Chiara Zanello

5^B

The Chief of Features of the Industrial Revolution

The essay by Arnold Toynbee deals with the Chief of Features of the Industrial Revolution.

The text opens with an introduction where the Revolution is defined as an historical process. Also its economic and social consequences are illustrated at a global level.

The essayst goes on developing his argumentation in order to explain the radical change brought about by the Industrial Revolution. He explains it mainly consisting in the substitution of competion "for  the mediaeval regulations which had previously controlled the production and distribution of wealth".

The consequence of this process meant the birth of two different systems of thought: Economic Science and Socialism, which are exactly the opposite one of the other. 

Then he mentions four chief landmarks: the first is  Adam Smith,that wrote the Wealth of Nations,in which he talks about the production of wealth,the second is  Malthus, the author of the Essay on Popolution, here he described the causes of poverty, the third landmark is Ricardo, and his work Principles of Political Economy and Taxation,in which he showed the laws of the distibution of wealth;the last but not least is John Stuart Mill that in the Principles of Political Economy he wrote the distinction between the laws of  production and those of distribution.

In the following paragraph Toynbee describes the facts that characterize the Revolution, the growth of population, the Agricultural Revolution's causes and changes,like the decrease in the rural population.

Others important aspects that the author tackles in the sixth and seventh part are about factory's growth,the iron industry and  technological innovations: the use of new machines decreased the need for manual labour,consequently people moved from the country to city. 

The writer in the last paragraphs talks about the expansion of trade that bring about an improvement of means of communication and the social changes caused by the Revolution, for example  class conflicts,the misery,the rise of prices.

In short , Toynbee wants to show us that the Industrial Revolution had positive aspects like the growth of industry and innovations however it had also "negative" consequences,  in other words,he tells us that this process produced wealth but without producing well-being.