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24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 11. Capitalism

[society driven by private production and profit]

38 ideas
Time is money, ..credit is money, ..and money breeds more money [Franklin]
Selfish profit-seeking increases collective wealth, so greed is good, and egoism is altruism [Smith,A, by Harari]
Free markets lead to boom and bust, pointless middlemen, and alienated workers [Engels]
The handmill gives feudalism, the steam mill capitalism [Marx]
Capitalism changes the world, by socialising the idea of a commodity [Marx, by Bowie]
The essence of capitalism is the subordination of people to things [Marx, by Weil]
Marx thought capitalism was partly liberating, and could make labour and ownership more humane [Marx, by Bowie]
Acquisition and low consumption lead to saving, investment, and increased wealth [Weber]
When asceticism emerged from the monasteries, it helped to drive the modern economy [Weber]
Capitalism is not unlimited greed, and may even be opposed to greed [Weber]
Modern western capitalism has free labour, business separate from household, and book-keeping [Weber]
Men unite in pursuit of material things, and idealise greed as part of group loyalty [Russell]
Marx showed that capitalist oppression, because of competition, is unstoppable [Weil]
The capitalists neglect the people and the nation, and even their own interests [Weil]
Once money is the main aim, society needs everyone to think wealth is possible [Weil]
We are currently extending capitalism to the whole of society [Deleuze]
Economic capitalist liberty naturally leads to democratic political liberty [Novak]
Anyone who thinks capitalism can improve their lives is endorsing capitalism [Lukes]
Capitalism may actually be the best way to foster community [Conway,D]
Capitalism is just the market, with optional limited government, and perhaps democracy [Conway,D]
Capitalism prefers representative democracy, which avoids community decision-making [Conway,D]
Capitalism breaks up extended families, and must then provide welfare for the lonely people [Conway,D]
Capitalism is anti-community, by only valuing individuals, and breaking up families [Conway,D]
It is hard to imagine the end of capitalism [Fisher]
Fans of economic freedom claim that capitalism is self-correcting [Micklethwait/Wooldridge]
The main rule of capitalism is that all other goods depend on economic growth [Harari]
The sacred command of capitalism is that profits must be used to increase production [Harari]
The progress of capitalism depends entirely on the new discoveries and gadgets of science [Harari]
In capitalism the rich invest, and the rest of us go shopping [Harari]
The economy has replaced medieval theocracy at the centre of our society [Berardi]
Environmental disasters result not from capitalism, but from a general drive for growth [Gopnik]
Economies have material, economic and capitalist layers [Davies,W]
Capitalism is the anti-market, with opacity, monopolies, powers, exceptional profits and wealth [Davies,W]
Capitalists use their exceptional power to impose their own rules, and make the state their ally [Davies,W]
Capitalism must mainly rely either on the labour market, or on the financial markets [Davies,W]
Markets are transparent, with known prices and activity, and minimal profits [Davies,W]
Capitalism has boom and bust, inequality of power and wealth, and a love of monopoly [Hutton]
Capitalism is the best system for innovation, opportunity and better living standards [Hutton]