fbpx
Wikipedia

The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind

January 01, 1970

The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind by H. G. Wells is the final work of a trilogy of which the first volumes were The Outline of History (1919–1920) and The Science of Life (1929). Wells conceived of the three parts of his trilogy as, respectively, "a survey of history, of the science of life, and of existing conditions."[1] Intended as an unprecedented "picture of all mankind to-day" in all its manifold activities,[2] he called it "the least finished work . . . because it is the most novel."[3] He hoped the volumes would play a role in the open conspiracy to establish a progressive world government that he had been promoting since the mid-1920s.

The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind
First edition (UK)
AuthorH. G. Wells
LanguageEnglish
GenrePolitical economy
PublisherWilliam Heinemann (UK)
Doubleday, Doran (US)
Publication date
1932
Pages850

Genesis and reception edit

Wells had great difficulty devising a comprehensive book discussing the world's economic life from a psychological point of view. The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind had at various times more than a dozen working titles (such as The Anatomy of Money[4]). As in The Science of Life, Wells worked with collaborators. Hugh P. Vowles and Edmund Cressey agreed to work with him on the book in 1928, but Vowles's work did not satisfy Wells. A bitter wrangle ensued in which the Society of Authors became involved, to Wells's chagrin.[5] In early 1929 he overcame the discouragement these difficulties caused and resumed work on the book, with the help of Amber Reeves on the sections on money and economics and of Alexander Carr-Saunders on demography. Odette Keun, Wells's lover from 1924 to 1933, served as the work's general editor. Graham Wallas also offered substantial assistance.[6]

The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind sold relatively well (17,000 copies in England in the first month alone).[7] But the Great depression restrained sales and Wells's optimistic utopianism struck many as passé and naïve in the increasingly violent political climate of the 1930s.[8] When published in the United States in 1936, the book was retitled The Outline of Man's Work and Wealth.

Organization of work edit

The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind is divided into sixteen chapters following an introduction explaining the work's conception. The historical development of human mastery over matter and energy occupies Chapters 1–3. Chapter 4 is on agriculture, Chapter 5 on clothing and shelter. Chapter 6 describes the distribution of goods and Chapter 7 the organisation of work. Chapter 8 offers an original analysis of the psychology of work. Chapters 9 and 10 analyse money, finance, and economic inequality. Chapter 11 is devoted to the social and economic role of women. Chapter 12 depicts government and the military. Chapter 13 discusses the problem of races, rejecting segregation, racism, and eugenics. Chapter 14 discusses sport, art, and entertainment. Chapter 15 analyses problems of religion, education, and social discipline. Chapter 16 addresses the future prospects of humanity.

Two historical figures are praised near the beginning and the end of The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind because they seem to Wells to be essentially linked to his enterprise: Roger Bacon, a precursor of the Enlightenment, and Denis Diderot, the first writer to envision the possibilities of modern encyclopaedias.[citation needed]

Overarching themes edit

Economics is grounded in biology and psychology edit

Humans are "economic animals" because they prepare and store food socially. This important development occurred in the Pleistocene, when man "became very rapidly indeed an unprecedented species."[9] For Wells, the adaptation of the "very imperfect instrument" of the human mind to new and developing possibilities is the essence of humanity's economic problem.[10]

Satisfying the demands of the persona is the fundamental human enterprise edit

Wells endorses Jung's concept of the persona, which he regards as susceptible of education. "Beneath the material processes of economics lies the social idea; its driving force is will. The clearer the idea, the better organized the will in the personas of our species, the more hopeful and successful the working of the human ant-hill."[11]

Wells proposes that there are three fundamental types of persona that differ in many ways, but in particular in their attitude toward property: (1) the peasant; (2) the nomad; (3) the priest. "The first type is acquisitive, tenacious, and preservative; the second is rapacious and consumes; the third professes to be more or less aloof from possession and gain, and to carry on the service of the community for satisfaction of a quite different type."[12] Wells seriously entertains the proposal of Frederick Soddy that the "money manipulator" may be "a new type whose primary delight is domination and oppression through relative gain" but concludes that if this is so, "the conception pervading this book . . . is unsound" and "[t]here is nothing for it but . . . a class war against the rich and the able . . . and beginning again upon a different ground plan, with whatever hope is left to us, amidst the ruins."[13]

The stupidity of contemporary political institutions edit

Wells's treatment of contemporary political institutions is aggressively satirical, but he attributes their shortcomings to their need to accommodate the biological heritage human beings have inherited to solve the problem of what he calls "assent," or legitimation.[14]

The importance of education edit

What hope Wells has for the prospects of humanity rests primarily on human educability. "Every human being is to some extent an educable creature."[15] Religion's social role has been to a large degree educational; moreover, "[e]ducation has been the last field of intellectual activity to pass out of religious control, and it is still imperfectly and doubtfully released."[16] Wells has doubts about the role played by universities, attached as they are to religious institutions and wealthy interests. But he has high hopes for extra-scholastic education, including newspapers, literature, and encyclopaedias. Ultimately he hopes for "a recasting of [the world's] schools to meet the needs of a new education," helped or controlled by "a world government."[17]

Translations edit

The book was translated in German in 1932, with the title Arbeit, Wohlstand und das Glück der Menschheit.

Notes edit

  1. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 812.
  2. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 1.
  3. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 26.
  4. ^ As witnessed by his friend Charlie Chaplin, in his Autobiography, where he also pointed out that the conception of the book had taken two years.
  5. ^ Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie, H.G. Wells: A Biography (Simon and Schuster, 1973), pp. 359–63.
  6. ^ David C. Smith, H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), pp. 264–67.
  7. ^ David C. Smith, H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), p. 266.
  8. ^ Michael Sherborne, H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life (Peter Owen, 2010), pp. 289–90.
  9. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 30.
  10. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 64.
  11. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 299.
  12. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 315.
  13. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), pp. 488 & 492–93.
  14. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), pp. 591–601.
  15. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 715.
  16. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 725.
  17. ^ H.G. Wells, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (London: William Heinemann, 1932), p. 777.

External links edit

  • The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind, complete text of the book in PDF format

January 01, 1970
work, wealth, happiness, mankind, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, secondary, tertiary, sources, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 2019, learn, when, remo. This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind by H G Wells is the final work of a trilogy of which the first volumes were The Outline of History 1919 1920 and The Science of Life 1929 Wells conceived of the three parts of his trilogy as respectively a survey of history of the science of life and of existing conditions 1 Intended as an unprecedented picture of all mankind to day in all its manifold activities 2 he called it the least finished work because it is the most novel 3 He hoped the volumes would play a role in the open conspiracy to establish a progressive world government that he had been promoting since the mid 1920s The Work Wealth and Happiness of MankindFirst edition UK AuthorH G WellsLanguageEnglishGenrePolitical economyPublisherWilliam Heinemann UK Doubleday Doran US Publication date1932Pages850 Contents 1 Genesis and reception 2 Organization of work 3 Overarching themes 3 1 Economics is grounded in biology and psychology 3 2 Satisfying the demands of the persona is the fundamental human enterprise 3 3 The stupidity of contemporary political institutions 3 4 The importance of education 4 Translations 5 Notes 6 External linksGenesis and reception editWells had great difficulty devising a comprehensive book discussing the world s economic life from a psychological point of view The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind had at various times more than a dozen working titles such as The Anatomy of Money 4 As in The Science of Life Wells worked with collaborators Hugh P Vowles and Edmund Cressey agreed to work with him on the book in 1928 but Vowles s work did not satisfy Wells A bitter wrangle ensued in which the Society of Authors became involved to Wells s chagrin 5 In early 1929 he overcame the discouragement these difficulties caused and resumed work on the book with the help of Amber Reeves on the sections on money and economics and of Alexander Carr Saunders on demography Odette Keun Wells s lover from 1924 to 1933 served as the work s general editor Graham Wallas also offered substantial assistance 6 The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind sold relatively well 17 000 copies in England in the first month alone 7 But the Great depression restrained sales and Wells s optimistic utopianism struck many as passe and naive in the increasingly violent political climate of the 1930s 8 When published in the United States in 1936 the book was retitled The Outline of Man s Work and Wealth Organization of work editThe Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind is divided into sixteen chapters following an introduction explaining the work s conception The historical development of human mastery over matter and energy occupies Chapters 1 3 Chapter 4 is on agriculture Chapter 5 on clothing and shelter Chapter 6 describes the distribution of goods and Chapter 7 the organisation of work Chapter 8 offers an original analysis of the psychology of work Chapters 9 and 10 analyse money finance and economic inequality Chapter 11 is devoted to the social and economic role of women Chapter 12 depicts government and the military Chapter 13 discusses the problem of races rejecting segregation racism and eugenics Chapter 14 discusses sport art and entertainment Chapter 15 analyses problems of religion education and social discipline Chapter 16 addresses the future prospects of humanity Two historical figures are praised near the beginning and the end of The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind because they seem to Wells to be essentially linked to his enterprise Roger Bacon a precursor of the Enlightenment and Denis Diderot the first writer to envision the possibilities of modern encyclopaedias citation needed Overarching themes editEconomics is grounded in biology and psychology edit Humans are economic animals because they prepare and store food socially This important development occurred in the Pleistocene when man became very rapidly indeed an unprecedented species 9 For Wells the adaptation of the very imperfect instrument of the human mind to new and developing possibilities is the essence of humanity s economic problem 10 Satisfying the demands of the persona is the fundamental human enterprise edit Wells endorses Jung s concept of the persona which he regards as susceptible of education Beneath the material processes of economics lies the social idea its driving force is will The clearer the idea the better organized the will in the personas of our species the more hopeful and successful the working of the human ant hill 11 Wells proposes that there are three fundamental types of persona that differ in many ways but in particular in their attitude toward property 1 the peasant 2 the nomad 3 the priest The first type is acquisitive tenacious and preservative the second is rapacious and consumes the third professes to be more or less aloof from possession and gain and to carry on the service of the community for satisfaction of a quite different type 12 Wells seriously entertains the proposal of Frederick Soddy that the money manipulator may be a new type whose primary delight is domination and oppression through relative gain but concludes that if this is so the conception pervading this book is unsound and t here is nothing for it but a class war against the rich and the able and beginning again upon a different ground plan with whatever hope is left to us amidst the ruins 13 The stupidity of contemporary political institutions edit Wells s treatment of contemporary political institutions is aggressively satirical but he attributes their shortcomings to their need to accommodate the biological heritage human beings have inherited to solve the problem of what he calls assent or legitimation 14 The importance of education edit What hope Wells has for the prospects of humanity rests primarily on human educability Every human being is to some extent an educable creature 15 Religion s social role has been to a large degree educational moreover e ducation has been the last field of intellectual activity to pass out of religious control and it is still imperfectly and doubtfully released 16 Wells has doubts about the role played by universities attached as they are to religious institutions and wealthy interests But he has high hopes for extra scholastic education including newspapers literature and encyclopaedias Ultimately he hopes for a recasting of the world s schools to meet the needs of a new education helped or controlled by a world government 17 Translations editThe book was translated in German in 1932 with the title Arbeit Wohlstand und das Gluck der Menschheit Notes edit H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 812 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 1 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 26 As witnessed by his friend Charlie Chaplin in his Autobiography where he also pointed out that the conception of the book had taken two years Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie H G Wells A Biography Simon and Schuster 1973 pp 359 63 David C Smith H G Wells Desperately Mortal A Biography New Haven and London Yale University Press 1986 pp 264 67 David C Smith H G Wells Desperately Mortal A Biography New Haven and London Yale University Press 1986 p 266 Michael Sherborne H G Wells Another Kind of Life Peter Owen 2010 pp 289 90 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 30 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 64 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 299 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 315 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 pp 488 amp 492 93 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 pp 591 601 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 715 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 725 H G Wells The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind London William Heinemann 1932 p 777 External links editThe Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind complete text of the book in PDF format Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Work Wealth and Happiness of Mankind amp oldid 1110205101, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.