Suchergebnisse

J. D. Gould in a fairly recent article attempts to explain why Thomas Mun did not develop the "self-regulating mechanism of specie distribution." I find Mr. Gould's argument unconvincing and while I hesitate to question one point in an otherwise interesting atricle, I think the point merits further discussion.

An essay examining the generalization that, in the history of important societies or nations, stability has typically been followed by decline or breakdown in the econ sphere & frequently has been accompanied by pol'al, soc, cultural, & moral decay. Exceptions to this generalization are the primitive society & feudal society. The latter declined because of econ progress & not because of econ stability. To analyze the inevitability of the above generalization, Greece, Rome, & Byzantium are used as examples of societies that have undergone decline or breakdown, & the cessation of econ expansion in these societies is examined. A general theory of soc change is advanced: The basic connection between stability & decline is called an 'econ error.' Decline occurs when an excessive amount of resources enters into unproductive consumption-eg, war & ostentation. The maldistribution of nat'l income leads to dissatisfaction on the part of the `havenots,' while the dominant minority attempts to freeze the status quo when threatened (externally or internally) & in doing so tends toward authoritarianism, which frequently results in more interal strife or a stifling of productive efficiency. Thus econ & soc change may be interpreted in terms of (a) the magnitude of the econ surplus, & (b) the use made of the surplus. Man both molds & is molded by the conditions of material existence. To analyze soc change, those conditions or instit's affecting both the magnitude & the disposition of econ surplus must be appraised. This theoretical concept is briefly related to contemporary Western society & found valid to a considerable extent. The possibility that history may repeat itself cannot be ignored. M. Maxfield.