Single Idea 20680

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 11. Capitalism]

Full Idea

Smith's claim that the selfish human urge to increase private profits is the basis for collective wealth is one of the most revolutionary ideas in human history. …Greed is good …and egoism is altruism.

Gist of Idea

Selfish profit-seeking increases collective wealth, so greed is good, and egoism is altruism

Source

report of Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations [1776]) by Yuval Noah Harari - Sapiens: brief history of humankind 16 'Growing'

Book Reference

Harari,Yuval Noah: 'Sapiens: a brief history of Humankind' [Vintage 2014], p.348


A Reaction

The central confrontation of political philosophy still seems to be Adam Smith v Karl Marx. Why can't there be altruistic non-greedy profit-seeking? Not 'I want profits' but 'we want profits'. Altruistic capitalists aim to create jobs.