Good in Theory: A Political Philosophy Podcast 20 - Do Free Markets Make Free Humans? Interview with Jeffrey Bercuson
Jan 18, 2021
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Ancient Suspicion of Commerce
- Ancient thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas viewed commercial life with suspicion.
- They believed that money-making distracted from higher pursuits like philosophy and virtue.
Modern Debates Oversimplified
- Modern debates about commerce often contrast laissez-faire capitalism with interventionism.
- Bercuson suggests this view is simplistic and ignores nuances in historical thinkers' ideas.
Shifting Views on Commerce
- Machiavelli and Hobbes began to challenge the traditional negative view of commerce.
- They saw the pursuit of wealth as a natural human drive that could be a basis for social order.