ipl-logo

The Wealth Of Nations: Self-Interest

376 Words2 Pages
Yes, a society comprised of people motivated primarily by self-interest can and -- hypothetically -- should thrive, because self-interest stimulates economic activity. Historically, preeminent civilizations have revolved around a preeminent economy. Take, for example, the Roman Empire and the United States (circa 1950). These societies dominated global output, by means of their free market economies; wherein, self-interest accelerated wealth accumulation and GDP growth. Within the United States especially, capitalist ideology steers societal progression, and at the core of capitalist ideology lies self-interest. At the micro and macro level, self-interest correlates to prosperity. In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith defends free markets
Show More
Related
207 Words | 1 Pages

Adam Smith’s main idea was that the government should not regulate trade but rather individuals could handle their own affairs in trade and business. Adam Smith's economic theories were particularly influential in Britain, Europe and America. The Wealth of Nations had a profound effect on how the government in America was organised.

Read More
511 Words | 3 Pages

“What if the proper mode of administering wealth after the laws (of survival of the fittest) upon which civilization have thrown it into the hands of the few?” (Doc. B - Andrew Carnegie) Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American, self-made entrepreneur who from the age of 24 was motivated and well to do. He was, from the start, always trying to find ways to make money. Finally, he found out a way to make steel that was stronger, more durable, and cheaper.

Read More
867 Words | 4 Pages

The author is also suggesting the idea that individuals who have the benefit of additional profit, to share their wealth amongst the rest of the nation that has limited profit. Another allusion to support Long’s theory of sharing America’s wealth was made regarding the well known Greek philosophers Socrates

Read More
1595 Words | 7 Pages

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and “Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels both address selfishness and its effect on society through social and economic means. In Wealth of Nations, Smith defines wealth as the productivity of a nation and the aspects of a commercial society. “The Communist Manifesto” criticizes the idea behind a capitalist society and talks about the class struggle between the working class and the owners of the means of production. Wealth of Nations and “The Communist Manifesto” both analyze how the selfishness of people affects society, however while Wealth of Nations claims selfishness causes increased productivity and increases wages for all, “The Communist Manifesto” argues that selfishness causes injustice

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

There is a difference between being selfish and being greedy. The definition of greed is “Intense desire for something, especially wealth or power”, whereas the definition of selfish is “Lacking consideration for others”. During the Gilded Age, America was characterized as the Land of the Free, which attracted immigrants from all over the world to come live the American Dream. Was it greedy or selfish for these immigrants to come to America and improve their way of living? During the Gilded Age, greed is what motivated industrial innovation and for people to improve their ways of living.

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

It seems like Zin thinks society should become a more of a Hobbes society due to the reason of the American people being able to have equal rights. Zin states that the American Creed is based upon our natural rights and “that all men are created equal”. America has failed to live up to their beliefs over time, but has had movements of bringing people together in more recent times. Zins thinks that the American political system is every man for himself in having the rich become richer and the poor be poorer which resembles Hobbes ideology of man being basically evil unless the sovereignty helps teaches and changes society’s mind of evilness. America created a government to protect its people, but Zin argues that our founding fathers created

Read More
1215 Words | 5 Pages

Milton Friedman revolutionized free market thinking. He believed in a free market as the best solution for the stability of an economy. Basing his theories on Adam Smith’s “invisible hand”, Friedman further developed Smith’s theory. In short, Friedman’s Neoliberalism can be described through one of his quotes on the social responsibility of business, “There is one and only one social responsibility of business — to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, so long as it stays within the rules of the game” (Cooney, 2012). Friedman’s belief of the market’s perfection is based on the assumption that no actor would agree to a transaction if they did not find it fitting for themselves (Friedman, 1975).

Read More
1093 Words | 5 Pages

The economic views of Adam Smith and Karl Marx Microeconomics Eduardo De Oliveira Superti   Table of Contents: Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The economic views of Adam Smith 5 The economic views of Karl Marx 6 Adam Smith vs. Karl Marx 7 Examples in the world of today 9 Conclusion 10 Recommendations 11 Bibliography 12 Introduction Adam Smith and Karl Marx were completely contrasting economists throughout their time and had an enormous effect on the world and the way we view economics. They represent the ideas of capitalism and socialism.

Read More
1199 Words | 5 Pages

Adam Smith, an advocate of capitalism, in his book, The Wealth of Nations wrote that all individuals are selfish and by performing to the best of their capabilities towards their own selfish interests they contribute towards the nation’s collective growth. Karl Marx, on the other hand criticized capitalism and believed that socialism and communism are society’s best chance of maximizing individual happiness, about which he wrote in his book Das Kapital. In this paper, we will compare and contrast the economics theories of Adam Smith and Karl Marx on the lines of labor theory of value, division of labor, alienation of workers from labor and human happiness and surplus profit and its social implications. This paper will also discuss how… Adam Smith believes that there are two types of ‘values’ of a commodity – ‘utility value’ and ‘exchange value’. The utility value of a commodity is based on how useful a commodity is and the exchange value of a commodity refers to how much we can get in exchange for a commodity if we were to sell it.

Read More
1459 Words | 6 Pages

In David S. Landes book, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, he decides to take a historical approach on the reasons behind why some people remain poor and how others are so rich by trying to comprehend the reasons that lead to advances in economies and modernization in certain regions around the world over the past few decades. In other words by asking how we have come to where we are today in the sense of making, getting and spending. Throughout the book, Landes talks about how we live in a world filled with inequality and diversity therefore leading to classifying those who are poor and unable to afford medical health care living in the North and the wealthy in the South. David S. Landes aim was to basically make people aware of how it is actually geography that is responsible for this division between countries that have caused a lot of hardship for the unprivileged people by making it impossible for them to improve economically as a result of their geographical location on the map.

Read More
1883 Words | 8 Pages

Human Selfishness Shown Through George Orwell’s Novel, Animal Farm There is no way to hide the selfishness trait in humans, no matter how many charities they donate to, how many children they help, there will always be that selfishness in them. Although no one will ever admit it, humans since before we know it, have always been like this, and will never change this feature for the time to come. George Orwell, an english novelist, who realized this at an early time, did a very efficient job at showing this to the rest of the world through his novel Animal Farm. In the novel, George Orwell uses theme and allegory to share his views on society by displaying that the aim for equality in society is unachievable because people are inherently selfish

Read More
2082 Words | 9 Pages

1. How does Smith use the above assertion to explain a market economy? Outline his argument. Smith uses the above argument to explain a market economy by demonstrating how self-interest creates an underlying force in the economy that encourages trade and so regulates and creates a market. The basis of Smith’s clam begins with his earlier work, Theory of the Moral Sentiment, which explores the theory of mind and how human beings have a genetic knack for understanding how other humans think and behave.

Read More
1355 Words | 6 Pages

Adam Smith is an 18th-century philosopher and free-market economist. He is known as the father of economics and is famous for his ideas about the efficiency of the division of labor and the societal benefits of individuals ' pursuit of their own self-interest. Smith is best known for two classic works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. The latter, usually known as The Wealth of Nations, is the first modern work of economics and the book which is considered in this research. This research will discuss chapter four of The Wealth of Nations (WN), specifically Smith’s paragraph of water diamond paradox.

Read More
1456 Words | 6 Pages

Humans did not develop to live in the large groups of people, but societies that were able to establish systems that are robust enough to sustain large groups of people were able to engage in the specialization that, in turn allowed them to possess superior military power. Due to the strong military forces, larger tribes were able to subdue other traditionally organized communities. However, as tribes grew, they face unexpected problems such as resource distribution, which gave rise to a set of the economic systems. In the recent history, capitalism becomes the most common economic structure. While this type of social organization is self-sustainable, it inadvertently produces unintended problems.

Read More
907 Words | 4 Pages

Adam Smith was influenced by Mandeville in his belief that it was self-interest that acted as the “invisible hand” in economic growth (Smith). However, this self-interest was not vicious like Mandeville’s. In addition to defending the vice of luxury, Mandeville goes on to defend fraud and theft as these provide work to lawyers and locksmiths respectively. It is here that Mandeville’s argument tips over: for if vices can prove to be utilitarian on account of their ability to provide employment, then murder should cease to be a vice if one were to employ a hit man to do the deed.

Read More

More about The Wealth Of Nations: Self-Interest

Related Topics

Open Document