The Moral Assumptions Of Laissez Faire Capitalism Essay

In this essay the moral assumptions behind laissez faire capitalism will be examined and critiqued from the viewpoint of a Christian morality, culminating in a conclusion as to what, if any, forms of capitalist society are morally acceptable from a Christian perspective. We I speak of Capitalism what I mean is an economic system where the industries of a country are controlled privately for profit, and when I say laissez faire capitalism what I mean is that system with little to no social regulation or redistribution of profit. For our purposes we will focus on the two uniting moral principles of laissez faire capitalism. The first of these principles is that each individual acts in a way that most clearly benefits him and him alone. This focus on the individual self is the driving force behind and the motivation in capitalistic ventures. As such, the virtue rewarded by capitalism is not a virtue of charity or even really self interest alone, but success in behaving in a way that is self interested. The second principle is that this behavior is just on grounds related to private property. That is to say, that each individual has an absolute and unassailable right to that which they have created, earned, or been given. The society itself has no or else very little right to the fruits of their labor, and certainly the poor have none at all. It must be seen immediately that from a Christian ethical perspective that the absolute right of the individual to do as they will withShow MoreRelatedThe Wealth Of Nations By Adam Smith1659 Words   |  7 PagesAdam Smith, the author of â€Å"The Wealth of Nations†, was a Scottish moral philosopher during the Industrial Revolution who was inspired by his surroundings to write about the field of economics. 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