How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decayby G.pdf

How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay
By G. B. Shaw
SYBCOM SEM III

1. Summary:
How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay by G.B. Shaw is a comment on capitalism. It shows
how now workers have no control over what they produce.
Shaw in his essay has argued that capitalism has left us in a state of 'idiocy'. In pursuit of profit,
human values have got eroded. In order to explain his point, Shaw has used the example of
pins and woollen garments to show that the system we use has passed beyond our knowledge
and control. There was a time when a pin-maker would do everything from buying the
material to shaping it and even selling it. However now one worker does only one thing and
he lacks the skill to produce a pin. The workers were experts but the cost of the product was
high. Pins cost so much that a woman’s dress allowance was called pin money. In the same
way in the olden times from sheep shearing to making clothes everything was done by men
and women but now there is separate worker for every step of production. This according to
Shaw has turned capable men into machines who are doing the work without intelligence and
are being fed with the food of the capitalist as an engine is fed with coal and oil.
Adam Smith was proponent of capitalist trend who felt that capitalist system promoted speed
and cheap production. Shaw does not like Adam Smith's philosophy. He has argued that the
capitalist system has failed because now machines have replaced men. However, he has
praised the poet Goldsmith who had complained that Wealth accumulates and Men decay.
He has called Goldsmith a ' farsighted economist'. His essay centres on the theme of whether
wealth is more important or skill is important. Man has become slave to machines.
Shaw was not happy with the capitalist system because he believed that it produced universal
ignorance of how things were made and done whilst at the same time it caused them to be
made and done on a gigantic scale. Books according to Shaw fail to convey useful knowledge
because it is written by those who do not do the work and they get information from other
books. Capitalism has helped in the promotion of the cinema and other such modes of
entertainment because due to this capitalist system most of us are too tired of our work when
we come home. We do not want to read. We need cinema to take our minds off it and feed
our imagination. Shaw has argued that 'savage' communities are most intelligent because
they have to make everything for themselves. The proliferation of machinery has led to the
decline of intelligence and innovation in modern civilisation because no one remains an
2. How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay


Notes Prepared
By
Dr. G.N. Khamankar
Vivekanand Mahavidhyalaya,
Bhadrawati

2. expert in making things. It has promoted ignorance and helplessness. He has concluded by
saying that this capitalist system has almost left us like dangerous lunatics in this real world.
साराांश:
जी बी शॉ द्वारे संपत्ती कशी एकत्रित होते आत्रि पु�षांचा नाश होतो ही भांडवलशाहीवरील त्रिप्पिी
आहे. हे दशशत्रवते की कामगारांच्या उत्पादनावर त्ांचे आता कसे त्रनयंिि नाही.
आपल्या त्रनबंधात शॉने असा युक्तिवाद के ला आहे की भांडवलशाहीने आपल्याला 'मुर्शपिा'च्या क्तथितीत
सोडले आहे. नफ्याच्या शोधात मानवी मूल्ये क्षीि झाली आहेत. आपला मुद्दा स्पष्ट करण्यासाठी शॉने त्रपन
आत्रि वूलन कपड्ांचे उदाहरि वाप�न हे दार्वून त्रदले की आपि वापरत असलेली यंििा आपल्या
ज्ञान आत्रि त्रनयंििापलीकडे गेली आहे. एक वेळ असा होता की त्रपन-त्रनमाशता माल त्रवकत घेण्यापासून
ते आकार घेण्यापयंत आत्रि त्रवक्री करण्यापयंत सवश काही करत असे. तिात्रप, आता एक कामगार फि
एक काम करतो आत्रि त्ाच्याकडे त्रपन तयार करण्याचे कौशल्य नसते. कामगार तज्ञ होते परंतु
उत्पादनाची त्रकं मत जास्त होती. त्रपनची त्रकं मत इतकी होती की एका मत्रहलेच्या डरेस भत्तेला त्रपन मनी
म्हिले जाते. जु�ा काळात मेंढ्याचे के स कापण्यापासून ते कपडे बनवण्यापयंत प्रत्ेक गोष्ट पु�ष आत्रि
क्तिया करीत असत परंतु आता उत्पादनाच्या प्रत्ेक चरिात स्वतंि कामगार आहेत. शॉच्या
म्हिण्यानुसार हे सक्षम पु�ष मशीनमध्ये बदलले आहेत जे बुक्तिमत्तेत्रवना काम करीत आहेत आत्रि
भांडवलदारांना र्ायला देत आहेत कारि इंत्रजन कोळसा आत्रि तेलाने त्रदले जाते.
अॅ डम क्तिि हे भांडवलशाही प्रवृत्तीचे समिशक होते आत्रि त्ांना असे वािते की भांडवलशाही व्यवथिेने
वेग आत्रि स्वस्त उत्पादनाला चालना त्रदली. शॉला अॅ डम क्तििचे तत्वज्ञान आवडत नाही. त्ांनी असा
युक्तिवाद के ला आहे की भांडवलशाही व्यवथिा अपयशी ठरली आहे कारि आता यंिांनी पु�षांची जागा
घेतली आहे. तिात्रप, त्ांनी कवी गोल्डक्तििचे कौतुक के ले आहे ज्ांनी वेल्थ जमा होते आत्रि पु�षांचे
क्षय झाल्याची तक्रार के ली होती. त्ांनी गोल्डक्तििला 'दू रदशी अिशशािज्ञ' म्हिले आहे. संपत्ती अत्रधक
महत्त्वाची आहे की कौशल्य महत्त्वाचे आहे या िीमवर त्ांचा त्रनबंध आहे. मािूस यंिांचा गुलाम झाला
आहे.
शॉ भांडवलशाही व्यवथिेबद्दल र्ूष नव्हता कारि त्ांचा असा त्रवश्वास होता की यामुळे गोष्टी कशा तयार
के ल्या जातात आत्रि के ल्या जातात त्ात्रवषयी सावशत्रिक अज्ञान होते आत्रि त्ाच वेळी ते त्रवशाल बनत्रवले
आत्रि कसे के ले. शॉनुसार पुस्तके उपयुि ज्ञान सांगण्यात अपयशी ठरतात कारि हे काम न करिा-
यांनी त्रलत्रहलेली आहे आत्रि त्ांना इतर पुस्तकांमधून मात्रहती त्रमळते. भांडवलशाहीने त्रसनेमा आत्रि अशा
प्रकारच्या मनोरंजनाच्या पितींना चालना देण्यास मदत के ली आहे कारि या भांडवलशाही व्यवथिेमुळे
आपि बहुतेक घरी आल्यावर आपल्या कामाला कं िाळलो आहोत. आम्हाला वाचायचे नाही. त्रसनेमा
आपल्या मनातून काढू न आपल्या कल्पनेला पोसण्यासाठी आपल्याला त्रसनेमा हवा आहे. शॉने असा
युक्तिवाद के ला आहे की 'क्रू र' समुदाय सवाशत हुशार आहेत कारि त्ांना स्वतःसाठी सवश काही तयार
करावे लागेल. यंिसामग्रीच्या प्रसारामुळे आधुत्रनक सभ्यतेत बुक्तिमत्ता आत्रि नावी�पूिश घि झाली आहे
कारि कोिीही वस्तू बनत्रवण्यात तज्ज्ञ राहत नाही. याने अज्ञान आत्रि असहायतेस चालना त्रदली आहे.
या भांडवलशाही व्यवथिेमुळे आपल्याला या वास्तत्रवक जगात धोकादायक पागल लोकांसारर्े
जवळजवळ सोडले आहे, असे सांगून त्ांनी त्रनष्कषश काढला आहे.

3. साराांश:
जीबी शॉ द्वारा वेल्थ अक्युमुलेि्स और मेन डेके पूूँजीवाद पर एक त्रिप्पिी है। यह त्रदर्ाता है त्रक अब
श्रत्रमकों का उनके उत्पादन पर कोई त्रनयंिि नहीं है।
शॉ ने अपने त्रनबंध में तकश त्रदया है त्रक पूंजीवाद ने हमें 'मूर्शता' की क्तथित्रत में छोड़ त्रदया है। लाभ की र्ोज
में, मानवीय मूल्य नष्ट हो गए हैं। अपनी बात समझाने के त्रलए, शॉ ने त्रपंस और ऊनी कपड़ों के उदाहरि
का उपयोग करके त्रदर्ाया है त्रक हम त्रजस त्रसस्टम का उपयोग करते हैं वह हमारे ज्ञान और त्रनयंिि से
परे है। एक समय िा जब एक त्रपन-त्रनमाशता सामग्री को र्रीदने से लेकर उसे आकार देने और यहां तक
त्रक उसे बेचने तक सब कु छ करता िा। हालांत्रक अब एक कायशकताश के वल एक ही काम करता है और
उसके पास त्रपन बनाने के कौशल की कमी है। श्रत्रमक त्रवशेषज्ञ िे लेत्रकन उत्पाद की लागत अत्रधक िी।
त्रपंस की कीमत इतनी िी त्रक एक मत्रहला के डरेस भत्ते को त्रपन मनी कहा जाता िा। इसी तरह से पुराने
जमाने में भेड़ के बाल कािने से लेकर कपड़े बनाने तक सब कु छ पु�षों और मत्रहलाओं द्वारा त्रकया
जाता िा, लेत्रकन अब उत्पादन के हर चरि के त्रलए अलग से कामगार है। शॉ के अनुसार इसने सक्षम
पु�षों को मशीनों में बदल त्रदया है जो त्रबना बुक्ति के काम कर रहे हैं और उन्हें पूंजीपत्रत के भोजन के
साि क्तर्लाया जा रहा है क्योंत्रक इंजन को कोयले और तेल के साि क्तर्लाया जाता है।
एडम क्तिि पूंजीवादी प्रवृत्रत्त के प्रस्तावक िे त्रजन्होंने महसूस त्रकया त्रक पूंजीवादी प्रिाली ने गत्रत और
सस्ते उत्पादन को बढावा त्रदया। शॉ को एडम क्तिि का दशशन पसंद नहीं है। उन्होंने तकश त्रदया है त्रक
पूंजीवादी व्यवथिा त्रवफल हो गई है क्योंत्रक अब मशीनों ने पु�षों की जगह ले ली है। हालांत्रक, उन्होंने
गोल्डक्तिि के कत्रव की प्रशंसा की है त्रजन्होंने त्रशकायत की िी त्रक धन जमा होता है और पु�ष क्षय होता
है। उन्होंने गोल्डक्तिि को 'दू रदशी अिशशािी' कहा है। उनका त्रनबंध इस त्रवषय पर है त्रक क्या धन
अत्रधक महत्वपूिश है या कौशल महत्वपूिश है। मनुष्य मशीनों का गुलाम हो गया है।
शॉ पूंजीवादी व्यवथिा से र्ुश नहीं िे क्योंत्रक उनका मानना िा त्रक यह सावशभौत्रमक अज्ञानता पैदा करता
है त्रक चीजों को कै से बनाया और त्रकया जाता है और साि ही साि यह उन्हें त्रवशाल पैमाने पर बनाया
और त्रकया जाता है। शॉ के अनुसार पुस्तकें उपयोगी ज्ञान को व्यि करने में त्रवफल रहती हैं क्योंत्रक यह
उन लोगों द्वारा त्रलर्ी जाती है जो काम नहीं करते हैं और उन्हें अ� पुस्तकों से जानकारी त्रमलती है।
पूंजीवाद ने त्रसनेमा को बढावा देने और मनोरंजन के ऐसे अ� साधनों को बढावा देने में मदद की है
क्योंत्रक इस पूंजीवादी व्यवथिा के कारि हम में से ज्ादातर लोग घर आने पर अपने काम से बहुत िक
जाते हैं। हम पढना नहीं चाहते। हमें अपने त्रदमाग को इसे उतारने और अपनी कल्पना को क्तर्लाने के
त्रलए त्रसनेमा की ज�रत है। शॉ ने तकश त्रदया है त्रक 'बबशर' समुदाय सबसे बुक्तिमान हैं क्योंत्रक उन्हें अपने
त्रलए सबकु छ बनाना होगा। मशीनरी के प्रसार ने आधुत्रनक सभ्यता में र्ुत्रफया और नवाचार की त्रगरावि
को ज� त्रदया है क्योंत्रक कोई भी चीजों को बनाने में त्रवशेषज्ञ नहीं रहता है। इसने अज्ञानता और
असहायता को बढावा त्रदया है। उन्होंने यह कहकर त्रनष्कषश त्रनकाला है त्रक इस पूंजीवादी व्यवथिा ने हमें
इस वास्तत्रवक दुत्रनया में र्तरनाक त्रभक्षुओं की तरह लगभग छोड़ त्रदया है।

4. A. Answer the following questions in about 150 words.
Que.1. Discuss how capitalism turns people into ‘dangerous lunatics in the real world’
OR What does Shaw say about making pins?
OR How does advancement in technology help us to focus on higher things?
OR Summarizes the argument advanced by G.B. Shaw.
OR How clothes were formally made? What is the position now?
Or Why does Shaw say that world of capitalism is a funny place?
Ans: ‘How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay’ is a thought-provoking essay of G.B.Shaw.
The essay is a comment on capitalism. It clearly brings out Shaw’s socialist ideology, and his
humanitarian and political agenda. It shows how the capitalist system alienates humans from
the environment.
Shaw in his essay has argued that capitalism has left us in a state of 'idiocy'. In pursuit of profit,
human values have got eroded. In order to explain his point, Shaw has used the example of
pins and woollen garments to show that the system we use has passed beyond our knowledge
and control. There was a time when a pin-maker would do everything from buying the
material to shaping it and even selling it. However now one worker does only one thing and
he lacks the skill to produce a pin. The workers were experts but the cost of the product was
high. Pins cost so much that a woman’s dress allowance was called pin money. In the same
way in the olden times from sheep shearing to making clothes everything was done by men
and women but now there is separate worker for every step of production. This according to
Shaw has turned capable men into machines who are doing the work without intelligence and
are being fed with the food of the capitalist as an engine is fed with coal and oil.
Adam Smith was proponent of capitalist trend who felt that capitalist system promoted speed
and cheap production. Shaw does not like Adam Smith's philosophy. He has argued that the
capitalist system has failed because now machines have replaced men. However, he has
praised the poet Goldsmith who had complained that Wealth accumulates and Men decay.
He has called Goldsmith a ' farsighted economist'. His essay centres on the theme of whether
wealth is more important or skill is important. Man has become slave to machines.
Shaw was not happy with the capitalist system because he believed that it produced universal
ignorance of how things were made and done whilst at the same time it caused them to be
made and done on a gigantic scale. Books according to Shaw fail to convey useful knowledge
because it is written by those who do not do the work and they get information from other
books. Capitalism has helped in the promotion of the cinema and other such modes of
entertainment because due to this capitalist system most of us are too tired of our work when
we come home. We do not want to read. We need cinema to take our minds off it and feed
our imagination. Shaw has argued that 'savage' communities are most intelligent because
they have to make everything for themselves. The proliferation of machinery has led to the

5. decline of intelligence and innovation in modern civilisation because no one remains an
expert in making things. It has promoted ignorance and helplessness. He has concluded by
saying that this capitalist system has almost left us like dangerous lunatics in this real world.

B. Answer the following questions in about 75 words.
1. Where does Shaw borrow the title of the essay from?
Ans: ‘How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay’ is a thought-provoking essay of
G.B.Shaw. The essay is a comment on capitalism. It clearly brings out Shaw’s socialist
ideology, and his humanitarian and political agenda. It shows how the capitalist
system alienates humans from the environment.
This essay has been taken from “The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and
Capitalism.” The title of the essay has been taken from the famous economist Adam
Smith. Even the man who has more money than his needs is restless. He is money-
holic who makes a game out of getting richer, turning everything into gold like Midas.
Making money is the supreme end of itself.


2. Why does Shaw call Goldsmith a ‘farsighted economist’?
Why is Shaw not happy with the capitalist system?
Ans: ‘How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay’ is a thought-provoking essay of
G.B.Shaw. The essay is a comment on capitalism. It clearly brings out Shaw’s socialist
ideology, and his humanitarian and political agenda. It shows how the capitalist
system alienates humans from the environment.
Shaw in his essay has argued that capitalism has left us in a state of 'idiocy'. In pursuit
of profit, human values have got eroded. In order to explain his point, Shaw has used
the example of pins and woollen garments to show that the system we use has passed
beyond our knowledge and control. There was a time when a pin-maker would do
everything from buying the material to shaping it and even selling it. However now
one worker does only one thing and he lacks the skill to produce a pin. The workers
were experts but the cost of the product was high. Pins cost so much that a woman’s
dress allowance was called pin money. In the same way in the olden times from sheep
shearing to making clothes everything was done by men and women but now there is
separate worker for every step of production. This according to Shaw has turned
capable men into machines who are doing the work without intelligence and are being
fed with the food of the capitalist as an engine is fed with coal and oil.
Adam Smith was proponent of capitalist trend who felt that capitalist system
promoted speed and cheap production. Shaw does not like Adam Smith's philosophy.
He has argued that the capitalist system has failed because now machines have
replaced men. However, he has praised the poet Goldsmith who had complained that

6. Wealth accumulates and Men decay. He has called Goldsmith a ' farsighted
economist'. His essay centres on the theme of whether wealth is more important or
skill is important. Man has become slave to machines.
3. What is the origin of the world ‘Spinster’?
Ans.: ‘How Wealth Accumulates and Men Decay’ is a thought-provoking essay of G.B.Shaw.
The essay is a comment on capitalism. It clearly brings out Shaw’s socialist ideology, and his
humanitarian and political agenda. It shows how the capitalist system alienates humans from
the environment.
Shaw in his essay has argued that capitalism has left us in a state of 'idiocy'. In pursuit of profit,
human values have got eroded. In order to explain his point, Shaw has used the example of
pins and woollen garments to show that the system we use has passed beyond our knowledge
and control. There was a time when a pin-maker would do everything from buying the
material to shaping it and even selling it. However now one worker does only one thing and
he lacks the skill to produce a pin. The workers were experts but the cost of the product was
high. Pins cost so much that a woman’s dress allowance was called pin money. In the same
way in the olden times from sheep shearing to making clothes everything was done by men
and women, especially the women. So the unmarried women were called a Spinster. In the
Middle English period spinster means the women who spins. The term was used to denote
their occupations. But now there is separate worker for every step of production. This
according to Shaw has turned capable men into machines who are doing the work without
intelligence and are being fed with the food of the capitalist as an engine is fed with coal and
oil.
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