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AnnaAntonowicz
notenoughtomakeapin,oranail,butexhaustsitselfinmakingthepoint
ofapinortheheadofanail.”51Ruskinurgedrigorousrestrictionoftheuse
ofmachineryandaboycottoftheproductsofthenewindustrialorder,as
heobjectedtotheirperfectfinishandwhathebelievedwastheinhuman
disciplinerequiredtoachieveit.“Youmusteithermakeatoolofthecreature
oramanofhim,”Ruskinclaimed,“tobecountedofintoaheapofmecha-
nism,numberedwithitswheelsandweighedwithitshammerstrokes–this
naturebadenot–thisGodblessesnot–thishumanityfornolongtimeis
abletoendure.”52Ruskindenouncedseverelysuch“degradationofworkman,”
andaskedthatBritainsacrificedthe“convenience”and“cheapness”ofthe
factorysystem,andinsteaddesired“theproductsofhealthyandennobling
labour,”asfoundinhandicraftindustry.53Ruskinwarnedpeoplenottofall
fortheappealofperfection,statingthatsuch“perfectnesses”shouldbetaken
assignsofslavery“athousandtimesmorebitterandmoredegradingthan
thatofscourgedAfrica.”54
GreatBritain,thefirstWesternterritorytobecomeindustrialised,owed
herwealthandpowerinthenineteenthcenturytohermachinery.Thema-
chine-madeproduct–smooth,perfect,ubiquitous–isacommonplaceto
us,buttonewlyindustrialisedVictorianBritainitwassomethingofamira-
cle.ThesteamengineandthefactorysystemrevolutionisedBritishsociety,
bringinggrievousproblems,butalsobringingmuchgood,sincemachinery
producedanamazingabundance,loweringcostsandprovidingconsumers
witharticlesthathandicraftproductionhadneverputwithintheirreach.Yet,
Ruskincouldregardthemachineonlyasadiabolicalagent,producingfilth,
soot,dirtandnoisomeodours,withaconsequentdebilitationanddegrada-
tionofman.Hisindignationatthe“crueltiesattheEnglishsweatshops”or
theuglinessof“thedarkSatanicmills”55ledhimtoseeinthemachinethe
instrumentalityofthedestructionofhumanvaluesresultingintheworldand
humanpractices(scientific,artistic,social)truncatedfrommoralevaluations
andbecomingincreasinglypositivisticandnarrowlyutilitarian.Ruskinwas
indeedafountainheadofarticulateanti-industrialandanti-positivistattitudes.
Hebelievedthatabstractgeometricartjoinedwithmassproductionandthe
machine-basedpositivistorientationofculturewouldresultinviolentemo-
tionsandturbulence,inaworlddistortedoutofallrecognitionandfullof
peoplewithtrivialinterests,committedto“patheticfallacy”and“morbid
sensibilities.”56
51Ruskin,StonesofVenice,p.196.
52Ruskin,TheNatureoftheGothic,vol.1ofTheWorksofJohnRuskin,p.87.
53Ruskin,StonesofVenice,p.197.
54Ruskin,NatureoftheGothic,p.87.
55Ruskin,StonesofVenice,p.194.
56Ruskin,StonesofVenice,p.195.
