Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 1, No. 7 April 27, 1938
Socialism & Progress
Socialism & Progress
Progress, they say, can be measured only in terms of human happiness. Accepting this we are confronted by the problem as to what determines happiness. Character determines the happiness of the individual, and character is tested by hardship and misery. The socialist attacks the social evils of to-day which cause misery and hardship, and advocates Socialism as the remedy. Now surely it is evident that the evils of Capitalism would endure under Socialism: human nature cannot be changed by the introduction of a new economic order, Envy, greed, hate, distrust, wrong ambition, the curse of human society as it is, would not disappear: corruption would be rife, public moneys misused, complete efficiency in the management of the country's affairs as far off as ever.
The weakness of the Capitalistic system lies in the weakness of human nature. In short, the fault lies not in the system, but in its abuses. If under Capitalism we cannot control those abuses, we could not under Socialism, But we can try to remedy those faults, a course of action that has never seemed to enter the heads of those amongst us who, in the fervour of their youth, blindly advocate a complete revolution in our social and economic system.—Sanitas.