS MY DUE SUPPOSING EQUALITY OF CONDITION AMONG MEN NO ART IS LOST LEISURE OR TIME FOR MORE PLEASURABLE WORK IS GAINED
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