My Thoughts

My conclusion of The Human Drift is that while it was a noble and daring idea, even if Gillette was somehow able to even start on the project, it would have never came to pass. Such a large project would have required a vast work force and would have taken years to construct. One of the main reasons why it would have failed is because it was such a radical idea that even though it might have worked, people would not have wanted to take the risk. As we have studied, society at large is resistant to change. Such a tremendous change such as this would not have made too many people happy. I happen to feel that happiness in society will not come from a utopian society because there will not even be happiness within a utopian society itself. Humans are inherently selfish, prideful, and jealous beings. This can be observed from the time we are young and all through our lives. The system of capitalism is not something that needs to be replaced with a utopian society. What need to change are the individuals that make up the system itself. While capitalism is based on these imperfections, it is this area that needs improving as well. Smith said in essence that capitalism is the selfish pursuit of capital goods that will lead to the betterment of mankind. The selfishness is the problem of the system. Instead of changing the system or creating new ones, we need to examine the old and fix what we can in it. New ideas have emerged in recent decades including those of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes proposes the only way to fix capitalism is to turn it over to the government and allow the government to control all aspects of the economic sector. I personally do not feel that it is the government’s responsibility to take care of anyone except for those who cannot help themselves due to circumstances beyond that person’s control. I feel that people have a right to fail and that no one should receive a bailout from any government body. While the current system is extremely flawed and corrupt, no system will be perfect. As I had mentioned earlier, because humanity is imperfect, all systems of humanity will be imperfect including capitalism. It can only get better when we get better and start to see after the betterment of others before we begin to care about ourselves. Material wealth will fade. It is often said that he who dies with the most toys still dies. I firmly believe that the only way for mankind to find that satisfaction is to find it in Jesus Christ. He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Rest. Satisfaction. After we find that, our service to others will change the course of history as we know it. We do not need to trade our current system for another. We simply need to fine tune what we have in order to see the true betterment of all people.

Metropolis: The New Civilization


Metropolis. Gillette’s City on a Hill. This idea of a single, living unit is common in utopian ideas. Gillette’s plan for Metropolis was to have a giant city on every continent, or if possible, just one in the world. Metropolis itself would serve as the great city were all the population lived. Out-lying communities would be for those who are in the labor force in that area and those vacationing. As for the grounds to build this mammoth city, Gillette chose a spot near Niagara Falls. The falls would serve as a massive power supply for the city and it would be easy to transport materials to and from the location where it was being built. By utilizing the falls as a power source, the city would save nearly 1,500,000,000 dollars in coal usage. Gillette states that it was estimated that 6,000,000 horse-power flowing over the falls. This power channeled through a series of pipes could channel as much as 10,000,000 horse-power. This energy solution is a very “green” solution for this time period when it seems that few people were environmentally minded. The idea of a mega city to house the population of a nation or, as Gillette proposed, the entire world would be a massive undertaking to say the least. I personally do not feel that it would be possible to accomplish such a task. Nonetheless, the idea of unity in such a large community is not neglected. Gillette’s views and ideas of unity and equality would be accomplished in the city by having building, each with apartments that are exactly the same in every way, but would be elaborately designed on “a scale of magnificence such as no civilization has ever known,” as Gillette stated. While most utopian communities seek to return to a simplistic way of life, Gillette sought to build a city fit for a king. While his utopian ideas are in sync with the majority of other utopian ideas, Gillette does not see a need to abandon the finer luxuries of life to live in harmony and equality.

The United Company

The heartbeat of Gillette’s reform movement is the creation of the United Company. According to Gillette, this stock company would be organized “‘by the people, for the people,’ for the purpose of entering the field of competition in producing, manufacturing, and distributing the necessities of life at cost.” This organization is essential the controlling force of Gillette’s utopian community. The idea of a company ruling the people seems to go against what Gillette is advocating. However, there are some differences with the United Company. For one, the company would be controlled by and made up of the population. Because mankind will have united intelligence, the problems of organizing and controlling such a large stock company will be gone. Also, the company will only produce what it needs to in order for the inhabitants to survive. Gillette states that: “The necessities of life are food, clothing, and habitation.” Nothing else matters. Because there is no material wealth, there is no need to pursue it by making more and more of “stuff.” One of the essential components of the current market system is the law of supply and demand. This law explains how and why the market works the way it does. If supply is up while demand is down, then the price of the item falls, the opposite is true as well. With the United Company only making what is necessary, the market system run by supply and demand will vanish in a sense. As individuals within Gillette’s society have need, obviously there is a demand for something, but the competition and fluctuating prices will no longer be a product of the system. I find it interesting that Gillette, a businessman, a man who made much profit from the capitalist system was completely against it. As he noted in the preface, he saw everything going on around him and knew that only reform would change things. It is also interesting to note that while most utopian societies are free of governing bodies, Gillette saw a need for one; this is the fundamental reason for starting the United Company. He proposed that the Company be managed by a board of one hundred and twenty five directors who would be elected by the stockholders. These stockholders are those who bought stock in the Company, i.e. the members of the society. These directors have complete control over the Company. Gillette felt that these men should be professional businessmen of integrity, honor, and financial ability. A business man himself, Gillette felt that the only people who know how to run an organization and society as a whole are those who are among the business elite. It is interesting that while Gillette wants equality in all aspects, as well as united education, in assigning the roles of directors only to those who are among the elite, he seems to acknowledge that there should be a hierarchical order in society, with the elite (directors) and those below (stockholders). To me, this contradicts the whole idea of a utopian society founded on equality. However, this may show that while society in general is crumbling, Gillette feels that some aspects are good and even necessary for society to function, i.e. government and a stratified society. Gillette’s views show that he favors a more socialistic utopia controlled by the Company. This Marxist view is based on the idea of capitalism being a mode of production, with the next step in its evolution being socialism. While most utopias are communistic in nature, Gillette feels socialism is the better route to take.

The Human Drift

Like a ship without a captain or a plane without a pilot, mankind is wondering aimlessly throughout life. We are all enslaved to the capitalist system in Gillette’s eyes. He states that “under our present system the wealthy are just as much slaves to circumstances as the poorest beggars.” No one can escape this reality. We are all bound to the same end due to the current system and all the negative aspects of it. We are forced to Gillette compares this wandering to ships lost at sea. In his book he includes a drawing of the human drift. In the “Sea of Competition for Material Wealth,” there are many ships wandering aimlessly about fueled by “Selfishness.” Along the banks of the sea, fighting, antagonism, chaos, injustice, poverty, and crime run rampant. However, through the “Channel of Adversity” lies the “Sea of Progress.” Those who are brave enough to go through the Channel will find the freedom from wandering. Here the ships are powered by united intelligence, and where “individuals embark on the craft where inclination leads him and combines his intelligence with others to urge the ship forward.” It is on the banks of the “Sea of Progress” where material equality, combined intelligence, justice, order, virtue, and happiness flourish. In his example, Gillette illustrates the current capitalist system as the “Sea of Competition for Material Wealth.” By stating that the ships in this sea are powered by selfishness, he shows that the selfish engine that steers these ships is not the correct way to go. He asks the question: “Do ambition and progress depend on competition between individuals for material wealth?” To this, Gillette responds, “I do not believe they do.” Because the essential idea behind capitalism is the selfish pursuit of capital, the end of this selfish pursuit would result in the end of capitalism. Gillette feels that selfishness is the cause of the problems of humankind. As most utopians, Gillette advocates unity and reform. With this view in mind, his reforms consist of the end of selfish competition and thereby the end of the capitalist system itself. Only when individuals are willing to venture out and change, will they experience the progress that comes through intelligence and equality. In theory, Gillette’s idea seems to work. When you eliminate the selfish pursuit of material wealth through competition and work towards a goal by means of equality for each individual, there is progress. Gillette feels that those who believe progress lies within the competitive system are mislead. He writes that “the assertion can be made, and logically maintained, that the great incentive to progress lies in the inherent progressiveness of the mind.” If it is possible to harness and direct this progressiveness, Gillette argues that we will then experience real progress. He establishes his case by saying: “The germ of this ambition to acquire knowledge and progress is in every mind, but in most instances in the latent state, on account of the unfavorable condition of environment.” Because our minds are so asleep to the reality around us, it is as if we are drifting in the world with no clear direction.

The Idea

In 1894, King Camp Gillette, an American businessman and the inventor of the safety razor published a book entitled The Human Drift. In this work, Gillette laid out a plan for a Utopian society called Metropolis and how the current capitalist system needed to be changed in order for peace and prosperity to flourish. His immense city would be built near Niagara Falls and be powered by the water of the falls. The preface of the book establishes Gillette’s reasoning for proposing Metropolis and the defense of his beliefs. America, as he saw it, was at a crossroads. He says, “All governments have fallen because of the insecure foundation on which they were built; and this government is travelling the same road, to the same end.” Gillette saw the world around him and felt that it was heading for a downfall. At this point, America had been out of the Long Depression for over a decade. This depression wrought havoc on the economies of the world and lasted for six years. Gillette had also witnessed the cruel and unfair working conditions that the majority of American workers had to endure and the overall depressing and deterioration of society as a whole because of the capitalist system. He felt the problems of society had resulted from the current system of production and distribution and the competitive attitudes of humans. In fact, Gillette states that he disagrees with the idea that “competition is the life trade.” I can see why he would oppose the current system of competition and the production and distribution of material goods. It seems that this system only breeds greed on the part of those who are able to attain the available wealth. This competition for wealth causes the exploitation of individuals in order to feed the greed of wealthy. Gillette views society through the same scope that Karl Marx does. The capitalist system results when individuals are used for the gain of the “elite.” He saw the capitalist system as a mode of production as did Marx, and this system was one that was imperfect. Gillette’s solution for the current system is reform. He states that, “This pathway… will give birth to hope in the mind of every individual, of a future free from poverty, misery, and crime.” Part of this reform consists of the equal distribution of material goods. Along with this reform is his proposal that the new social system will be controlled by “a united stock company by the people of sufficient magnitude to gradually absorb and finally control production and distribution.” In his system of “united intelligence and material equality,” the production and distribution would run smoothly and perfectly. Gillette’s preface is a proclamation of the truth of the imperfections of the current, capitalist system, and an appeal that readers consider his theories.

Source:

Gillette, King Camp. The Human Drift. Boston: New Era Publishing Co., 1894.