The Battle for Democracy
by [Columbia University Press, $3.00]
MR. TUGWELL has in the past shown himself a competent economist — but only when he has limited himself to quite specific problems and resisted the lure of generalization. Unfortunately for his reputation, that temptation has repeatedly been too much for him. Too often he appears as the typical ‘young man in a hurry.’ His dangerous fluency, and obvious pleasure, in writing and speaking, combined with a buoyant and optimistic disposition, render him averse to the slow processes of sustained thought and careful definition; so that in most of his recent work he does himself less than justice. He manages, a good deal of the time, to convey the impression that he does not know what he is talking about; not because he really does not know, but because he scorns the task of defining his basic concepts, either for himself or for the reader.
For instance, Mr. Tugwell has been writing and talking for years about an ‘experimental economics’ without apparently ever having stopped to consider the true nature of experiment or its precise rôle in the pursuit of knowledge. The result is that he uses the term to cover a good deal of mere hit-or-miss speculation — and, unfortunately, hit-or-miss policy also. He advised students, a few years ago, to avoid any work calling itself ‘Principles of Economics’ and anything published before about 1925. He appears to have followed his own advice to a point at which the resulting set of ideas is both unhistorical and, in the literal sense, unprincipled.
He makes classical economics, laissez faire, and free competition synonymous, disregarding the constant changes in the content of all three concepts; and blandly informs us that ‘it is quite impossible to predict the shape our newly invented economic institutions may take in the future. That seems to me, in any case, unimportant.’ Here as elsewhere, light-hearted ness verges on irresponsibility; and some of the suggestions casually made in regard, for example, to monetary policy are certainly not likely to promote confidence in the sagacity of the New Dealers.
On such specific issues as the codes and the problems of land utilization Mr. Tugwell shows himself sensible and moderately realistic; it is the more to be regretted that he has apparently no time for second thoughts on matters of general policy. Throughout, these pages breathes a refreshing air of courage, hope, and confidence. There is evident a passion for social justice, and a fervent belief in the possibility of a more equitable economic order. These are valuable assets. But their realization demands a deeper understanding of the past and a more careful estimate of the present than Mr. Tugwell here displays. He has long been an advocate of ‘planning.’ Perhaps he will apply the idea to his next book.
WILLIAM ORTON