There are many forms of giving, but only one that generates general prosperity: capitalism. It does not begin with exchange, but with giving. It is not the state that creates prosperity, but the entrepreneur and businessman. The cause of mass prosperity is individuals, specific people, their actions and their ideas.
Does trade among nations promote peace? The liberal-minded Enlightenment affirmed this under the phrase “doux commerce.” At present, however, we are witnessing how economically closely linked nations are at war with each other.
Economics is not a zero-sum game. In exchange, both sides always benefit. Exchange is the soul of the market and creates added value, and does so in a way that benefits everyone involved. A plea for economic enlightenment.
The pioneers of modern economics were moral theologians of the Middle Ages. Petrus Johannis Olivi discovered, among other things, “capital,” the subjective theory of value, and distinguished interest from usury. He thus paved the way for a positive view of commercial activity.
Even though few self-identify as Marxists, many of the Marx’s ideas remain in fashion. In particular, his denigration of capitalists and entrepreneurs as stealing from workers, and his failure to identify their effective beneficence, remain quite popular.
