Nothingcanserveasacorrectiveoftheculturaltrendgivenbythemachinedisciplineexceptwhatcanbeputintheformofabusinessproposition。Thequestionofneutralizingtheuntowardeffectsofthemachinedisciplineresolvesitselfintoaquestionastotheculturalworkandconsequencesofbusinessenterprise,andoftheculturalvalueofbusinessprinciplesinsofarastheyguidesuchhumanendeavorasliesoutsidetherangeofbusinessenterpriseproper。Itisnotaquestionofwhatoughttobedone,butofwhatisthecourselaidoutbybusinessprinciples;thediscretionrestswiththebusinessmen,notwiththemoralists,andthebusinessmen’sdiscretionisboundedbytheexigenciesofbusinessenterprise。Eventhebusinessmencannotallowthemselvestoplayfastandloosewithbusinessprinciplesinresponsetoacallfromhumanitarianmotives。Thequestion,therefore,remains,onthewhole,aquestionofwhatthebusinessmenmaybeexpectedtodoforculturalgrowthonthemotiveofprofits。
Somethingtheyaredoing,asothersare,frommotivesofbenevolence,withawell-advisedendeavortomaintaintheculturalgainsofthepastandtomakethewayoflifesmootherformankindinthefuture。Butthemoresecureandsubstantialresultstobelookedforinthisdirectionarethosethatfollowincidentally,asbyproductsofbusinessenterprise,becausethesearenotdependentonthevagariesofpersonalpreference,tastes,andprejudices,butrestonabroadinstitutionalbasis。
Theeffectsofbusinessenterpriseuponthehabitsandtemperofthepeople,andsouponinstitutionalgrowth,arechieflyofthenatureofsequelae,Ithasalreadybeennotedthatthedisciplineofbusinessemploymentsisofaconservativenature,tendingtosustaintheconventionsthatrestonnatural-rightsdogma,becausetheseemploymentstrainthemenengagedinthemtothinkintermsofnaturalrights。Itisunnecessarytoreturntothistopichere,excepttonoticethat,initsseverer,moreunmitigatedform,thisdisciplineinpecuniaryhabitsofthoughtfallsonagraduallylesseningproportionofthepopulation。Theabsolutenumberofbusinessmen,countingprincipalsandsubordinates,is,ofcourse,notdecreasing,Thenumberofmeninbusinesspursuits,inproportiontothepopulation,isalsoapparentlynotdecreasing;butwithinthebusinessemploymentsalargerproportionareoccupiedwithofficeroutine,andsoarewithdrawnfromthemoreeffectualtraininggivenbybusinessmanagementproper。Ifsuchadecreaseoccursinanycountry,itisalmostcertainlynottobefoundinanyothercountrythanAmerica。
Thisbusinessdisciplineissomewhatcloselylimitedbothinscopeandrange。1Itactstoconserve,ortorehabilitate,acertainrestrictedlineofinstitutionalhabitsofthought,viz。
thosepreconceptionsofnaturalrightswhichhavetodowithproperty。Whatitconserves,therefore,isthebourgeoisvirtuesofsolvency,thrift,anddissimulation。Thenoblerandmorespectaculararistocraticvirtues,withtheircorrelativeinstitutionalfurniture,arenotinanysensibledegreefortifiedbythehabitsofbusinesslife。Businesslifedoesnotfurtherthegrowthofmannerandbreeding,prideofCaste,punctiliosof“honor,“orevenreligiousfervor。2Thesalutarydisciplineofbusinesslifetouchesthebulkofthepopulation,theworkingclasses,inaprogressivelylessintimateandlessexactingmanner。Itcan,therefore,notservetocorrectorevengreatlytomitigatethematter-of-factbiasgiventheseclassesbythedisciplineofthemachineprocess。
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