(1.i.9) The repetition, upon which the greatest celerity depends, must be frequent. It is nottherefore compatible with a great number of different operations. The man, who would performone, or a few, operations, with the greatest possible rapidity, must confine himself to one or afew. Of the operations, therefore, conducive to the production of the commodities desired byman, if any one confines himself to a small number, he will perform them with much morerapidity, than if he employed himself in a greater; and not only with more rapidity, but, what isoften of the highest consequence, with greater correctness and precision.
(1.i.10) A certain immense aggregate of operations, is subservient to the production of thecommodities useful and agreeable to man. It is of the highest importance that this aggregateshould be divided into portions, consisting, each, of as small a number of operations as possible,in order that every operation may be the more quickly and perfectly, performed. If each mancould, by the more frequent repetition thus occasioned, perform two of these operations, insteadof one, and also perform each of them better, the powers of the community, in producing articlesuseful and agreeable to them, would, upon this supposition, be more than doubled. Not onlywould they be doubled in quantity, but a great advantage would be gained in point of quality.
(1.i.11) This subject has been fully illustrated by Dr. Smith, in the first chapter of the firstbook of the "Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," where the extraordinaryeffect of the division of labour in increasing its productive powers, in the more complicatedcases, is displayed in some very remarkable instances. He states that a boy, who has beenaccustomed to make nothing but nails, can make-upwards of two thousand three hundred in aday; while a common blacksmith, whose operations are nevertheless so much akin to those ofthe nailer, cannot make above three hundred, and those very bad ones.
(1.i.12) Even in the simplest state of labour, it cannot be doubted, that, if one man shouldconfine himself to the operation of climbing trees for their fruit, another to the operations ofensnaring and killing animals, they would acquire a dexterity, the one in climbing trees, theother in procuring animals, greater than they would have acquired, had each occasionallyperformed both operations; and that they would by such means obtain a greater abundance, bothof fruit, and of game.
(1.i.13) So obvious is this advantage, that some remarkable cases of the division of labourare exemplified, in the earliest stages of the arts. The hands which spin the thread, and the handswhich weave it into cloth, were different, in every country, perhaps, in which we have anymemorial of the early state of the art. The man who tans the hide, and the man who makes it intoshoes; the man who works in iron, and the man who works in wood, were all separated at anearly period, and had divisions of labour appropriated to them.
(1.i.14) If the immense aggregate of the operations which are subservient to the complicatedaccommodations, required in an artificial and opulent state of society, were to be divided, undercircumstances the best calculated for breaking it down into those small groupes of operations,which afford the greatest aid to the productive powers of labour, the most perfect philosophicalanalysis of the subject would be the first operation to be performed; the next would be anequally perfect philosophical synthesis.
(1.i.15) In order to know what is to be done with a vast aggregate of materials, existing informs, ill adopted to the ends which are to be obtained, it is necessary to contemplate the aggregate inits elements; to resolve it into those elements; and carefully and comprehensively to pass themunder review. This is the analytical operation.
(1.i.16) When we have the full knowledge of the elements, which we are to combine, asmeans, towards our ends, and when we have an equally perfect knowledge of the ends, it then remainsthat we proceed to form those combinations, by which the ends will be most advantageouslyproduced. This is the synthetical operation.
(1.i.17) It is well known, that neither of these operations has as yet been performed, in orderto obtain the best division and distribution of labour. It is equally certain, that this division is still ina most imperfect state. As far as it has been performed, it has been performed practically, as theycall it; that is, in a great degree, accidentally; as the fortuitous discoveries of individuals,engaged in particular branches, enabled them to perceive that in these branches a particularadvantage was to be gained. Such improvements have almost always been founded on some verynarrow view; an analysis and synthesis, certainly; but including a small number of elements, andthese but imperfectly understood. Improvements, founded upon narrow views, are almost alwaysequally confined in their application. There is no generalization. An improvement, introducedinto one machine, or one manufacture, is often long before it is introduced into another, where itwould be equally important. And one improvement is still more slow in suggesting another,which is akin to it; because a narrow view discovers no relations, between the things which itembraces, and the things which it excludes.
Section II. Capital (1.ii.1) We have already observed, that labour performs its operations, either simply, by theunaided powers of the human body; or, with the use of instruments, which augment not only thequantity, but often also the accuracy and precision of its results.
