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April 02, 2008
Capitalism and scars on the soul
Capitalism has done more to lift more people out of poverty and destitution and into prosperity than every government program, religious faith, military endeavor, or other cause “greater than oneself” combined. In fact, the latter have probably amounted to a net negative when it comes to the betterment of humanity. And capitalism rests on the premise that people are naturally selfish, and generally act in their own interests. It harnesses self-interest in ways that make everyone better off.The thing is, “causes greater than yourself” are all full of people who act in their-own self-interest, too. But they operate in a way that pretends that everyone involved in them is altruistic. Consequently, they end up being pretty damned destructive. -- Radley Balko
I find the above words more than a little unsettling, and ringing true, all at once. Upbringing having the relative indelibility that it does, my political pedigree -- socially conservative, economically liberal, or, in a word, populist -- along with my relatively leftist academic training in the economic history of Western Civilization (sic), and my general compatriotism with intellectual and artsy types, combine to form an almost impenetrable shield of idealism against which passages such as the above collide.
Key phrase: "people are naturally selfish," which of course I was taught to concede, but as a fatal flaw, not a feature. Gasp! Horror! Eternal damnation! Fix it through redemption: either spiritual, or social, or both.
But notice that I said "almost." A few barbs of reason (some might say) have made it through to the sensitive interior over the years, and I try to strike the right balance between opening myself to insight and flaying myself so deeply that I destroy my psychic foundation and have nothing on which to build.
Then, too, is the truth in this: that organizations which purport to do good (and do), and which are joined by plenty whom are as altruistic as one can get, do also attract their share of scoundrels, the old "wolves in sheep's clothing," and -- worse yet -- even those who, in the interest of protecting the innocent, would take it upon themselves to expose and rid the pack of these knaves (a role I would initially be interested in taking on) have a tendency to become unhealthily attracted to the power therein in wholly irreversible ways.
I still cannot fully reconcile "[c]apitalism has done more to lift more people out of poverty and destitution and into prosperity" with the notion that there isn't so much "lifting" going on as there is "a few people standing on the backs of many others, as in a pyramid," but I'm not opposed to seeking dialogue from all sides about how it all fits together.
Politics is Personal | By joe lance | 02:29 PM
Comments
What does it benefit a person, if they gain the whole world, only to lose his/her soul?
Sounds biblical to me.
Posted by: Kevin at April 2, 2008 04:47 PM
While the statement you cite sets capitalism in opposition to, among other things, religion, it should be noted that capitalism's distrust of human nature arose largely out of a Christian worldview that takes seriously the notion of original sin and its consequences on human, including economic relations. However, economic realism about human fallibility does not demand that one celebrate it. One might suggest that capitalism works best when its realism about human nature is combined with moral restraint, consistent with historic Christianity.
Posted by: MCO at April 4, 2008 08:01 PM