, 1875-08-30


THE NEW ECONOMISTS.
Tho Intention Of students hos been called
Of late yeara 10 q rising school Of political
economists in Germany, Italy, Denmark, and
England. The now school in tho latter conu-
try is represented by such men rs TuohHToN
md CL1FfE LESLIE. It's adhcrents in Cor
many are known rs the HaAteder- Socsatstc1,
or Cnair-Socialists," from tho fact that most
Of them fill important positions in education-
81 establishments. These political econo-
,nists l,ays cut loose from the traditions Of
ADAM SMITH, RlcAnDo, and SAY. Thoy en-
terrain siows Rs to the foundation, mothod,
and aims of political economy different from
those Of the orthodox school, so called. A
word NJ to the differences between the new
school and the old.
The old school followed tho deductivo
method. Starting out with certain views Of
man mud naturo, tho alherents Of this school
drow whatever conclusions thoy might from
these views, and accepted them as true.
Thus man was considered by Them as being
who always aud everywhere pursued his own
private interest," md sought nfter that which
was useful. Hence it was inferred that, II
left to himsolf, free to work out his hap
piness, lie could not fail to attaln it. Tho
logical development Of these views was the
Insertion of the conpletest freedom, the doc
trino Of nisse=: faire aud MIssez.passer, aud
tho curtail1nent Of the power OF tie State
within the uarrowest possible limits
The new economists accuse tho old Of taxi
inn one.sidcd view of things. Man, they
insist, is not guided solely by se1f.interest.
Side by side with his love Of sell, is his love
for his family, his municipality, his country.
Nor is man intent only On the satisfaction OF
his animal wants. Ho is q moral boing. He
recognizes tho dictates OF duty, and under
the influence Of religion or philosophy may
sacrifice his own individual interests, and
even his life, for his country, for truth, or
for humanity. Tho conception OF man enter
tained by the orthodox economists is thcrc-
foro radically wrong, and must lend to wrong
conclusions. The man Of ADAM SMITH and
Jous SruAnr M11r. Ia not the man ws meet
every day in tho streets, nor even in tho work
shop,
The Tatheder- .ssocialsten differ from tho
old economists also in thoir method, They
reject the doductiye for the Historical method.
Stnn in different stages Of civilization has lif-
ferent wants. different methods OF producing
md i1istribut;uo wealth. Hence economical
problems do not admit Of the general a priori
solutions, which II las been tho fashion to
give them. Eeach question has to DO solved
with reference to d given country, and the
answer based on statistics and historical data,
A1ony of tl,o older economists insist that
the rcncral order Of socioty results from the
frce n]av of individual ceoism. aud TINT all
TINT il necessary ia insure voll.beiuo to each
one in nropor,ion to hin 1abor is TO romoye
every barrier to individual octiyity raised bv
society itself. or by tho State. This yiow tho
new cconomista roicct altopether, insisting that
ecoism loada to iniuuity and spoliation TINT
to a1,ov fnll nlay to eoo,sn ia tho t]on,al Of
t1,o noral 1av- Hence they a,lyocate tho in.
tor,ororca of t,,a stota w,,s,a tha MI, ocono.
m;sts r;rillv exclude T. rhsy consider the
State not a noccssorv ov,, hut a thing oooa
n ;tsa1t tba oh;of aoont ~ r,ro,rasa and o;v-
,t;,.tion
The now economists insist that hitherto
thu eo;ance Of notified economy has boan
eona,nad tn oyctns,ve1v In tho d;scnas,on a.
tha nroduction Of wea1th. and that anonoh
attoption has not been ruid to oueationa 70,
latino to Il. distribution !. that man b.s bean
consi',orcd on,v na a nro,nct;yo forco and
,na, Il haa hecn a1moat cnt;r,1v ionoraa Il, Al
,.a :. =. ,nto,,,oor, nd ,,or., he,n. Ths
,l;str;bntion NJ wea1th among Tho ;1iffarent
c1aasea of tbe community Ia eoyarnsa bg Inv
orJ hv morale az val] an hv Contract
Tra III achoo1 of soonom,sta cava n Al,
,nnortont economical questions m .hsolnta
onawer rha new school say TINT only a
.o,ot,aa o,,no, ~, l., o;x.n ~ .na,g.x
| .-"n .a,v .na he-a ~, nn,a.sor;,, t~rs ~
| ano,bor Tina and nlaoe. Tha old oonsi,ara,l
liza oh;act ~ The acianca In he N to,l hov
wsal,h vas nrodncod. di.tr;hu,ea, and con,
sn,ns1 Tha nav inaIsta that tts oh,ect i. N
taac,, how vs,l,h ahonld r. nroancat1 div.
| tr;hnt.d and con.,maa, tbst nautical scon,
l