Most people believe capitalism is a compromise with selfish human
nature. As Adam Smith put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the
butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from
their regard to their own interest." Capitalism works better than
socialism, according to this thinking, only because we are not kind
and generous enough to make socialism work. If we were saints, we
would be socialists. In Why Not Capitalism?, Jason Brennan attacks
this widely held belief, arguing that capitalism would remain the best
system even if we were morally perfect. Even then, private property
and free markets would be the best way to realize mutual cooperation,
social justice, harmony, and prosperity. Socialists seek to capture
the moral high ground by showing that ideal socialism is morally
superior to realistic capitalism. But, Brennan responds, ideal
capitalism is superior to ideal socialism, and so capitalism beats
socialism at every level. Clearly, engagingly, and at times
provocatively written, Why Not Capitalism? will cause readers of all
political persuasions to re-evaluate where they stand vis-à-vis
economic priorities and systems—as they exist now and as they might
be improved in the future. In this expanded second edition, Brennan
responds to his critics throughout the book and provides two new,
final chapters. One argues against egalitarianism in a capitalist
utopia because egalitarianism frequently misdiagnoses the problems
(for example, the problem with poverty isn’t that poor people have
less but that they don’t have enough). The other new chapter shows
that we don’t need to be angels in an anarchic utopia, but merely
decent people who are willing to adhere to four undemanding moral
principles.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781040018101
Publisert
2024
Utgave
2. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Routledge
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter