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Wealth Vs Wealth Essay

analytical Essay
1230 words
1230 words
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Zoe Jones
English 2
J. Craig
April 29, 2014
Wealth and Poverty
In today’s society, everyone seems to be putting their minds towards achieving wealth, but yet are But what is poverty? And what is wealth for that matter? Adam Smith and Robert B. Reich are both men who have written about wealth and poverty, and what is affecting the growth of them. Both men have some similar views as well as distinctly different views on what wealth is and how to gain wealth while avoiding poverty, not only as one entity, but as a community. Both men have ideas on how our economic systems work and what parts are doing us good, as well as those that are misleading us into a growing community of poverty. Through much research, and debate with my roommates and friends, on this subject I can say that I agree that having a community that thrives off of its own efforts and means of survival is a better society in all circumspect. Having to depend on other countries for food, clothing, fuels, and other perishable items is not the way this country should be run, but instead by our own means of what we can provide, to our people, from the land we live on.
Adam Smith was a moral philosopher in economics and a writer during the eighteenth century as well as many other things such as being a professor who taught moral psychology. He had some views that can reflect greatly on our modern day economy. Smith saw wealth as it related to country and town. In Smiths excerpt “Of the Natural Progress of Opulence” from his book The Wealth of Nations, he states; “the country supplies the town with the means of subsistence, and the materials to manufacture. The town repays this supply by sending back a part of the manufactured produce to the inhabitants of the c...

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...e are fighting for jobs headlong, but back in the eighteenth century, people weren’t as worried.
The meaning of wealth and poverty is different to everyone, but most everyone wants to dive towards wealth and to stray from poverty. Both Reich and Smith, two philosophers from greatly different times, can both differentiate and agree upon some of the reasons why wealth was so evenly spread during Smiths time and is very much one sided today. These brilliant men write almost as they are having a conversation, and they unfold the truth of why our society today is falling apart. They use many points about why our system is failing along with what is going to happen in the future if we keep following the path we are on, and how we could potentially fix it. But the main question is: Are we going to fix it? And sadly the answer seems to slowly be lingering towards a: No.

In this essay, the author

  • Explains that adam smith and robert b. reich have written about wealth and poverty, and what is affecting their growth.
  • Explains that adam smith was a moral philosopher in economics and professor of moral psychology during the eighteenth century. he saw wealth as it related to country and town.
  • Compares robert b. reich to bill clinton, who was a professor, but he taught public policy. in reich's book, why the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer, the economy was in three boats.
  • Analyzes how reich sees that americans rely heavily on materials and employees from other countries to do the work they do here, but for half the price.
  • Explains that smith believed that things worked pretty well in his time, because everything was give and take.
  • Compares adam smith and robert b. reich's attitudes toward their economic systems. smith has faith in the economy of his people, and believes in it being fair, whereas reich believes that today’s economy is slowly becoming less and less like that of smiths time.
  • Analyzes how smith and reich make opposing points about their economies in a very similar way. in the eighteenth century it would have been more beneficial to buy produce from nearby.
  • Explains that in smiths time, there weren't movie stars that made more money than medical facility workers did. every famous person we ogle over is getting paid for their engaging admiration of them.
  • Explains why there is so much poverty today, fighting against the tides of wealth. they explain how wealth is more difficult to achieve for those who don't have years of school or experience under their belt.
  • Analyzes how reich and smith, two philosophers from greatly different times, can both differentiate and agree upon some of the reasons why wealth was evenly spread during smiths time and is very much one sided today.
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