The Nature Of Morals In Capitalism
Morality – the belief that some behavior is right and acceptable and that other behavior is wrong (“Collins English Dictionary”). Capitalism is an economic system that’s been the cause of industrialization for centuries ever since the fall of feudalism. Although this may be the case for capitalism, it’s been criticized from many viewpoints; both political and religious. It’s been criticized for being exploitative to workers, that it creates economic inequality, that it leads the downfall of human rights, and criticized upon its standards. Yet as Collins English Dictionary stated, in paraphrased terms, morality is when one is free to choose between right and wrong without any outside coercion.
Capitalism is based upon the freedom of choice, meaning it provides an surrounding based upon ethical values and an environment where one develops and improves their character. On top of this, to be successful, in business terms, you are not only required, but rewarded upon having and showing high moral standards by members of the free market. Morality is based upon the freedom of choice. To be or not to be.
As Shakespeare wrote, “To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?”. This excerpt exaggerates the fact that morality is based of one’s choice, they have the freedom to choose to be “nobler” or to “end them”. This shows that every individual have their own natural rights and have the choice to respect one another’s rights. Dr. Edward Younkins states, “Natural rights impose a negative obligation – the obligation not to interfere with one's liberty. Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another with respect to his life, liberty, or possessions. It is illegitimate to use coercion against a man who does not first undertake the use of force.
The role of government is to protect man's natural rights through the use of force, but only in retaliation, and only against those who initiate its use. ” This sort of freedom is significantly more complicated than democracy, due to the fact that it protects one’s morality and natural rights, which everyone has, but upon different viewpoints. It requires an private surrounding, where one could seek his standards, activities, and finish without being intervened by others. This figure of freedom is significant, yet complicated, but needed in order to have individual morality. An economic and social system, for example, capitalism is an arrangement of connections and can't be moral or indecent as a mankind could be; only people can be the moral operators, which makes morality the freedom of choice. To be or not to be.
Although, this may be the case for capitalism, it has the probability to be moral in its own ways, such as the chance that it advances the likelihood and probability of good moral behavior by people who act inside it. It pursues to the point at which there is an ethical value, where it may be able to create a political and economic system allowing the determination of one and one’s morals. Capitalism is the system perfect to advance the goodness of one’s moral behaviors.
