realize his individuality, and in realizing his individuality he is coming to occupy a special niche in the national structure.  A national structure which encourages individuality as opposed to mere particularity is one which creates innumerable special niches, adapted to all degrees and kinds of individual development.  The individual becomes a nation in miniature, but devoted to the loyal realization of a purpose peculiar to himself.  The nation becomes an enlarged individual whose special purpose is that of human amelioration, and in whose life every individual should find some particular but essential function.

It surely cannot be seriously claimed that the improvement of the existing economic organization for the sake of contributing to the increase of such genuine individuals is impossible.  If genuine individuality depends upon the pursuit of an exclusive interest, promoted most certainly and completely by a disinterested motive, it must be encouraged by enabling men so far as possible to work from disinterested motives.  Doubtless this is a difficult, but it is not an impossible task.  It cannot be completely achieved until the whole basis of economic competition is changed.  At present men compete chiefly for the purpose of securing the most money to spend or to accumulate.  They must in the end compete chiefly for the purpose of excelling in the quality of their work that of other men engaged in a similar occupation.  And there are assuredly certain ways in which the state can diminish the undesirable competition and encourage the desirable competition.

The several economic reforms suggested in the preceding chapter would, so far as they could be successfully introduced, promote more disinterested economic work.  These reforms would not, of course, entirely do away with the influence of selfish acquisitive motives in the economic field, because such motives must remain powerful as long as private property continues to have a public economic function.  But they would at least diminish the number of cases in which the influence of the mercenary motive made against rather than for excellence of work.  The system which most encourages mere cupidity is one which affords too many opportunities for making “easy money,” and our American system has, of course, been peculiarly prolific of such opportunities.  As long as individuals are allowed to accumulate money from mines, urban real estate, municipal franchises, or semi-monopolies of any kind, just to that extent will the economic system of the country be poisoned, and its general efficiency impaired.  Men will inevitably seek to make money in the easiest possible way, and as long as such easy ways exist fewer individuals will accept cordially the necessity of earning their living by the sheer excellence of achievement.  On the other hand, in case such opportunities of making money without earning it can be eliminated, there will be a much closer correspondence than there is at present between