large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_18
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
And yet, I wish he were wiser still; wise enough to make an end of the preaching of "Live on others," which is the motto set forth by commercialism to her favoured children. AND YET I WISH HE WERE WISER STILL WISE ENOUGH TO MAKE AN END OF THE PREACHING OF LIVE ON OTHERS WHICH IS THE MOTTO SET FORTH BY COMMERCIALISM TO HER FAVORED CHILDREN
aring the collective _status_ of his gild. The workman of to-day, if he could realize the position of his forerunner, has some reason to envy him: the feudal serf worked hard, and lived poorly, and produced a rough livelihood for his master; whereas the modern workman, working harder still, and living little if any better than the serf, produces for his master a state of luxury of which the old lord of the manor never dreamed. The workman’s powers of production are multiplied a thousandfold; his own livelihood remains pretty much where it was. The balance goes to his master and the crowd of useless, draggled-tailed knaves and fools who pander to his idiotic sham desires, and who, under the pretentious title of the intellectual part of the middle classes, have in their turn taken the place of the mediæval jester. Truly, if the Positivist motto, “Live for others,” be taken in stark literality, the modern workman should be a good and wise man, since he has no chance of living for himself! Y A YEOMAN OR AN ARTISAN SHARING THE COLLECTIVE STATUS OF HIS GUILD THE WORKMAN OF TO DAY IF HE COULD REALIZE THE POSITION OF HIS FORERUNNER HAS SOME REASON TO ENVY HIM THE FEUDAL SERF WORKED HARD AND LIVED POORLY AND PRODUCED A ROUGH LIVELIHOOD FOR HIS MASTER WHEREAS THE MODERN WORKMAN WORKING HARDER STILL AND LIVING LITTLE IF ANY BETTER THAN THE SERF PRODUCES FOR HIS MASTER A STATE OF LUXURY OF WHICH THE OLD LORD OF THE MANOR NEVER DREAMED THE WORKMAN'S POWERS OF PRODUCTION ARE MULTIPLIED A THOUSANDFOLD HIS OWN LIVELIHOOD REMAINS PRETTY MUCH WHERE IT WAS THE BALANCE GOES TO HIS MASTER AND THE CROWD OF USELESS DRAGGLE TAILED KNAVES AND FOOLS WHO PANDER TO HIS IDIOTIC SHAM DESIRES AND WHO UNDER THE PRETENTIOUS TITLE OF THE INTELLECTUAL PART OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES HAVE IN THEIR TURN TAKEN THE PLACE OF THE MEDIAEVAL JESTER TRULY IF THE POSITIVEST MOTTO LIVE FOR OTHERS BE TAKEN IN STARK LITERALITY THE MODERN WORKMAN SHOULD BE A GOOD AND WISE MAN SINCE HE HAS NO CHANCE OF LIVING FOR HIMSELF
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