Capitalism and Theories of History
Capitalism is as financially rewarding as it is existentially significant
The abundance of goods, services, wealth, and leisure of the present create a deeper appreciation for the struggles of those in the past.
Which means that with each passing day that capitalism brings us so much stuff, wealth, and health, the more meaningful the moments of yesteryear become.
Or, to go further, the wealthier we become the more history is enriched by our gratitude for those who endured hardships before us.
Which is all the more reason to celebrate entrepreneurship, open markets, and innovation.
Because compared to other competing views of history the capitalist perspective imbues the present, past, and future with an ever increasing existential significance as profit margins and GDPs soar.
Other theories are more bleak.
In progressivism, history -- or the story of human struggle -- is to be brought to an end by a self-righteous bureaucratic elite whose pure intentions and philosophical brilliance is presumed to be enough to eliminate human struggle.
Which means the value and meaning of the past are diminished because of their utopian expectations of the future.
In the traditional conservative view history is an eternal reflection of God’s goodness, which means that the meaning of history never improves or declines. It stays a continuous and timeless essence whose value is indeterminate to everyone except God.
And in the eastern view history is nothing more than a continuous cycle of life and death, whose only value is in escaping it through the attainment of religious perfection called nirvana.
Again meaning neither the past nor present have any existential significance.
Only capitalism multiplies the meaning of the past, present, and future as economies grow and people prosper.
Which is why it’s the best. Capitalism transforms economic prosperity into existential significance in the marketplace of our minds, while paying out huge dividends on the hopeful ambitions of our heroic hearts.
Zigmund Reichenbach has an M.A. in Philosophy from West Chester University and is a professional advocate for less government. You can help him combat bad ideas in politics and philosophy by donating to his work athttps://ko-fi.com/zigmundreichenbach .
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