Functional socialism

FUNCTION 55

fruit of function, the best way is to establish some kind of technocracy—industrial government by technicians. On reflection, we discover that technical knowledge, skill or experience is by no means confined to the intelligentsia. On the contrary, skill, invention, ingenuity, knowledge and experience are widely diffused throughout the whole working population. The theorists of Great George Street are helpless without expert craftsmanship in the shops. The same truth applies to scientific research. If you doubt it, inquire at the National Physical Laboratory. Moreover, we cannot appraise functional standing in terms of percentage or degrees. Functional skill, yesterday valueless, is found invaluable to-day.

Since we cannot with equity grade our functional workers, except for efficiency and convenience, plainly we must proceed on lines of equality. For special work perhaps special consideration; but, fundamentally, equality. In short, economic democracy. We suffer to-day from a wrong conception of democracy. We assume that it has proved a failure in politics, and therefore is fast becoming obsolete. In reality, however, the failure of democracy in politics—so far as it is demonstrably a failure—can be traced to the intrusion of economic problems into the alien sphere of politics, thereby creating mutual impotence. The solution is found, notin the negation of democracy, but in its wise extension into our economic life. Not less, but more; the cure for democracy is more democracy. It grew out of