Page:Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, A - Karl Marx.djvu/159

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issued by the state.^[1] Ancient writers who could observe the phenomena of exclusively metallic circulation, already took the view of coin as a symbol or token of value. That is true both of Plato^[2] and Aristotle.^[3] In countries where credit is not developed,

↑ Henry Storch, "Cours d'Economic Politique," etc., avec des notes par J. B Say. Paris, 1823, tom. IV., p. 179. Storch published his work in French at St. Petersburg. J. B. Say immediately issued a Parisian reprint, supplemented with alleged "notes," which as a matter of fact contain nothing but commonplaces. Storch (see his "Considerations sur la Nature du Revenue National," Paris, 1824) took by no means kindly to this annexation of his work by the "prince de la science."
↑ Plato de Rep. L. II "νόμισμα ξύμβολον τῆς ἀλλαγῆς" ("Money symbol of exchange.") Opera omnia, etc., ed. G. Stallbumius, London, 1850, p. 304. Plato develops money only in two capacities—as a measure of value and a token of value, but demands, in addition to the token of value serving for home circulation, another one for trade between Greece and foreign countries. (See also Book V of his Laws.)
↑ Aristotle, Ethic. Nicom, l. 5., ch. 8, l. c: "οἷον δ᾽ ὑπάλλαγμα τῆς χρείας τὸ νόμισμα γέγονε κατὰ συνθήκην. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοὔνομα ἔχει νόμισμα. ὅτι οὐ φύσει ἀλλὰ νόμῳ ἐστί, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν μεταβαλεῖν καὶ ποιῆσαι ἄχρηστον" ("In the satisfaction of wants money became the medium of exchange by agreement. And for that reason it bears the name νόμισμα, because it owes its existence, not to nature, but to law (νόμῳ), and ti is in our power to change it and make it void.") Aristotle had a far more comprehensive and deep view of money than Plato. In the following passage he beautifully shows how barter between different communities creates the necessity of assigning the character of money to a specific commodity, i. e., one which has itself an intrinsic value. "Ξενικωτέρας γὰρ γενομένης τῆς βοηθείας τῷ εἰσάγεσθαι ὧν ἐνδεεῖς καὶ ἐκπέμπειν ὧν ἐπλεόναζον, ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ τοῦ νομίσματος ἐπορίσθη χρῆσις. διὸ πρὸς τὰς ἀλλαγὰς τοιοῦτόν τι συνέθεντο πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διδόναι καὶ λαμβάνειν, ὃ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτὸ ὂν εἶχε τὴν χρείαν εὐμεταχείριστον... οἷον σίδηρος καὶ ἄργυρος κἂν εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ἕτερον" (Arist. De Republica, l. I, c. 9, [secs. 7, 8] l. c.)

[1] Henry Storch, "Cours d'Economic Politique," etc., avec des notes par J. B Say. Paris, 1823, tom. IV., p. 179. Storch published his work in French at St. Petersburg. J. B. Say immediately issued a Parisian reprint, supplemented with alleged "notes," which as a matter of fact contain nothing but commonplaces. Storch (see his "Considerations sur la Nature du Revenue National," Paris, 1824) took by no means kindly to this annexation of his work by the "prince de la science."

[2] Plato de Rep. L. II "νόμισμα ξύμβολον τῆς ἀλλαγῆς" ("Money symbol of exchange.") Opera omnia, etc., ed. G. Stallbumius, London, 1850, p. 304. Plato develops money only in two capacities—as a measure of value and a token of value, but demands, in addition to the token of value serving for home circulation, another one for trade between Greece and foreign countries. (See also Book V of his Laws.)

[p153-3] Aristotle, Ethic. Nicom, l. 5., ch. 8, l. c: "οἷον δ᾽ ὑπάλλαγμα τῆς χρείας τὸ νόμισμα γέγονε κατὰ συνθήκην. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοὔνομα ἔχει νόμισμα. ὅτι οὐ φύσει ἀλλὰ νόμῳ ἐστί, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν μεταβαλεῖν καὶ ποιῆσαι ἄχρηστον" ("In the satisfaction of wants money became the medium of exchange by agreement. And for that reason it bears the name νόμισμα, because it owes its existence, not to nature, but to law (νόμῳ), and ti is in our power to change it and make it void.") Aristotle had a far more comprehensive and deep view of money than Plato. In the following passage he beautifully shows how barter between different communities creates the necessity of assigning the character of money to a specific commodity, i. e., one which has itself an intrinsic value. "Ξενικωτέρας γὰρ γενομένης τῆς βοηθείας τῷ εἰσάγεσθαι ὧν ἐνδεεῖς καὶ ἐκπέμπειν ὧν ἐπλεόναζον, ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ τοῦ νομίσματος ἐπορίσθη χρῆσις. διὸ πρὸς τὰς ἀλλαγὰς τοιοῦτόν τι συνέθεντο πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διδόναι καὶ λαμβάνειν, ὃ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτὸ ὂν εἶχε τὴν χρείαν εὐμεταχείριστον... οἷον σίδηρος καὶ ἄργυρος κἂν εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ἕτερον" (Arist. De Republica, l. I, c. 9, [secs. 7, 8] l. c.)

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