ipl-logo

Essay On Aristotle's View On Capitalism

1170 Words5 Pages

Aristotle was one of the first thinkers who tried to investigate the economic laws in ancient Greece. And a special place in his work takes an explanation of the concepts of money and trade. When we ask a question on how he would react to a modern capitalism, we have to analyze his views first and understand how he saw the economics itself. The capitalism as an economic category wasn’t developed in ancient Greece, and we have to remember that. Aristotle saw the economics in a strong relationship with politics and ethics and believed that one thing leads to another. His idea of a modern capitalism today would for sure be in a confrontation with his views on the economics and purpose of human life, as he believed that humans should obtain only necessary things.
Aristotle pondered the question on how to make efficient farming. He first introduced the term "economy" ("oikos" - a house, "Nomos" - the law) - the science of housekeeping. He believed that are two types of wealth and natural science of this wealth is the economy. This wealth - the sum of use values that serve the people - is absolutely essential to society. Aristotle introduced chrematistics as the art of getting money through trade. But it is not natural and not …show more content…

Aristotle saw in the tendency of some people to accumulate wealth and passion to "make money" a real threat to the existence of society and feared that "chrematistics" can lead to a "mutation" (qualitative change) of the whole society. Our society today he would call “civilization of money” with primary motivation focused on gaining more every day. It is noteworthy that the economic activity in a society has given a way to chrematistics long time ago, but the latter continues to be called "the economy." But in fact, in 99 of 100 cases over the harmless name of "the economy" is hiding the banalest "chrematistics", or work on the accumulation of wealth and "making

Show More
Related

  • Andrew Carnegie's View Of Wealth During The Industrial Revolution

    1508 Words  | 7 Pages

    Carnegie stated that it is “much better this great irregularity than universal squalor” (Andrew Carnegie, “Wealth”). I believe that Carnegie contradicts himself with this statement, and I feel that it could be considered to create an ethical situation. Through his works he emphasizes the importance of sharing wealth for the greater good of society and to bridge the gap between the classes, but yet this statement seems to say that only a few are chosen to be wealthy while the rest of society is not. It in some ways undercuts the capabilities of the lower class. The giants of industrialism made their fortunes because of the labor of those worked for them.

    Read More

  • Industrial Revolution Dbq Essay

    189 Words  | 1 Pages

    All of these elements combined to create a different consciousness of individuals that saw wealth not as static, but fluid and most importantly: wealth could grow. Patterns of ownership and who

    Read More

  • Andrew Carnegie Dbq

    572 Words  | 3 Pages

    Was Andrew Carnegie a hero? Did he’s new ideas, business and donations made him a hero? At that time most of the biggest and most profitable business were controlled by 3 important gentlemen, one of them was Andrew Carnegie who controlled the steel production in all America, being the steel production his monopoly, but also, he was one if not the biggest philanthropist in that time. So, does these matter for be a hero? Was him a hero?

    Read More

  • Does Money Cause Unhappiness In F. Scott Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited

    384 Words  | 2 Pages

    Money can have many effects on a person. While lack of money can make a man miserable, wealth can do the same. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited” shows that wealth can still cause unhappiness and therefore shouldn’t be viewed as an ideal. A person should rather work towards constantly improving oneself.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Views Of Karl Marx And Andrew Carnegie

    1777 Words  | 8 Pages

    In this paper, I discuss how Karl Marx, Adam Smith, and Andrew Carnegie agreed and disagreed about the concepts of capitalism with different standpoints. For example, Karl Marx mainly focused on the function of communism; Adam Smith emphasized the free trade in market, and Andrew Carnegie adopted the form of capitalism. I further explain the different perspectives of capitalism that impacted on society, and social and economic situation. The word, capitalism, is defined as an economic and political system in which a country’s trading business and industrial activities are made by private ownerships or corporations through the means of production, distribution, and social wealth. In 19th century, as the development of Industrial Revolution

    Read More

  • Andrew Carnegie Wealth Essay

    254 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Andrew Carnegie’s essay “Wealth,” he believed that he had a responsibility to spend his money on something to benefit the greater good. He believe that the rich should distribute their wealth responsibly to benefit society. One of his quotes say, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.” Carnegie starts off talking social Darwinism, the issue of inequality and how and if he could fix it. Capitalism ensured that the smartest and most talented people would rise to the top.

    Read More

  • Inequality In John Locke's Second Treatise Of Government

    1083 Words  | 5 Pages

    “And thus came in the use of money, some lasting thing that men might keep without spoiling, and that by mutual consent men would take in exchange for the truly useful, but perishable supports of life” (S.V.47). Because money (which Locke sometimes substitutes with gold, diamonds, or silver), does not spoil, one can acquire an unlimited amount of wealth, therefore breaking the Law of Nature. Unlike the way that excess apples rot, no matter how much money one possesses, there is no way for it to go bad. It will generally have as much use today as it will tomorrow. This leads to the situation of wealth inequality, where some people possess a lot of money while others have very little.

    Read More

  • Adam Smith And Karl Polanyi's Analysis

    930 Words  | 4 Pages

    Migrated peasants and unemployed city artisans, as a result of industrial developments, consisted a new class who has nothing than its labor force to sell. The legal arrangements such as the New Poor Law for the time, derived the labor class from any social assurance and force them to work in inhumane standards. Money also became a commodity through acceptance of international Gold Standard which deprived the political authorities of the regulation of money. Polanyi’s main argument on this emerging process of the market society, in the contrast to Smith, that the market economy cannot emerge by itself basing on so-called tendency to barter in human nature. He argues by referring to research on modern anthropology and history of trade and

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Adam Smith And Karl Marx

    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

  • Alexander The Great Cosmopolitanism

    1571 Words  | 7 Pages

    All in all, Aristotle’s philosophy made an astounding influence. In fact, it is in Aristotle’s Philosophy that Alexander the Great, which the former tutored in 347 BCE, laid down the foundations of the latter’s empire. Throughout Alexander’s rule, the influence of Aristotle, his mentor, can be seen in the former’s skillful and diplomatic handling of difficult problems throughout his career. When Alexander became a king, he had set forth on a Persian expedition to expand his empire.

    Read More

  • Socialism Vs Capitalism Essay

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    Definition of Capitalism What is capitalism? According to Adam Smith, both parties in a capitalist system, the buyer and the seller, act in a voluntary transaction to achieve the outcome that serves their self-interest. However, both parties cannot obtain what they want without delivering the needs of the other. In definition, capitalism is an economic system where properties can be controlled and owned by private sectors to suit their interest, which is to gain profits, while the demand and supply of goods and services set the market prices to serve the interest of the society.

    Read More

  • Essay On Aristotle's Theory Of Natural Slavery

    991 Words  | 4 Pages

    Slavery had a great effect not only on Ancient Greece, some saying slaves were the necessity to build the civilization entirely, but also had an effect on other countries throughout history obtaining slavery. Greek slavery has contributed a variety of scholarly debate, precisely regarding Aristotle’s viewpoint on his theory of slavery being natural. The theory of natural slavery has produced questions of whether or not Aristotle has contradicted himself making his evidence uncertain. This essay will be examining and analysing the evidence that Aristotle provides in regards to his theory of natural slavery. It will be questioning if he produces a straightforward view regarding his beliefs of natural slaves and the abilities they possess.

    Read More

  • Aristotle: The Ultimate End Goal

    929 Words  | 4 Pages

    Aristotles starting point is with the highest good. It is the ultimate end goal. The highest human good is always worth pursuing in its own right. It is an activity that is an end in itself. This conception allows him to isolate two features of what he determines the ‘end goal’ or ‘final purpose’.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of Aristotle's Ideal State

    1017 Words  | 5 Pages

    If Plato had portrayed an Ideal State in hid republic which could be built in heaven only, Aristotle came down to earth while drawing the outline of his ideal state. Like a true scientist he does not attempt any impossible scheme in formulating his theory if Ideal State. His ideal state is attainable on his earth. We must first consider not only what is ideal but also what is the best attainable in actual practice. The only difference between a monarchy and an aristocracy is that in the first case virtue is centered in one person.

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Citizenship

    1750 Words  | 7 Pages

    Moreover, they are able to embark on wealth accusation without letting communal resource lay to waste, through the use of currency. “…a man may fairly possess more land than he himself can use the product of, by receiving in exchange for the over plus gold and silver…” (The Second Treatise of Government 29). Man may flourish through property acquisition, wealth acquisition, and the security from common wealth to know they will remain unchallenged to their own. In terms of the duty citizenship, this ideal

    Read More

More about Essay On Aristotle's View On Capitalism

Open Document