DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42346#0041
COMPETITION IS WAR
29
being a monopoly,1 and beyond the reach of competition, yet
no independent steel man would assert for a moment that
the Corporation is indifferent to new methods and processes
—in the scientific application of recent discoveries it is a
pioneer, its experiments are being watched with interest.
It takes capital, strength, courage to try new inventions,
new methods, and competition exhausts a man’s capital and
saps his courage.
While the old competition accomplishes none of the
good results attributed to it, the cooperation at the basis of
the new does.
3. Competition does not educate the community in
“rational egoism,” but, on the contrary, develops an irra-
tional and belligerent individualism—ending in artificial
combinations and consolidations.
It does not teach that the basis of industrial success is
the giving as much as possible, but, on the contrary, the
fundamental proposition of competition is to give as little
and get as much as possible. Competition is the most pow-
erful incentive to selfishness known to man—it is selfish-
ness.
“Rational egoism,” altruism, unselfishness, generosity,
have their foundation in cooperation.
Cooperation is essentially constructive; competition de-
structive.
Even war is a conflict between forces, the strength of
each of which depends upon the degree of cooperation—of
unity—attained, and it is easily discernible from the most
casual survey of history that whatever of good comes out
of war depends upon the extent to which the successful
side is more closely knit together by the force of the con-
flict.
1 As a matter of fact, the two companies referred to were “monopo-
lies” only in the sense that they dominated their respective industries;
aside from patent, natural, and public-service monopolies few real
monopolies exist in this country.
29
being a monopoly,1 and beyond the reach of competition, yet
no independent steel man would assert for a moment that
the Corporation is indifferent to new methods and processes
—in the scientific application of recent discoveries it is a
pioneer, its experiments are being watched with interest.
It takes capital, strength, courage to try new inventions,
new methods, and competition exhausts a man’s capital and
saps his courage.
While the old competition accomplishes none of the
good results attributed to it, the cooperation at the basis of
the new does.
3. Competition does not educate the community in
“rational egoism,” but, on the contrary, develops an irra-
tional and belligerent individualism—ending in artificial
combinations and consolidations.
It does not teach that the basis of industrial success is
the giving as much as possible, but, on the contrary, the
fundamental proposition of competition is to give as little
and get as much as possible. Competition is the most pow-
erful incentive to selfishness known to man—it is selfish-
ness.
“Rational egoism,” altruism, unselfishness, generosity,
have their foundation in cooperation.
Cooperation is essentially constructive; competition de-
structive.
Even war is a conflict between forces, the strength of
each of which depends upon the degree of cooperation—of
unity—attained, and it is easily discernible from the most
casual survey of history that whatever of good comes out
of war depends upon the extent to which the successful
side is more closely knit together by the force of the con-
flict.
1 As a matter of fact, the two companies referred to were “monopo-
lies” only in the sense that they dominated their respective industries;
aside from patent, natural, and public-service monopolies few real
monopolies exist in this country.