Light industry - light industry

Originally, the term was derived from the fact that light industries were those whose products were light, and heavy industries were those whose products were heavy. Generally speaking, among various industries, the sector that mainly produces the means of production (the first sector) is called heavy industry (or heavy chemical industry), and the sector that mainly produces consumer goods (the second sector) is called light industry. Heavy industries are those that produce iron and steel, coal, machinery, ships, etc., while light industries are those that produce cotton, silk, flax, wool, etc. In the case of light industry, the capital required for factory buildings and equipment is small, and therefore the organic composition of capital is low. Conversely, heavy industry and heavy chemical industry, including chemical industry, naturally require huge amounts of capital for factory equipment and machinery, and therefore the organic composition is high. Normally, capitalist production developed from light industry, which is favorable for profit acquisition, from the perspective of mass production of necessities of life for the masses. The development of such light industry naturally encourages the production of machinery and raw materials necessary for light industry production, and as a result, heavy industry develops. In this way, the dye industry, which was necessary for the development of textile production, the chemical fertilizer industry, which was necessary for agricultural production, and the industrial chemical industry (such as soda, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, etc.), which was necessary for the overall development of the chemical industry, developed.

In this way, when the proportion of heavy (chemical) industry increases relative to light industry in the industrial structure during the development of capitalist production in a country, this is called an "advanced industrial structure," and comparisons are sometimes made between capitalist countries.

[Kato Kozaburo]

"Lectures on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 1" edited by Kajinishi Mitsusoku et al. (1960, Yuhikaku)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

もともと、その工業の生産物が軽いものを軽工業、重いものが重工業ということから出たことば。一般的には、いろいろな工業のなかで、主として生産手段生産部門＝第一部門を重工業（または重化学工業）とよび、消費資料生産部門＝第二部門を軽工業とよんでいる。鉄鋼、石炭、機械、船舶などを生産する工業が重工業であるのに対して、綿、絹、麻、羊毛などを生産する工業が軽工業である。軽工業の場合、工場の建物や設備に要する資本は少なく、したがって資本の有機的構成が低く、逆に重工業および化学工業を含む重化学工業では、工場の設備、機械には巨額な資金が当然に必要であり、有機的構成は高い。普通、資本主義的生産は、大量生産が可能な大衆の生活必需品という観点から、利潤獲得に有利な軽工業から発達した。このような軽工業の発展は、当然のこととして軽工業生産に必要な機械や原材料の生産を促し、その結果、重工業が発展してくるようになる。こうして繊維生産の発展に必要な染料工業、農業生産に必要な化学肥料工業、さらには化学工業の発展全体に必要な工業薬品工業（たとえばソーダ、硫酸、硝酸など）が展開するようになる。

　このように、ある国の資本主義生産の発展における産業構成のなかで、軽工業に対して重（化学）工業の比重が大きくなることを「産業構成の高度化」とよび、各国資本主義間の比較を行う場合がある。

［加藤幸三郎］

『楫西光速他編『講座中小企業1』（1960・有斐閣）』

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