large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb_19
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb
English
6138
Now, at first sight it would seem that having got the workman into such a plight as he was, as the slave of division of labour, this new invention of machines which should free him from a part of his labour at least, could be nothing to him but an unmixed blessing. NOW AT FIRST SIGHT IT WOULD SEEM THAT HAVING GOT THE WORKMEN INTO SUCH A PLIGHT AS HE WAS AS THE SLAVE OF DIVISION OF LABOUR THIS NEW INVENTION OF MACHINES WHICH SHOULD FREE HIM FROM A PART OF HIS LABOUR AT LEAST COULD BE NOTHING TO HIM BUT AN UNMIXED BLESSING
ding 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.” To drop all irony, surely this was one of those stages of civilization at which one might well say that, if it was to stop there, it was a pity that it had ever got so far. I have had to study books and methods of work of the eighteenth century a good deal, French chiefly; and I must say that the impression made on me by that study is that the eighteenth century artisan must have been a terrible product of civilization, and quite in a condition to give rise to _hopes_—of the torch, the pike, and the guillotine. However, civilization was not going to stop there; having turned the man into a machine, the next stage for commerce to aim at was to contrive machines which would widely dispense with human labour; nor was this aim altogether disappointed.  SECTION SIX OF SIGNS OF CHANGE BY WILLIAM MORRIS THIS LIBRIVOX RECORDING IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN RECORDING BY DEBORAH BRAEBEN THE HOPES OF CIVILIZATION PART TWO HOWEVER CIVILIZATION WAS NOT GOING TO STOP THERE HAVING TURNED THE MAN INTO A MACHINE THE NEXT STATE FOR COMMERCE TO AIM AT WAS TO CONTRIVE MACHINES WHICH WOULD WIDELY DISPENSE WITH HUMAN LABOR NOR WAS THIS AIM ALTOGETHER DISAPPOINTED
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_06_morris_64kb.flac