Immediately Gratifying Labor and  Mediately Gratifying Labor

“As a rule  labor gratifies the performer  only mediately, . . .”   “ The worker gives up leisure  and submits to the disutility of  labor  in order to enjoy  either the product  or  what other people  are ready to give him for it.”      “ But  there are instances  in which the performance of  labor  gratifies the worker immediately.  He derives immediate satisfaction  from the expenditure of  labor.  The yield  is twofold.  It consists  on  the one hand  in the attainment of  the product  and  on the other hand  in the satisfaction  that  the performance itself  gives  to the worker. People have misinterpreted this fact  grotesquely  and have based  on this misinterpretation  fantastic plans  for social reforms.  One of  the main dogmas of  socialism  is that  labor has disutility  only  within the capitalistic system  of  production,  while  under socialism  it will be  pure delight.” Some of  the foremost champions of  Marxian  ‘scientific’ socialism:  “ Frederick Engels  and Karl Kautsky,  expressly declare that  a  chief effect of  a socialist regime  will be  to transform labor  from  a pain  into  a  pleasure.” “ Paddling  a  canoe  as  it is practiced on Sundays  for amusement  on the lakes of  public parks  can  only  from the point of  view  of  hydromechanics  be likened to  the rowing of  boatsmen  and galley slaves.  When judged  as a means  for the attainment of  ends  it is as different  as  is  the humming of  an aria  by a rambler  from  the recital of  the same aria  by the singer  in the opera.  The carefree  Sunday paddler  and the singing rambler  derive immediate gratification  from their activities,  but  not  mediate gratification.  What they do  is therefore  not labor, . . .  It is  merely  pleasure.  It is  an end in itself;  it is done  for  its own sake  and does not  render  any further service.  As  it is not  labor,  it is not permissible  to call it  immediately gratifying labor.” “ Sometimes  a superficial observer  may believe that labor  performed by other people  gives rise to immediate gratification  because  he himself would like to engage in  a kind of  play  which  apparently  imitates the kind of  labor  concerned.  As  children play school,  soldiers,  and railroad,  so  adults too  would like to play  this and that.  They think that the railroad engineer  must enjoy  operating and steering his engine  as much as they would  if they were permitted to  toy  with it.  On his hurried way to the office  the bookkeeper  envies the patrolman who,  he thinks,  is paid for  leisurely strolling around his beat.  But  the patrolman envies the bookkeeper who,  sitting on  a comfortable chair in  a well-heated room,  makes money  by  some scribbling  which  cannot seriously  be  called labor.”      Immediately— Mediately Gratifying Labor. The Chimera of  Nonmarket Prices      “ Prices  are a market phenomenon.  They are generated by the market processes  and  are the pith of  the market economy.  There is  no such thing  as  prices  outside the market.  Prices  cannot be constructed  synthetically,  as it were.” “ Such  fantastic designs  are  no more sensible  than  whimsical speculations  about  what the course of history  would have been  if  Napoleon  had been killed  in the battle of  Arcole  or  if  Lincoln  had  ordered  Major Anderson  to  withdraw  from  Fort Sumter.”      “ Economics  analyzes the market process  which generates  commodity prices,  wage rates,  and interest rates.  It  does not  develop formulas  which  would enable  anybody  to compute  a  correct price  different  from that  established  on the market  by  the interaction of  buyers and sellers.”      The Chimera of  Nonmarket Prices.      Units  of  Exchange:  “ There are things  which  cannot  at all  be evaluated in money.” “ What  touches  a man’s heart  only  and  does not induce other people  to make sacrifices  for  its attainment  remains outside the pale  of  economic calculation.” “ It is nonsensical  to  evaluate  in money  objects  which  are not  negotiated  on the market.” Mom’s Market-Value. Labor of Love          Joy of  Labor! HUMAN ACTION   by  Ludwig von Mises: MISES.Org