Insofarastheeconomicalconditionofnationsturnsuponthestateofphysicalknowledge，itisasubjectforthephysicalsciences，andtheartsfoundedonthem。Butinsofarasthecausesaremoralorpsychological，dependentoninstitutionsandsocialrelations，orontheprinciplesofhumannature，theirinvestigationbelongsnottophysical，buttomoralandsocialscience，andistheobjectofwhatiscalledPoliticalEconomy。

　　Theproductionofwealth;theextractionoftheinstrumentsofhumansubsistenceandenjoymentfromthematerialsoftheglobe，isevidentlynotanarbitrarything。Ithasitsnecessaryconditions。Ofthese，somearephysical，dependingonthepropertiesofmatter，andontheamountofknowledgeofthosepropertiespossessedattheparticularplaceandtime。ThesePoliticalEconomydoesnotinvestigate，butassumes;referringforthegrounds，tophysicalscienceorcommonexperience。

　　Combiningwiththesefactsofoutwardnatureothertruthsrelatingtohumannature，itattemptstotracethesecondaryorderivativelaws，bywhichtheproductionofwealthisdetermined;

　　inwhichmustlietheexplanationofthediversitiesofrichesandpovertyinthepresentandpast，andthegroundofwhateverincreaseinwealthisreservedforthefuture。

　　UnlikethelawsofProduction，thoseofDistributionarepartlyofhumaninstitution:sincethemannerinwhichwealthisdistributedinanygivensociety，dependsonthestatutesorusagesthereinobtaining。Butthoughgovernmentsornationshavethepowerofdecidingwhatinstitutionsshallexist，theycannotarbitrarilydeterminehowthoseinstitutionsshallwork。Theconditionsonwhichthepowertheypossessoverthedistributionofwealthisdependent，andthemannerinwhichthedistributioniseffectedbythevariousmodesofconductwhichsocietymaythinkfittoadopt，areasmuchasubjectforscientificenquiryasanyofthephysicallawsofnature。

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