| This question <1013|41> overall <35|37> Chance: <963|37>. |
| Question 10: Name some elements of wealth which even in modern capitalist society cannot be bought and sold. |
| [36] Chance: In society, wealth is often times power. Furthermore, there is the common phrase that “knowledge is power.” I therefore believe that knowledge itself is wealth. Personal, inner knowledge cannot be bought and sold. One can obtain it, but not through buying it. Additionally, one can have knowledge and share it, but its essence cannot be sold. |
| Hans: First of all I want to commend you for your willingness to go below the surface: you are looking for a deeper concept (namely power) lurking behind the concept of wealth. This is what Marx is all about. However I do not agree with the logical conclusion which you are trying to draw here -- mainly because I think the concept of wealth is a deeper concept than that of power. When you say: “in society, wealth is often times power,” you mean “wealth is a source of power.” And “knowledge is power” is an abbreviation of “knowledge is a source of power.” If both are sources of power, this does not imply that both are identical. After this nitpicking on the logic of your argument let me hasten to add that I agree with your result that the knowledge, know-how and experience of the people working in a society is part of the wealth of that society. |
| [36] Chance: Another form of wealth in the business world today is experience. Having the know-how to make good decisions and guide a business in the right direction. Successful managers and owners often rely upon past experiences which have taught them valuable lessons. This type of experience which helps one make future decsions cannot be bought and sold. Experience is a form of wealth. Again, it can be obtained, but not through a purchase/sell agreement. Finally, in my personal life, one of my greatest “wealth's” is happiness. Being truly happy, having an inner satisfaction and peace is a very valuable form of wealth to possess. However, from my experience, happiness cannot be bought and sold. Albeit, monetary wealth can bring temporary satisfaction and happiness, but is not sustainable. Happiness comes from other sources. The point however is that happiness is wealth in my life. |
| Hans: I see you making two different arguments here: |
| (1) Knowledge and experience are part of social wealth which cannot be bought and sold. But you neglect to mention that if you have the money you can hire people who are knowledgeable and put them to use on almost any project. |
| (2) Happiness is wealth. I disagree. Happiness is desirable but it is not wealth. By equating happiness with wealth you are making it easier for yourself to accept the scandalous inequality of the distribution of wealth in our society -- by the implicit argument: “true wealth cannot be bought and sold”. My own point of view is: instead of distorting our thinking so that it will be easier for us to accept the status quo, it is our duty to face the unpleasant facts squarely and to think what we can do about them. |
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