Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/370

 H. STANLEY JEVONB Pzogre, o tie Ide=l.--It is impossible to deal adequately with the many and deep problems involved in seourin the progress o! mankind towards the happier stte pictured in the last section; but it seems necess- ary to indicate in brief outline the opinions which I hv8 comb onno bu to hold on this subject; because they affect the nature of the proposals and recommendations which I make in regard to measures o! oonomio development. It would seem that in actual fact progress results from two totally distinct 'causes--one o! those being egoistic, though usually just, namely the discontent o! an economically dependent proletariat exerting itself by political pressure; and the other altruistic, namely activities o! persons who seek to benefit their follow- men and who either think or plan for thom, or toae. h thom and direct the the present constitution are undoubtedly necessary of public advantage. carrying out of society to 86011re of reforms. In both those causes definite changes The discontent of a proletariat is usually ascribed to rising cost of living; but whilst this certainly is one frequent cause of industrial unrest, the pheno- menon o! bitter discontent persisting in spite of increases ot wages more than counterbalancing the increased cost of living, shows that the most important cause is to be folmd in deepseated psychological reactions. Broadly stated, the primary cause seems to have been the .industrial revolution whose effects in two distinct directions have combined to produce a peculiar psyohologio state--a spiritual starvation of the prole- tat. It is against the unnatural conditions of their lives, in an unhuman, unsatisfying environment which they are powerless to change, that they revolt, The gradual economic triumph o! the industrial revolution led during the nineteenth century to the permeation