Capitalism Advanaces Society
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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 self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages...-Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
In 1820, over 90 percent of the world lived in extreme poverty. In 1990 around 30 percent of the world lived in extreme poverty. Today, less than 10 percent of the world's population lives in extreme poverty.-Redd, Ivey. “Capitalism, the Greatest Economic System Ever: Yip Institute (Opinion Article).” RSS, Institute for Youth in Policy, 6 Aug. 2022, https://www.yipinstitute.com/article/capitalism-the-greatest-economic-system-ever.
Trade is central to ending global poverty. Countries that are open to international trade tend to grow faster, innovate, improve productivity and provide higher income and more opportunities to their people. Open trade also benefits lower-income households by offering consumers more affordable goods and services. -“Stronger Open Trade Policies Enable Economic Growth for All.” World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2018/04/03/stronger-open-trade-policies-enables-economic-growth-for-all#:~:text=Countries%20that%20are%20open%20to,more%20opportunities%20to%20their%20people.
Capitalism is the solution that has been ending poverty in all corners of the world and will continue to do so. It will squash political and economic inequality that have stood in the way of progress. It has and will keep the world more secure and connected. It has produced innovations like the Covid Vaccine which has saved millions of lives. It has proven that personal interest and self-love are truly guided by the invisible hand to advance change and enduring social progress, to make the world more peaceful, healthier, wealthier, better, and more equal.
Capitalism never promised a perfect society, nor preach its own perfection, yet it has, is, and will always be the most perfect economic system. Capitalism has always been at the forefront of making society better and the world safer.
Capitalism opens the door for innovation. Innovation makes healthcare more wholesome. It makes food and beverages safer.
Though, the logical application of the contender's specific evidence is fallacious and questionable at best. How does ecoli in cookie dough prove that capitalism does not progress society? I never said capitalism was perfect and ensures absolute progress, the thesis was that capitalism advances society.
- Nestle has a terrible reputation because it uses the privileges of Capitalism to do evil.
- E-Coli is just one of many examples of how a popular company can do harmful things under Capitalism.
- Nestle also funded a chocolate plantation company that was trafficking children for labor.
No matter what there are problems with any solution, and issues arise through the cracks. Saying cookie dough or drying of a water source by a company is proof that capitalism does not advance society is dubious.
To prove the point, here is some proof. While the contender argues that Nestlé using a water source up, capitalism has produced unrivaled innovation. This innovation includes desalination which has made the desert green and quench people's thirst.
- "The State Water Resources Control Board estimates that open ocean intakes used by coastal power plants in California kill 70 billion fish larvae and other marine life on an annual basis. These same open ocean intakes are being proposed for use at desalination plants throughout California."
Innovation is made possible by the afformentioned inherently selfishness of the human race. Capitalism makes this into solutions to fix problems. To cure diseases, to quench thirst, to feed the hungry. Through these advancements, all of these become cheaper.
The best way to demonstrate how much capitalism has advanced society, is to look how a society can go backward.In Venezuela, the former richest country in South America, is now the poorest since embracing socialism. The people are now eating rats, drinking dirty water, or not drinking at all, and living in filth. While their leaders eat up resources and lives a luxurious lifestyle.
Maybe I am crazy, but in my book a society is more advanced when it is freer and the government leaves the people alone. When people can choose their place of employment and how they spend their money. A society is more advanced when it makes it possible to drag people out of poverty. It is more advanced when it makes food cheaper. It is more advanced when it can make water drinkable. It is undeniably more advanced when it can feed, clothe, and provide quality services for less, and the government does not spoil the good brought about by individual autonomy and freedom, which will bring about the progression of the entire world, of which has been fought for. Liberty is the best policy, and it will always be.
PRO fails to provide definitions, set burden of proof, or the wincons for PRO and CON. Such provision is the responsibility of the instigator and oversight of those responsibilities leaves a big opportunity open for the the contender to exploit.
PRO presents several points in favor of capitalism as an economic system. PRO suggests that capitalism promotes innovation, which can improve healthcare and make products cheaper and more available. PRO also argues that capitalism has helped to reduce poverty around the world and has decentralized wealth from governments and oligarchs. PRO cites Adam Smith's concept of the invisible hand to suggest that individual self-interest leads to overall societal benefit. PRO contends that capitalism promotes free trade, which can drive economic growth and reduce global poverty.
CON wisely defines terms, burdens, and wincon but I think CON misses a big opportunity to qualify PRO's burden. That is, showing that Capitalism advances society to some degree in some situations is a very low burden to meet and conventional wisdom (at least in the West) gives PRO a powerful advantage. PRO's failure to define gave CON an oppotunity to set PRO's burden much higher- that in the aggregate, the advances of Global Society outpace the impediments imposed on that society by Free Trade- a much, much higher pole to vault.
CON argues that capitalism has been associated with unemployment and has contributed to economic downturns like the Great Depression. It is also true that some companies and individuals have taken advantage of their employees or exploited resources for their own profit, and that this can have negative consequences for workers and the environment. These are important issues that should be considered when evaluating the impact of capitalism but CON arguement feels like mere problem-finding rather than actually comparing Capitalist economies to non-Capitalist ecomies and demonstrating superior employment numbers, less exploitation, etc in those economies.
In R2, PRO does a good job of setting aside CON's complaints and making a case for the big picture." I never said capitalism was perfect and ensures absolute progress, the thesis was that capitalism advances society." I particularly like PRO's offering of specific examples Capitalist Venezuala rejected capitalism and went into retrograde: Communist China embraced capitalism and rapidly advanced. I really, really wish PRO had backed these examples with solid objective sourcing that directly linked capitalism to progress.
CON stuck with specific drawbacks in R2 and never really went to the heart of the wincon: societal advancement. Sure, desalination might pollute but does such innovation and big water projects lead to societal advancement overall? PRO say yes, CON never really makes a case against. CON's example of slave trade furthers his exploitation argument but I think weakens his unemployment argument: no slaves are ever unemployed. Is slavery only a feature of Capitalist economies? No, of course it isn't. I think CON's last point on environmental stress had great potential: sure the Industrial Revolution made us all less poor but if Earth becomes uninhabitable as a result, the society was let down.
Both sides had points but PRO got away with a very low bar to achieve: Capitalism advances society. PRO did show that the terrible scourge of human poverty has been improved and that increased innovation has a track record for solving problems that come up, even problems created by capitalism.
Arguments to PRO. Good, if sometimes subjective sourcing on both sides. Excellent grammer and conduct all around. Well done.
I'll try to get to this one this weekend, but if not I'll get to it during the week.
Interesting proposition. I'm a thorough capitalist, but it might be fun.
On a side note, I'd like to say that Adam Smith's version of capitalism is better than the versions that came later, and all your concerns are addressed.
He was supportive of progressive taxation.
He was for a free market and free trade, with limited regulation.
He was against slavery on ethical grounds, because that meant peoplee could not choose their employment or control their lives.
He was against colonialism, because he viewed it as unjustified.
He thought governments need to work on public work and infrastructure, and he was for public education, and maybe even a limited welfare state.
hello there, let me introduce myself. I am a spanish guy studying in UCM (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) first year of philosophy. I am doing a proyect of philosophical anthropology related with the lack of debate between people. Because of that I wanted to interview people who wanted to debate, i found somehow this website and i think that u guys have a really respectfull and good dialogue in general. The deadline for the proyect is the 9th of january, so if u are interested pls write me as early as u can, ty all :D
I cannot vote. And I would never vote for a capitalist.
Want to do a debate where I defend Capitalism and you defend Socialism?
Would you like to vote? Seems like you have some good opinions.
Thanks, great talking to you. Just on a side note, I think capitalism is the best, because all alternatives I feel are worse. There are serious issues with capitalism, and my utopia of no regulation is unreasonable, yet I feel a good thing to strive for. Great conversation.
I'll vote on this later when I get time
Would you guys like to vote?
Welcome to the site! And good conversation!
Con wins this because the word "Advanaces" doesnt exist.
Thats why societies with more Capitalism are more advanced. People have a lot of food, and video games, and a pretty low chance of being raped or hit by a car. Everyone in Capitalism is rich. There are stores everywhere. Food is very healthy. You will not get fat. And pollution is almost non-existent. The cost of rent is low and you can always dig a hole in a local forest and live there.