Capitalism, in its purest form, is a philosophical ideology that embraces the idea that all people are sinners. Capitalism is a system that enables humans to utilize a sin few of us can escape, our own self-interest, and harness that driving force for the good of everyone. In a purely capitalist system, the root of everything is self-preservation and selfishness.
Selfishness as a Benefit
The idea of self-preservation is a strong underlying ideology in the purist’s ideal of capitalism. We all want to survive; capitalism just enables all of us to work toward our own ideologies. The system is designed to tap into the potential of sin, akin to turning an idea on its head.
Capitalism is frequently perceived as a moral dilemma for this reason. Surely, there must be some pull by God or human morality? In fact there exist no such dilemmas except the ones that humans instill into the debate.
In places like Russia, where information collection for something simple like a payday loan can be extremely invasive, the concept of a “free” market has been taken to the extreme. Clearly, some intervention is required at certain phases of business life, but the pursuit of success leads to many benefits.
Apple, for example, has a ripple effect that moves across the globe. Apple products create jobs all over the world, and satisfy an important need for consumers, all while generating a massive profit. Apple isn’t going to give that money to charity, although some argue the company should. Instead, the company funds development of more products. It selfishly invests in itself, to the benefit of people all over the globe.
Capitalism isn’t the simplest moral concept, but the purity of the idea is frequently obscured or ignored.
