Relevance of Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" (1776) in these post Covid days

In these post-Covid days, lockdowns are applied all over the world to contain the dreaded disease. However, these are being balanced so that the economic health of the countries are not irreparably damaged. In this context, it is instructive to recall what Smith wrote about productive & unproductive labour, so that damage to economic productivity is minimised.

He thought that only labour which results in a tangible "thing" can be called truly productive. Even though his work appeared at the cusp of "The Industrial Revolution", Smith had no doubts about the primacy of agriculture as food is the primary need of man. The labour of a manufacturing worker is "wrapped up" in the thing he has made, therefore his labour is a commodity of real value. In contrast, the labour of a domestic servant will "perish in the very instant of their performance", leaving no trace of value. A man grows rich by employing a number of manufacturers; he grows poor by maintaining a number of servants."

Also the labour of religious people, lawyers, people in fine arts & armed forces are economically unproductive, because what they produce also vanishes the moment it is made (including the security provided by the defence forces!). But the compensation paid to these must come from the capital invested either in manufacturing or rents from land. In other words, if there were no farms or factories, a society could not afford these "unproductive" labours. (This aversion about armed forces arose from Adam Smith's intense abhorrence of war, which he considered a "shocking" waste of resources.)

The relevance of Smith is proved by the fact that agriculture & essential manufacturing activities are being continued with necessary precautions. As education is not directly "productive", it is being postponed.

In an interesting sidelight, he thought the seats of government were economically unproductive (& corrupt) as compared to places of agriculture & business, where people were gainfully engaged!

Sarah Gamp & Florence Nightingale

These two ladies, the antithesis of each other, belonged to the noble profession of nursing. Fortunately, the former was fictional, appearing in Dickens's "Martin Chuzzlewit", & equally fortunately, the latter was real.

Dickens memorably introduces (Mrs.) Gamp like this. "She was a lady of that happy temperament which can appear ecstatic just to establish a large & profitable connection." Her first priority in looking after a patient was to ensure endless victuals (preferably "cowcumber" sandwiches), tea & adequate liquor for herself. If the patient proved restless, a dozen or two shaking of his head by holding the collar, would be administered. If he turned giddy, as he might well be, it was all to the good. If he fainted, she knew how to revive him by biting his fingers or turning them the wrong way. After thus sedating the patient, she would settle down to her nap for the rest of the time. This paragon of nurses was too modest to sing her own praises but had invented an imaginary friend,  "Mrs. Harris", whose compliments to herself, she never tired of repeating to her listeners. Towards the end of the novel, she gets her comeuppance, being severely reprimanded to mend her ways.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) was also, surprisingly, a statistician, who pioneered the  Polar Area Diagram in addition to Modern Nursing & Hospital Management. Famously known as "The Lady with the Lamp", she is believed to have remained a virgin, because she felt a religious calling in her work. Her friend, the famous novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, went so far as to describe her as a "Saint."

Melville's Bartleby & Anantha Murthy's Mouni

In Melville's novella "Bartleby the Scrivener", the protagonist starts off normally enough as a clerk. But gradually he begins to refuse to work, saying "I would prefer not to." His employer, kind-heartedly moves his office elsewhere rather than evict him. But his successor, calls the police & Bartleby is imprisoned. But he declines to eat & gives up his ghost. His aberration is variously diagnosed as depression, anorexia or even catatonic schizophrenia.

In Anantha Murthy's story "Mouni", the title character is a Brahmin living on the land provided by his Mutt. But due to his cantankerous nature, ill-luck & the machinations of a rival street-smart Brahmin, he loses everything & withdrawing into silence, sits inside his house. The Mutt authorities & his other creditors bodily shift him outside the house & lock the house. Still he does not break his silence. This story was also made into a good Kannada film.

The American Bartleby & the Indian "Mouni",even though seperated by time & space, display similar reactions towards their known or unknown inner ghosts.