ABSTRACT
It necessarily follows from the small amount of division oi labour in primitive societies that the majority of the workers are engaged in producing the actual food, clothing, etc., which they themselves require, and their well-being will depend on the amount which they are able and willing to produce. But in our society, with its complex division of labour, the vast majority are working to produce things which will be used by others. The great exception to this is the work done by women in their own homes. If, therefore, we were to attempt to compare the material well-being of two individuals in a village community we should examine the goods in their bams, the state of their crops and so on ; but if we wished to compare the material well-being of two individuals in our society, almost certainly the first question asked would be, what is the amount of their respective incomes.
