Let's go back to one of the earliest sources and see what Adam Smith had
to say about this in 1776 in his "Wealth of Nations." [Note: While it is
awkward to ignore all the masculine references in this quotation, the
point is still clearly made.]
"But man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it
is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be
more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his own favor
and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he
requires of them.
"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.
We address ourselves not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and
never talk of our own necessities, but of their advantages. ... And thus,
the certainty of being able to exchange all that surplus part of the
produce of his own labor, which is over and above his own consumption, for
such parts of other men's labor as he may have occasion for, encourages
every man to apply himself to a particular occupation, and to cultivate
and bring to perfection whatever talent or genius he may possess ...."
I'm one of the last to justify the excesses and human costs of capitalism
and hope that some day someone smarter than I will find a way to correct
them without destroying the system's positive results. I fear it is too
much to expect (and counter to fundamental human psychology) that we will
see a time when everyone is motivated to work as hard for the good of
others as they are now motivated to work for their own benefit. How much
better, as Adam Smith puts so well, to arrange the system so that the
motivation toward personal reward also results in common good. Our
challenge, I believe, is to try to arrange the system better not throw it
out.
John W. Gunkler
jgunkler@sprintmail.com
--"John Gunkler" <jgunkler@sprintmail.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>