Wealth: Is It Enough?
Question: Objectivism defends capitalism, and capitalism is associated with wealth and affluence. However, I read instances, mostly published in the religious press, that go something like this: "Mr. X had enormous wealth. He had two vacation homes, a yacht, a gorgeous wife, and two kids attending the finest colleges in the nation. However, he looked back on his life and sadly lamented, ‘Is that all there is?’ He discovered that material possessions do not relieve the emptiness in life. Religion gives a supernatural answer to Mr. X's dilemma." How does Objectivism deal with the "Is that all there is?" question? Answer: In the Objectivist view, pure, laissez-faire capitalism is the "unknown ideal" because it is a social system in which everyone is free to live the life he chooses, respecting the freedom of others. And in the Objectivist view, making money is presumably good, because if it follows from a career of productive achievement, it represents the finest in man and that which is his best mode of living: creation, production, achievement, trade.
Oct 4, 2010
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