xxx ARISTO CRA CY AKD E VOL UTION 



PAGE 



Indeed the wealth of the country depends on the men potentially great 

 as producers actualising their talents and producing the wealth 

 that raises them . . . . . . .329 



It is therefore obvious that the wealth will increase in proportion as 

 these potentially great men have the opportunity of actualising 

 their productive powers ...... 327 



It is impossible, however, to make opportunities absolutely equal . 328 

 The question is how near we can approach to equality . . 3 2 ^ 



In a country where these opportunities have been made artificially un- 

 equal there will be room for a great deal of equalisation . . 329 

 But removing artificial impediments is only a negative kind of equalisation 329 

 It is probable, however, that for the development of genius of the 



highest order this is all that is needful, .... 330 



and will secure the development of all the genius of the highest kind 



that exists ........ 331 



But genius of a lesser kind, which would else be lost, may, no doubt, 



be elicited by positive educational help from the State ; . . 332 



though the amount of such genius is overestimated by reformers,' 

 because they confuse talents rare in themselves with accomplish- 

 ments that are only rare accidentally .... 332 



The latter can be increased indefinitely, the former not . . 333 



For real productive genius there is always room, . . . 333 



but the economic utility of mere accomplishments is limited by the 



conditions of production at the time . . . -333 



Thus to produce more possible clerks than are wanted merely lowers 

 the wages of those employed, without increasing the utility of 

 those who are not employed ..... 334 



Still, within limits, educational help from the State does much to 



increase the supply of exceptional, though not great, talent . 335 



But the main difficulty involved in the equalising of educational oppor- 

 tunity is not the production of good results, but the avoidance of 

 bad . . 335 



The bad results are the stimulating of discontent, not in average men, 



but in men who are really exceptional .... 336 



but those exceptional gifts are ill-balanced or have some flaw in them . 337 

 For if education sets free and stimulates sound intellectual powers, . 337 

 it will similarly stimulate intellects that are not sound, . . 338 



or wills, with no intellect to match, and will generate a desire for 



wealth in men who are not capable of creating it, . . 338 



