Food, clothing, education, painting, literature, music, entertainment,—a certain amount is good for a man, improves a man, belongs to a man; but the indefinite multiplication of that amount merely injures the man.
Now suppose we change our minds about consumption. Suppose we do fairly recognise these plain, natural facts:
(a) Man lives by virtue of social relation.
(b) Social relation consists in specialised interservice.
(c) That interservice consists in the production and distribution of all our human goods—from potatoes to poetry.
(d) The advantage to Society lies in the constant development of its processes, a better and easier production and distribution.
(e) The duty of the individual lies in his best service to Society in these vital processes; and the duty of Society lies in supplying to the child the best conditions for full growth and genuine education, and in continuing to provide to the adult those conditions essential to his full, free, and most efficient service.
(f) All that we produce is intended for the maintenance and development of Society.
(g) All that we consume is intended to promote our productivity and general social value.
(h) The advantage of the individual lying absolutely in the hands of Society, it is the obvious business of the individual to see to it that Society performs its duty to him—to all of him—and, as obviously, to perform his full duty to it—which is merely all of him.