"At the Center of the Universe: The Rise of the Science of Economics and the Idea of Gain, Conclusion

The Rise of the Science of Economics and the Idea of Gain -- Conclusion

Although it is only some of the people, all of whose motive is gain all of the time, yet it seems that for at least most of the people, some of their motive is gain most of the time. In other words, although it is the minority for whom gain is always the overriding consideration, nearly everyone sometimes has gain as at least part of his or her motive. Most people are sophisticated to the point that rarely do they do anything purely for a single motive.

The pervasiveness of gain in our culture and its full legitimacy suggest that it enters into many decisions. The extremes and the ambiguous middle are carried over into the material goals people set themselves: Some of these are pure need, some are pure extravagance and gain, and most have elements of both in differing proportions.

Although it is difficult to isolate it, it should be clear now that it is demonstrable that gain is a motive in modern life -- and an important one.

Another, more personal way to demonstrate the presence of this motive in ourselves is by monitoring our reactions to others who lack this motive. Having made a deliberate choice to isolate themselves from these aspects of modern culture, the Yerushalmis mentioned earlier are largely insulated from artificial desires. The bounty of the modern economy is such that few lack the necessities of life even if (not surprisingly) many still suffer from want. Concerned, as they mainly are, with what they need, it is easier for those Yerushalmis to be happy with what they have, to appreciate the essential limits of the flesh, and to channel their longing for increase towards Torah, the are of spirit, intellect and character.

Back to first page

To main page

Notes

(1) This is not meant to imply that there is no such motive, but only that it is not obvious what it could be, and that it certainly could not be for any physical end.

(2) Smith, Adam, The Wealth of Nations (New York: Modern Library, 1937), p. 14.

(3) Heilbroner, Robert, The Worldly Philosophers (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966), p. 20.

(4) Polanyi, Karl, The Great Transformation (Boston: Beacon Press, 1944), p. 37.

(5) Ibid., p. 43.

(6) Babylonian Talmud, Megilla 4b. See also second comment of Rashi there.

(7) Mumford, Lewis, Technics and Human Development (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1967), p. 5.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws