Andrew Ure The Philosophy Of Manufacture Essay

The Industrial Revolution began in the 1760’s. Britain became the first country to see its effects. Britain was the best for the revolution because of their high religious tolerance, the Scientific Revolution was underway, and Britain’s government encouraged inner growth by making foreign goods more expensive. During this time period, Britain’s population grew, wealth increased, and the citizens became interested in the fate of Britain. Writings began accumulating on what the people thought the benefits or consequences of the Industrial Revolution would be. While most argued that it would be harmful to society as a whole during the era, there was a minority who saw the immediate advantages of the Industrial Revolution. The men who viewed the

“The Philosophy of Manufacture” by Andrew Ure aimed to show the improvements that the Industrial Revolution brought about. Ure restated throughout the excerpt of the book that, “The principle of the factory system then is, to substitute mechanical science for hand skill.” Ure wanted to get rid of workers hand crafting goods and put them to better use of overseeing machines that could do the work quicker and for cheaper. Skilled workers would take longer and make more mistake; therefore, unskilled workers were preferred. This is one of the reasons Ure fully supported using children for workers. He explained the jobs weren’t difficulty and that there was still time to relax while working if the overseer allowed it. Ure felt that industrialization should benefit everyone. He said, “I have seen tens of thousands of old, young, and middle-aged of both sexes, many of them too feeble to get their daily bread by any of the former modes of industry, earning abundant food, raiment, and domestic accommodation, without perspiring at a single pore.” Everyone was able to improve their standard of living in a much easier way. Lower classes had enough to afford housing and their food while the wealthy earned more money. During 1835, steam powered engines were high in demand in England which created many jobs. Women were hired as cheaper alternatives to work in textile factories.

Samuel Smiles said that “Surely it ought not to be so difficult to put an end to the Satanic influences of thriftlessness, drunkenness, and improvidence.” Smiles believed these qualities were being extenuated during the Industrial Revolution. He explained that all the misery was self-caused by not saving money, over indulging on alcohol, and trying to replace money for a God to worship. He believed everything should be earned through hard work. He thought by educating the people, improving living conditions, and learning the uses of the economy the Industrial Revolution could help society in the future. During this time, the Industrial Revolution was well under way. The laboring class was the biggest class in England, yet possessed very little of the overall wealth. Karl Marx and the Engles agreed that industrialization wasn’t helping society for different reasons. They thought it would lead to Marx’s vision of a perfect society where no classes exist. Marx was lived through the French Revolution and was in London during the harshest period of industrialization. He simplified the economy down to a class struggle between the bourgeoisies, the wealthy upper class, and the proletariat, the working class. He explained that the proletariat is being exploited by the bourgeoisie which will cause a rebellion from the working class. Marx predicted his society would emerge after