large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb_20
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
English
6138
You can well imagine how this glorious invention of division of labour, this complete destruction of individuality in the workman, and his apparent hopeless enslavement to his profit grinding master, stimulated the hopes of civilization; probably more hymns have been sung in praise of division of labour, more sermons preached about it, than have done homage to the precept, "do unto others as ye would they should do unto you." YOU CAN WELL IMAGINE HOW THIS GLORIOUS INVENTION OF DIVISION OF LABOUR THIS COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALITY IN THE WORKMAN AND HIS APPARENT HOPELESS ENSLAVEMENT TO HIS PROFIT GRINDING MASTER STIMULATED THE HOPES OF CIVILIZATION PROBABLY MORE HYMNS HAVE BEEN SUNG IN PRAISE OF DIVISION OF LABOUR MORE SERMONS PREACHED ABOUT IT THAN HAVE DONE HOMAGE TO THE PRECEPT DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD THEY SHOULD DO UNTO YOU
us from that war, and fully prepared to take advantage of the industrial revolution which had been going on the while, and which I now ask you to note. I have said that the eighteenth century perfected the system of labour which took the place of the mediæval system, under which a workman individually carried his piece of work all through its various stages from the first to the last. This new system, the first change in industrial production since the Middle Ages, is known as the system of division of labour, wherein, as I said, the unit of labour is a group, not a man; the individual workman in this system is kept life-long at the performance of some task quite petty in itself, and which he soon masters, and having mastered it has nothing more to do but to go on increasing his speed of hand under the spur of competition with his fellows, until he has become the perfect machine which it is his ultimate duty to become, since without attaining to that end he must die or become a pauper. CAME OUT VICTORIOUS FROM THAT WAR AND FULLY PREPARED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION WHICH HAD BEEN GOING ON THE WHILE AND WHICH I NOW ASK YOU TO NOTE I HAVE SAID THAT THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PERFECTED THE SYSTEM OF LABOUR WHICH TOOK THE PLACE OF THE MEDIAEVAL SYSTEM UNDER WHICH A WORKMAN INDIVIDUALLY CARRIED HIS PIECE OF WORK ALL THROUGH ITS VARIOUS STAGES FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST THIS NEW SYSTEM THE FIRST CHANGE IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES IS KNOWN AS THE SYSTEM OF DIVISION OF LABOUR WHEREIN AS I SAID THE UNIT OF LABOR IS A GROUP NOT A MAN THE INDIVIDUAL WORKMAN IN THIS SYSTEM IS KEPT LIFE LONG AT THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME TASK QUITE PETTY IN ITSELF AND WHICH HE SOON MASTERS AND HAVING MASTERED IT HAS NOTHING MORE TO DO BUT TO GO ON INCREASING HIS SPEED OF HAND UNDER THE SPUR OF COMPETITION WITH HIS FELLOWS UNTIL HE HAS BECOME THE PERFECT MACHINE WHICH IT IS HIS ULTIMATE DUTY TO BECOME SINCE WITHOUT ATTAINING TO THAT END HE MUST DIE OR BECOME A PAUPER
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_05_morris_64kb.flac