GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

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ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE MODERNS
The admission of the necessity for legislation such as that
embodied in the Factory Acts, the Trade Board Acts and
the Shop Hours Acts is also an admission that the voluntary
pursuit of economic ends by some members of a society
may have consequences which adversely affect society as
a whole. These consequences are such as are rarely foreseen
and, we may hope, are never willed by those whose
actions have engendered them, and it is to minimize
their disastrous effect on society as a whole that political
action is necessary*
Characteristics of Political Action. Political action,
then, as opposed to economic action, is concerned with
the good of society as a whole. It must include within its
purview not economic action as such, but the effects of
economic action upon those who are not directly engaged
in it If we grant that the "blindness" of the effects of
economic action will be liable to produce effects upon
society as a whole which are often undesirable, we must
grant also the necessity for controlling the effects of the
economic actions of private individuals by a will which is
more far-sighted than that of the individuals in question.
And we must abo grant the desirability of inducing
individuals to behave in ways that are other than economic.
The necessary control can only be exercised, the necessary
inducement can only be brought to bear by the State.
The State may appeal to individuals not to act in
certain ways because, as the sole body in the community
which is concerned with the welfare of society as a whole,
it foresees that the effects of their actions will tie injurious to
society as a whole* Alternatively, when appeals faiil, it may
initiate controlling and checking action of the kind
exemplified by the Factory Acts. The object of such
legislation is to prohibit individuals from embarking on
the course of action which purely economic motives would
dictate, because the effects of such action are such as will
militate against die welfare of society. The justification
for this function of checking and controlling which I am