The Morality of Capitalism

[Nakosis]

​

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

Second, capitalism is moral because it is pro-consumer. When anti-capitalists hear the term "competition," they think it is a cruel process that hurts those who don’t have the resources or ability to survive. This isn’t cruel, though. Only through competition do we provide the numerous benefits to consumers.

Third, capitalism is moral because it generates wealth. This wealth generates jobs, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and much more. When businesses are able to make profits, they can create jobs and reinvest the profits into goods and services that could have valuable societal benefits.
Capitalism and Morality.

To which I say poppycock.

 

[exchemist]

​

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

Second, capitalism is moral because it is pro-consumer. When anti-capitalists hear the term "competition," they think it is a cruel process that hurts those who don’t have the resources or ability to survive. This isn’t cruel, though. Only through competition do we provide the numerous benefits to consumers.

Third, capitalism is moral because it generates wealth. This wealth generates jobs, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and much more. When businesses are able to make profits, they can create jobs and reinvest the profits into goods and services that could have valuable societal benefits.
Capitalism and Morality.

To which I say poppycock.

You do realise what it says in the "About" section of the website you took this from:

"The John Locke Foundation is an independent, nonprofit think tank working for truth, freedom, and the future of North Carolina."

I actually burst out laughing..........

It's the unintended bathos of that last bit that cracks me up. Though the sub-Superman echoes of the rest are also funny in their own right. Do these guys wear their underpants outside their trousers, I wonder?

 

[Kfox]

​

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

Second, capitalism is moral because it is pro-consumer. When anti-capitalists hear the term "competition," they think it is a cruel process that hurts those who don’t have the resources or ability to survive. This isn’t cruel, though. Only through competition do we provide the numerous benefits to consumers.

Third, capitalism is moral because it generates wealth. This wealth generates jobs, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and much more. When businesses are able to make profits, they can create jobs and reinvest the profits into goods and services that could have valuable societal benefits.
Capitalism and Morality.

To which I say poppycock.

Under capitalism I have to improve someone else's life; (or at least convince I an improving their lives) before I can improve my own. In order to improve my life by selling my products, I have to convince the consumer my product is more valuable to him than whatever it is he chooses to exchange for my product. So my customer has to be made happy first before I can be happy.

 

[Kooky]

You do realise what it says in the "About" section of the website you took this from:

"The John Locke Foundation is an independent, nonprofit think tank working for truth, freedom, and the future of North Carolina."

I actually burst out laughing..........

It's the unintended bathos of that last bit that cracks me up. Though the sub-Superman echoes of the rest are also funny in their own right. Do these guys wear their underpants outside their trousers, I wonder?

I find it particularly interesting that they named themselves after an English philosopher who drew up a slave state constitution. I wonder what they're trying to tell us with that?

 

[Nakosis]

Under capitalism I have to improve someone else's life; (or at least convince I an improving their lives) before I can improve my own. In order to improve my life by selling my products, I have to convince the consumer my product is more valuable to him than whatever it is he chooses to exchange for my product. So my customer has to be made happy first before I can be happy.

So is that a good thing? Improving other people's lives?

 

[exchemist]

I find it particularly interesting that they named themselves after an English philosopher who drew up a slave state constitution. I wonder what they're trying to tell us with that?

Oh absolutely. In N Carolina, it's a dead cert.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

That one always make me roll my eyes because clearly this hasn't always been the case, even under capitalist systems. Capitalism let people put on price tag on everything, even other people. We had no "tragedy of the commons." We do have a "crisis of privatization."
Also because these are often the same people who don't respect individuals, their persuit of happiness, or rights. They'll say it's the right of the business to discriminate against minorities, but cry foul when one of their own is punished for breaking the agreed to rules of a private entity.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So is that a good thing? Improving other people's lives?

Well, under normal circumstances, but not when it's so heavily one sided and detrimental to your own existence. It's giving up watching your kids grow up so someone you'll never even meet can live comfortably and not give the same sacrifices.

 

[Kfox]

So is that a good thing? Improving other people's lives?

Yes.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'll take capitalism over communism any day of the week. Even if it irritates the hell out of me.

Morality is subjective anyways.

 

[Revoltingest]

​

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

Second, capitalism is moral because it is pro-consumer. When anti-capitalists hear the term "competition," they think it is a cruel process that hurts those who don’t have the resources or ability to survive. This isn’t cruel, though. Only through competition do we provide the numerous benefits to consumers.

Third, capitalism is moral because it generates wealth. This wealth generates jobs, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and much more. When businesses are able to make profits, they can create jobs and reinvest the profits into goods and services that could have valuable societal benefits.
Capitalism and Morality.

To which I say poppycock.

What economic systems are defined by morality?
None I know of.
Certainly not capitalism, socialism, communism, feudalism,
or hunter gatherer. Judging morality would employ both the
a priori & the a posteriori, ie, morality is a priori, & the economic
systems judged are a posteriori, IOW empirically in the various
societies.

We each have different moralities, eg, some value security over
liberty, some value equality over opportunity. The simplest way
I see is for the individual to consider which country at which point
in history best suits their goals.
I lean towards modern western flavors of capitalism that have
social & political liberty, while using economic liberty to provide
social assistance. They're much better (IMO) than all socialist
countries that have existed throughout history.

 

[Revoltingest]

To which I say poppycock.

I'd have said "fiddle faddle", but to each his own.

That description seems the doppelganger for how socialists
idealize their preferred system....all rainbows & unicorns.
The real world abhors such theoretical models, & will
purposely misbehave.

 

[Audie]

​

First, capitalism is moral because — unlike socialism — it respects individuals, their rights, and their pursuit of happiness. In fact, capitalism requires this respect for individuals and rights. This is why capitalism often is defined as a social system, not an economic system, which protects individual rights.

Second, capitalism is moral because it is pro-consumer. When anti-capitalists hear the term "competition," they think it is a cruel process that hurts those who don’t have the resources or ability to survive. This isn’t cruel, though. Only through competition do we provide the numerous benefits to consumers.

Third, capitalism is moral because it generates wealth. This wealth generates jobs, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and much more. When businesses are able to make profits, they can create jobs and reinvest the profits into goods and services that could have valuable societal benefits.
Capitalism and Morality.

To which I say poppycock.

Too bad you cannot try living inna world that never developed capitalism

 

[Revoltingest]

Too bad you cannot try living inna world that never developed capitalism

It's interesting to know people who emigrated from
a communist country. Their perspective sheds light
on the usual propaganda from the left & right.

 

[Nakosis]

What economic systems are defined by morality?
None I know of.
Certainly not capitalism, socialism, communism, feudalism,
or hunter gatherer. Judging morality would employ both the
a priori & the a posteriori, ie, morality is a priori, & the economic
systems judged are a posteriori, IOW empirically in the various
societies.

We each have different moralities, eg, some value security over
liberty, some value equality over opportunity. The simplest way
I see is for the individual to consider which country at which point
in history best suits their goals.
I lean towards modern western flavors of capitalism that have
social & political liberty, while using economic liberty to provide
social assistance. They're much better (IMO) than all socialist
countries that have existed throughout history.

That is a perfectly cromulent response.

 

[Audie]

It's interesting to know people who emigrated from
a communist country. Their perspective sheds light
on the usual propaganda from the left & right.

Im not zactly one of those

But yes.

And people who actually grasp how
business / capitalism work.

 

[Kooky]

I'll take capitalism over communism any day of the week. Even if it irritates the hell out of me.

Of course, people who are already winning are bound to support a system that continues to advantage them.

 

[Nakosis]

Too bad you cannot try living inna world that never developed capitalism

Well, I'd suppose one might try to imagine the feudal lifestyle.
The Middle Ages: Feudal Life

 

[Kooky]

Under capitalism I have to improve someone else's life; (or at least convince I an improving their lives) before I can improve my own. In order to improve my life by selling my products, I have to convince the consumer my product is more valuable to him than whatever it is he chooses to exchange for my product. So my customer has to be made happy first before I can be happy.

Do you actually believe that any person you bamboozled into buying a product they didn't need would be genuinely happy for it?

 

[Kooky]

It's interesting to know people who emigrated from
a communist country. Their perspective sheds light
on the usual propaganda from the left & right.

Living in Putin's Russia is so much better than it used to be under the terror regime of Gorbachev.