Can Capitalism Lead to Human Happiness?

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Author: Devo Submitted: 01.13.04 Word Count: 1047

Capitalism is good at meeting many of our wants but has big blind spots when it comes to others, such as family relationships, a sense of community. Capitalism, by unleashing rapid changes in technology, business organization, and social and economic status, sometimes undermines institutions and systems of beliefs that evolved in quieter and more slow-paced times or cultures. Sometimes this is good, as when capitalism helped end slavery and elevated the status of women. At other times, however, such creative destruction is thought to undermine widely shared values. One of the structural and natural moral weaknesses of capitalism as a system is that the creativity, inventiveness, and questioning spirit that make it dynamic have a moral downside and impose a heavy human cost, sometimes even on top executives and investors. Recognizing the challenge capitalism presents to some of our traditional notions of morality does not mean that capitalism is an immoral way to organize an economy. The most common error made by critics of capitalism is failing to recognize that greed or ambition (the desire to gain power or distinction without regard to its effects on others) long predates capitalism. Greed, Max Weber wrote in 1904, exists and has existed among waiters, physicians, coachmen, artists, prostitutes, dishonest officials, soldiers, nobles, crusaders, gamblers, and beggars. One may say that it has been common to all sorts and conditions of men at all times and in all countries of the earth, wherever the objective possibility of it is or has been given. (6Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, trans. Talcott Parsons) (New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1958). All political and economic systems must cope with greed. Societies that rely on tradition to shape their economies allow some peopleusually those with inherited status or willingness to use force against othersto express their greed by imposing their will on others. Unlike its alternatives, capitalism does a remarkably good job of constraining greed and ambition. The most basic rule of capitalismthat all exchanges are voluntaryis a formidable check on the pursuit of selfish interest at the expense of others. In a capitalist society, attaining wealth, respect, and status requires appealing to the self-interest of others, specifically by discovering, creating, and delivering goods and services that others are willing to buy. Getting around this requirementattempting to live at other peoples expense by using force or fraud to take things from them or enslave themviolates the laws of property, exchange, and voluntary contract. Assuming government is performing its proper role, those who would break the rules are stopped and punished. In the Movie Wall street ,Wall Street takes place in 1985. If you can look past the monochrome computer monitors, the 5-pound brick cell phones, and the 80s style of big hair there are many themes that are still timely and very applicable today. Wall Street is the story of the rise and fall of Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a bored and ambitious young account executive . The themes of greed, ambition, integrity, and temptation run through this film about cutthroat business. Michael Douglas who won a Oscar for his role as Gordon Gecko, he is the villain of the story who quotes Sun Tzus

Art of War, talks of ripping peoples throats out, and turns Bud to the Dark Side. Gordon shows Bud the tremendous rewards and power that are available through the application of insider information and stock price manipulation. Bud overcomes his initial ethical objections when the money starts rolling in and he acquires a plush new condo, a trophy girlfriend (Daryl Hannah), and the awe of his fellow stockbrokers. Mentored by Gordon and his quips like if you are not inside you are outside, sheep get slaughtered, and greed is good, Bud increasingly takes greater risks in crossing ethical and legal guidelines. Blue Star Airlines, one of the securities that is the subject of Gordon and Buds interest, faces some of the same problems of profitability, union relations, and financing that the airline industry, specifically American Airlines, is currently experiencing. Ironically, it is corporate raider Gordon Gecko who exposes the waste and corruption of corporate executives at another company, Teldar Paper - which in some ways resembles Enron. Wall Street is a great and entertaining movie. It also offers valuable insight into insider trading, securities manipulation, corporate raiders, and the lifestyles and personalities of Wall Street wizards and professionals. My take on the Issue of Capitalism and if it can lead to happiness, I personally take the utilitarian side because a person has to now a days if they want to make any kind of money. Take for instance the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner I look at him as Gordon Gecko, why you say because he will go out of his way to get the best players and money is no option. As the red soxs would say the Yankees organization is the Evil Empire. Winning is everything to George Stienbrenner ,and money is no problem, kind of like Gordon Gecko when he would compete with other stock holders and out bid them and go out of his way to make sure he got what he wanted. The reason why the Yankees have an edge on the competition is because of money, Players will go to where ever they are going to get the most money, like in the business world. That is the way society is today it is all about money greed is good there is no way looking around it, it cost a lot of money to survive in this world today the survival of the fittest is the best way to describe the society we live in today. There fore that is way I am taking the side of the libertarian because money talks and people will go to where ever they are going to make the most money so to answer the issue Can Capitalism Lead to Human Happiness ? I really can not decide which side to take because there are pros and cons on the transindental side and the libertarian but if I had to choose right now I would have to go with the libertarian side because that is where the money is