I involuntarily think of this good nurse when I hear all social evils explained by these common phrases: "It is the superabundance of products, the tyranny of capital, industrial plethora," and other idle stories of which we cannot even say: _verba et voces praetereaque nihil_: for they are also fatal mistakes.
From what precedes, two things result-- 1st.

That the social sciences must abound in sophistry much more than the other sciences, because in them each one consults his own judgment or instinct alone.
2d.

That in these sciences sophistry is especially injurious, because it misleads public opinion where opinion is a power--that is, law.
Two sorts of books, then, are required by these sciences; those which expound them, and those which propagate them; those which show the truth, and those which combat error.
It appears to us that the inherent defect in the form of this little Essay--_repetition_--is that which constitutes its principal value.
In the question we have treated, each sophism has, doubtless, its own set form, and its own range, but all have one common root, which is, "_forgetfulness of the interests of man, insomuch as they forget the interests of consumers_." To show that the thousand roads of error conduct to this generating sophism, is to teach the public to recognize it, to appreciate it--to distrust it under all circumstances.
After all, we do not aspire to arouse convictions, but doubts.
We have no expectation that in laying down the book, the reader shall exclaim: "_I know_." Please Heaven he may be induced to say, "_I am ignorant_." "I am ignorant, for I begin to believe there is something delusive in the sweets of Scarcity." "I am no longer so much edified by the charms of Obstruction." "Effort without Result no longer seems to me so desirable as Result without Effort." "It may probably be true that the secret of commerce does not consist, as that of arms does, _in giving and not receiving_, according to the definition which the duellist in the play gives of it." "I consider an article is increased in value by passing through several processes of manufacture; but, in exchange, do two equal values cease to be equal because the one comes from the plough and the other from the power-loom ?" "I confess that I begin to think it singular that humanity should be ameliorated by shackles, or enriched by taxes: and, frankly, I should be relieved of a heavy weight, I should experience a pure joy, if I could see demonstrated, which the author assures us of, that there is no incompatibility between comfort and justice, between peace and liberty, between the extension of labor and the progress of intelligence." "So, without feeling satisfied by his arguments, to which I do not know whether to give the name of reasoning or of objections, I will interrogate the masters of the science." Let us terminate by a last and important observation this monograph of sophisms.

The world does not know, as it ought, the influence which sophistry exerts upon it.

If we must say what we think, when the Right of the Strongest was dethroned, sophistry placed the empire in the Right of the Most Cunning; and it would be difficult to say which of these two tyrants has been the more fatal to humanity.
Men have an immoderate love for pleasure, influence, position, power--in one word, for wealth.
And at the same time men are impelled by a powerful impulse to procure these things at the expense of another.