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I disagree, in the sense that western capitalism requires participation even by those who adamantly oppose it. There is no (realistic) way to opt out.
by michaelchisari 9y ago
I disagree, in the sense that western capitalism requires participation even by those who adamantly oppose it. There is no (realistic) way to opt out.
- jondubois 9y agoIf everyone was purely self-interested, corruption would be much more common because there would be no moral voice at the back of people's minds to hold them back. The only hurdle would be the fear of getting caught. It's difficult for individuals to uphold laws in a system where everyone knows that everyone else is cheating.
- michaelchisari 9y agoI don't think everybody is every purely anything. Self-interest is one of our motivators. Altruism another. Fear of getting caught a whole other. Fear of alienating our peers another. We're extremely complex animals. But self-interest is why modern capitalism survives despite, on the face of it, seeming like a terrible system. It would be very hard to convince people who had never heard of it to adopt it by description alone. But if you take away their source of food and clothing, and then offer them a wage by which they can purchase them instead, then you have yourself a participant.