Corruption in Capitalism

CAPITALISM
DOES IT CREATE UNITY WITHIN SOCIETY, OR DOES IT DISCONNECT US FROM ONE ANOTHER?

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Today, prominent figures continue to warn society that capitalism creates a divide within the human economy. Instead of creating a system of balances, capitalism severs relationships and creates a hierarchy of power. Pope Francis argues that the benefits of capitalism are overshadowed by its negative effects.

In the book The Gift, author Lewis Hyde describes the consequences that come from a gift economy versus capitalism’s commodifying characteristic. He states,

The cardinal difference between gift and commodity exchange [is] that a gift establishes a feeling-bond between the two people, while the sale of a commodity leaves no necessary connection.

WHAT IT CAPITALISM?

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In order to understand the dangers of commodification, it is essential to first understand the beginnings of capitalism. The rise of capitalism began after monumental events, such as the exploration of America, and the Black Death, occurred. Class systems that had financially struggled in England, now began to economically prosper due to these events. People now found themselves with more money than they had previously experienced. According to Graeber, this sudden prosperity created a consumer culture, where people could spend their income, not only on necessities, but also on lavish goods. Thus emerges the economic system, capitalism, where men created businesses, also known as markets, in order to profit from this surplus of money. At the most basic level Graeber defines markets in capitalism as Ways of exchanging good through the medium of money…capitalism is first and foremost the art of using money to get more money (M-C-M). 

 Thus, the focus of capitalism is to increase profit and personal gain.

BEFORE CRITICIZING CAPITALISM WAS COOL

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But before Pope Francis and other skeptics questioned the idea of capitalism, another man prophetically warned the public of its dangers, his name, Ben Jonson. Ben Jonson was a popular playwright during the seventeenth century, who was known for his satirical plays and risqué content. Jonson wrote the satire Epicene for the stage. Although the play is meant to make us laugh and question the sanity and morality of these characters, I believe that it contains more than just satirical humor. It is through this play that he subtly declares his true views on capitalism and its corruptive characteristics. Jonson codes his political views through his characters and their relationships with one another. It is only by decoding the symbolism within these relationships that readers can interpret his underlying message; connections create humanity, and capitalism stunts relationships.