ABSTRACT
Almost all of this text is devoted to an explanation of our contemporary institutions-how our economic system works, the parts we play in its operation, the promises it holds for us, and the restraints it imposes on our ambitions. But, as in each age, we are so caught up in our own spirit, so deeply involved in our own institutions, and so convinced of the im portance of our own pursuits that we fail to see ourselves as we really are. Change is our constant companion. If we are to understand what we are like and what we are to become, we must first understand our origins.
