Free Market Capitalism vs. Egalitarian Communalism

1841 Words4 Pages

Intended as a proprietor of interests of its citizens, American capitalism has been chosen by the Founding Fathers as their concept of the supreme governing force to establishing a productive, intellectually encouraging society for each individual citizen. Many supporters of capitalism look to it as the only way the interests of citizens can be adequately taken into account, allowing each to accrue unrestricted amounts of private property, while still maintaining a relatively large central government. The emphasis on individual profit has led to widespread success in the economic sector, allowing many to promote their skills to their own advantage. It relies on an invisible hand to guide the collection of the profits of individual effort to keep the economy stable for the benefit of all. It was originally intended to be system of returns, creating a trickle-down of the wealth of those that profited from capitalist enterprise to those that were not as fortunate.

It is evident that the definition of a “person” in a capitalistic society has developed into a secularized conception as an individual seeking fulfillment through the advancement of his own interest and reason. This change, often attributed to the modern concentration on logos in a scientifically- fixated society that derives understanding from research and reason, completely dismisses many religious concepts off of which the Constitution was written, and off of which the healthiest of societies can grow. The subconscious (though in some cases voluntary) acceptance of this in American culture has desensitized its people from the importance of relationship and communal support, leading to the loss of substantial numbers of people to poverty. From the lack of recent success...

... middle of paper ...

...ecember 2011.

Rand, Ayn, Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, and Robert Hessen. 1967. Capitalism: the unknown ideal. New York: Signet.

Rand, Ayn. 1943. The Fountainhead. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co.

Schieder, Manfred F. "Ayn Rand and Rational Egoism: The dynamo of human progress." Rebirth of Reason: Objectivism, Ayn Rand, Activism. http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Schieder/Ayn_Rand_and_Rational_Egoism_The_dynamo_of_human_progress.shtml (accessed December 9, 2011).

WIDFELDT, ANDERS. "Sweden." European Journal Of Political Research 45, no. 7/8 (December 2006): 1270-1274. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2011).

1967. "Nonworkers of the World, Unite!." Time 89, no. 22: 40. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 9, 2011).

The Guardian, "Inequality: The Mother of All Evils?." March 13, 2009, sec. Snapshot: The income Gap.

More about Free Market Capitalism vs. Egalitarian Communalism

Open Document