ModernEuro

Ms.Corso
Spring2015

Name:_____________________________________________
Date:____________

EconomicSystems:CapitalismintheIndustrialAge

Directions:
First,takethissurveyindividuallybymarkingyourchoiceofagreeordisagreewith
anXinthecorrespondingbox.Then,discussyouranswerswiththepersonnexttoyou.Prepare
reasonsforwhyyouchosetheansweryoudid.


ModernEuro
Ms.Corso
Spring2015

ThePurposeofGovernment

JohnLocke
"Governmentbeingforthepreservationofeveryman'srightandproperty,bypreservinghim
fromtheviolenceorinjuryofothers,isforthegoodofthegoverned.(Locke,
FirstTreatise
,
Chapter9)
JeanJacquesRousseau
What,then,isthegovernment?Anintermediarybodyestablishedbetweenthesubjectsandthe
sovereignfortheirmutualcommunication,abodychargedwiththeexecutionofthelawsandthe
maintenanceoffreedom,bothcivilandpolitical.(Rousseau,
TheSocialContract
)
JohnStuartMill
Thefirstelementofgoodgovernment,therefore,beingthevirtueandintelligenceofthehuman
beingscomposingthecommunity,themostimportantpointofexcellencewhichanyformof
governmentcanpossessistopromotethevirtueandintelligenceofthepeoplethemselves.The
firstquestioninrespecttoanypoliticalinstitutionsis,howfartheytendtofosterinthemembers
ofthecommunitythevariousdesirablequalities,moralandintellectual....Thegovernment
whichdoesthisthebesthaseverylikelihoodofbeingthebestinallotherrespects,sinceitison
thesequalities,sofarastheyexistinthepeople,thatallpossibilityofgoodnessinthepractical
operationsofthegovernmentdepends.Wemayconsider,then,asonecriterionofthegoodness
ofagovernment,thedegreeinwhichittendstoincreasethesumofgoodqualitiesinthe
governed,collectivelyandindividuallysince,besidesthattheirwellbeingisthesoleobjectof
government,theirgoodqualitiessupplythemovingforcewhichworksthemachinery.(Mill,
RepresentativeGovernment
)

Answerthefollowingquestions:
1. WhatistheroleofgovernmentaccordingtoJohnLocke?

2. AccordingtoRousseau,whatisthepurposeofgovernment?

3. HowdoesMillsupporttheideasofRousseauandLocke?

4. Inyouropinion,inwhatareasdothesephilosophersagree?


ModernEuro
Ms.Corso
Spring2015

Document1:
FromtheDepths,
WilliamBalfourKer,1906

1.Whatdoyousee?

2.Whatdifferentgroupsare
representedintheimage?

3.Whatistheartist'smessageofthe
image?

4.Howdoestheimagereflectonpoliticalandeconomicfactorsthatmightimpactanation's
policychoices?


ModernEuro
Ms.Corso
Spring2015

Document2:
WritingsfromMarxandEngels

ExcerptsfromtheCommunistManifestobyFriederichEngelsandKarlMarx,1848

Themodernbourgeois(middleclass)society...hasnotdoneawaywithclassantagonisms
(hatredbetweengroupsofpeople).Ithasbutestablishednewformsofstruggleinplaceofthe
oldones.Modernindustryhasconvertedthelittleworkshopofthepatriarchal(male)masterinto
thegreatfactoryoftheindustrialcapitalist.Massesoflaborers,crowdedintothefactory,are
organizedlikesoldiers....Theyareslavesofthemachineandthemanufacturer.Insteadofrising
asindustryprogresses,theysinkdeeperanddeeperintopoverty....

"Owingtotheuseofmachineryandtodivisionoflabor,theworkoftheproletarians(worker
class)haslostallindividualcharacter,andconsequently,allcharmfortheworkmen.He
becomes[alimb]ofthemachine,anditisonlythemostsimple,mostmonotonous(boring),and
mosteasilyacquiredknack(skillorability),thatisrequiredofhim.

ExcerptfromthePrinciplesofCommunismbyFriedrichEngels,1847

Aboveall,[thegovernment]...willhavetotakecontrolofindustryandofallthebranchesof
productionoutofthehandsof...competingindividuals,andinsteadinstituteasystemasawhole,
thatisforthecommonaccount(good),accordingtoacommonplan,andwiththeparticipation
ofallmembersofsociety.Itwill...abolish(eliminate)competition....Privatepropertymust
thereforebeabolished.

1. WhatweretheidealsofCommunism,accordingtoMarxandEngels?

2. Citingevidencefromeachtest,howwouldtheseauthorsbelievetheIndustrial
RevolutionaffectedEuropeansociety?Positivelyornegatively,andwhy?


ModernEuro
Ms.Corso
Spring2015

Document3:

WritingsfromAdamSmith

ExcerptsfromTheWealthofNationsbyAdamSmith,1776

Thesolepurposeofallproductionistoprovidethebestpossiblegoodstotheconsumeratthe
lowestpossibleprice.Societyshouldassistproducersofgoodsandservicesonlytotheextent
thatassistingthembenefitstheconsumer...he[theconsumer]intendshisowngainandheisin
this,asinmanyothercases,ledbyaninvisiblehandtopromoteanendwhichwasnopartofhis
intention....Bypursuinghisowninterest,hefrequentlypromotesthatofthesociety....

Accordingtothisliberalandgeneroussystem,therefore,themostadvantageousmethodin
whichalandednationcanraiseupartificers(craftsmen),manufacturers,andmerchantsofits
own,istograntthemostperfectfreedomoftradetoartificers,manufacturersandmerchantsof
allnations.

ExcerptsfromTheTheoryofMoralSentiments,PartVI,SectionII,ChapterII,pp.
233234,paragraph17.

Themanofsystemisnothinglikethat.Heisapttobesureofhisownwisdom,andisoftenso
inlovewiththesupposedbeautyofhisownidealplanofgovernmentthathecantallowthe
slightestdeviationfromanypartofit.Hegoesontoestablishitcompletelyandindetail,paying
noattentiontothegreatinterestsorthestrongprejudicesthatmayopposeit.Heseemsto
imaginethathecanarrangethemembersofagreatsocietyaseasilyasahandarrangesthe
piecesonachessboard!Heforgetsthatthechessmens
only
sourceofmotioniswhatthehand
impressesonthem,whereasinthegreatchessboardofhumansocietyeverysinglepiecehasitsown

private

sourceofmotion,quitedifferentfromanythingthatthelegislaturemightchoosetoimpresson
it.

3. WhatweretheidealsofLaissezFaireeconomics,accordingtoAdamSmith?

4. Citingevidencefromeachtest,howwouldthisauthorbelievetheIndustrial
RevolutionaffectedEuropeansociety?Positivelyornegatively,andwhy?