Of Victor Hugo, and today field of political thought, we holds the man who ignited for great causes, denouncing social injustice and who was the spokesman of the oppressed and the poor of the 19th century that his major work, Les Miserables, put on the front of the stage as leading roles.
But do you know Victor Hugo specialist in economic theory? As surprising as it may be, in this same book that is Les Miserables, we demonstrated in a few lines # a good sense for the economy that few socialists today. Jean Val Jean, the convict, the very symbol of the victim's system, under a false identity, that of M. Madeleine, gave up the economy of the region of Montreuil-sur-Mer.
As an innovation in imitation of the English jet beads and black of Germany (I have no idea what it is) it would " prodigiously reduced prices raw material, which had led, first, to raise the price of labor, benefit to the country and secondly, to improve the manufacturing advantage Consumer and thirdly, to sell more cheaply while trebling the profit, profit for the manufacturer . Here is an admirable analysis of the benefits of innovation in industry, reducing production costs, which in some cases increases wages, lowers the price of the goods and increasing profits. This clarity in the explanation reminds us of Bastia.
Then he adds that " the author of this process had become rich, which is good, and had done everything around him rich, which is better . What a surprise, he rehabilitates the concept in a few lines so reviled profit. This is not a zero sum game where gains of some are at the expense of others, however, profit is divided between the contractor, its employees and customers, everyone wins. It returns to this creed as how the research of personal interest in trade, is combined with that of research interest. Even better, a little further, he explains that John Valjean has a "thin capital " who " serving a ingenious idea [..] had drawn his own fortune and wealth of all countries . Nothing is forgotten. The operation of an idea can not be done without an initial capital, that is to say a sum of money we saved. Basically, this is a restatement of the principle of the capitalist entrepreneur, the only engine of prosperity. The two concepts are inseparable. We need a starting capital and the idea to make fruit. But where will we do if Victor Hugo is the teacher of capitalism?
It keeps coming back on the benefits that the industry has made Jean Valjean in the region where " unemployment and misery" are now "unknown " whereas before his arrival " while languishing in the country .
Another remarkable detail in the description of this process is that this wealth creation is not the result of impersonal forces and mechanical springs from nowhere and can be parameterized by a State Almighty, which the author brings to light the flaws often repeated in his work, but one of action and the willingness of an individual in its own right. Moreover, when Jean Valjean, aka Dr. Madeleine is unmasked by Javert and must flee " prosperity of Montreuil-sur-mer disappeared.
Obviously Victor Hugo was not a liberal school that he considers "very respectable # but he did not share all the views. Its position is that it expressed later in the work, that would be of a Blairite where entrepreneurship has run its course for wealth creation but part of which must be redistributed to the needy. The utopia of the third way. However, in some lines, he demonstrated his exceptional acuity in economic theory, or simply common sense that few writers and intellectuals (and no union) of our time seem to have in their minds.
