The Irish standard., 1891-05-09
DEFINITION OF WEALTH.
Something New for Political Econ
omists to Consider
A Critical Analysis Of the Word which
Defines It's True Meaning and
Limitations An Interest
ing Study.

i
The term wealth seems To have
been formed by combination Of the tive
old Saxon words, veal and things
and the process may have been like
this: Veal things, weal-things, wealth
pronounced as two syllables, will
'sings' droppedl, and finally wealth al
we now have it But, however formed
that the term wealth is identical in
meaning with weal-things there can be
no doubt By examining these two
words, therefore ascertaining their
meanings and com blning them, If the
work be well done, the exact and com.
plete meaning Of the word wealth will
appear.
The word thing, says the Chicago
journal, springs from an old Saxon root
which signifies ito he heavy" But
what i heavy is Of material substance
and Is an object Of sense "A thing,
then, j. any material object cognizable
by the senses. But Ill is especially used
of what Is without life, though Id com
mon speech all living beings below man
are spoken OF as things, and even man
himself when thought Of as belonging
to the animal kingdom, a. in the phrase,
''all animals and inanimate things" But
strictly speaking, man il not accounted
q thing, because He is a moral person,
and this higher element Of personality
raises him above the sphere of things
Veal has the same root as well 10
De Well-that il To be in state that is
veal i To 10 ia hEalth. and that IL 10
be in the state Of FULLEST, most active
and most unimpaired life This IL the
keynote word of the whole matter
life. 10 be we'll is to be III q state
that IS Wealis To be iii the fullest
degree alive.
The things that make for veal are
the things which make for to-be-well;
that i to he alive, that is again, for
life. The things which make for veal,
that is for life, came in human speech
to De called weal-things, and this com
pound word was contracted into wealth.
by these steps the correct and complete
definition Of our term II brought plainly
into view
Wealth is one, Or more, or the sum III
things which make for life.
And here, ia passing, Vt may lie said
that life, and especially life as found iii
man, Is the keynote word Of All that is
contained Id what men have been wont
TO call political economy.
Now take this definition as d Inaasur-
ing staff ID the hand and 10 abroad
through the world and measure off the
array of things therein. All things
which make for life are veal things
wealth. Wheat, corn, grain fruits,
root crops. food things Of every sort,
are wealth so are All implements to
provide them 10 are clothing, fael ard
al implements 10 provide these 80 are
all things to help about them. as Ill
and exchange.
But human life mas grades, aud those |
things which feed II il Hts higher grades
are also WealtF-as works Of art, To |
illustrate the higher, spiritual side u
human life, or hospitals, III illustrate ii
again.
But are muskets and cannon, and Ill /
5he munitions Of war, wealth? I'd ~
Tar as they are needful to help some
ife preserve itself against destruction
oy other life, they are wealth to tie
ives they preserves: but they are death.
which u 'illth'' to those whom they kill
y preserving aliYe those whom they
lefend But I'd the whole sum of human
ire on the earth, they are 4 nsonstrous
vii, to be swept off from the earth aa
he heart ef human kind IL healed of its
impulses to rob and kill. III Il true
economic sense nothing that II made
- n
or killing men u wealth; bEt only
What is made I'D make for life for an.
But, finally are not human faculties,
,owers, actions, activities and the ike
wealth? No: they come not under this
Tofd There must be another word for
hem. # one would escape confusion of
aind and utter clear Thought III al
urate speech
Only the material things which make
or life are wealth, and I'll those things
lat word iacludes