276 SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



and despised members of society. It was only another 

 step to regard as contemptible all productive occupations 

 because only weaklings and women followed them. Con- 

 sequently the proper thing for the strong adult man was 

 the life of battle and hunting ; routine and drudgery were 

 to be left to all who had not sufficient strength to follow 

 the more noble callings. 



In the presence of these hindrances to improvements 

 in the means of production, the development of an in- 

 dustrial society was of necessity slow and arduous. With 

 taboos upon the doing of certain acts, with popular pre- 

 judice against industrial and agricultural occupations, 

 the time when the community could habitually produce 

 a surplus of goods over and above the actual needs of its 

 members was necessarily far distant. The creation of 

 more commodities than could be directly consumed was 

 naturally dependent upon the existence of a fertile soil 

 and a good water supply, but aside from this there must 

 be a class in the community who labored constantly and 

 persistently at the despised productive occupations. By 

 the introduction of slavery on a somewhat large and 

 systematic scale, this requisite was satisfied. Since war- 

 riors and hunters scorned industrial labor, slaves were 

 forced to work in the fields and houses. The institution 

 of slavery taught mankind the habit of steady labor and 

 proved a good school-master for men who had avoided 

 hard persistent work. The defeated were forced into 

 it and learned to submit to it. Thus slavery was one 

 part of the discipline by which the human race has learned 

 to carry on industrial organization. 66 



66 Seligman, op. cit., p. 156, 



