Is Capitalism morally wrong?

Question

The question is not, is it the best system, or is there a better system but is it morally sound?

Answer 1

Yes.
It is also destroying the planet.

Answer 2

I don't think that capitalism is morally wrong. You do however find that some capitalists are bad people due to thinking that profits are more important than employees. If you take child labour for example it is a part of the capitalist system which is exploiting people for profit. This is obviously wrong morally and ethically but is the product of an individual capitalist not the system. Capitalism, like most things, can be good or bad. It is all controlled by the people within the system so think of them as morally wrong and you are on the right lines.

Answer 3

Capatalism is the system of turning the human nature for competition and desire to succeed into an economic system that produces goods and services in the most efficient way. The system in effect tries to rationalise the selfish negative things we want into a system that produces the most goods and services for all. The process of their disribution is not governend exclusively by the capatalistic model in any society as governments, whether democratically elected or despotic will influence that distribution. Capatalism therefore cannot be seen as moral or imoral it is the implementation and the choices of the individual governments in how to implement it for the best that are the questions of morality.

If you are looking for an answer to a slightly different question: Is the selection of capatalism as an economic basis for a society the moral choice. Then as it has been proven to be the best underliying model for providing for the needs of societies then yes it is the morally correct choice if the intention is to develop an economic system that regulates it for the benefit of society.

Answer 4

It depends on your morals really.

Total capitalism is probably not morally right but lesser degrees of it may well be more so.

The system we have in this country, which is capitalism with government intervention does have some moral problems, but the government tries to stop the worst ones.

Answer 5

When there is an absence of "gouging". Like the oil companies--when you have no choice--to buy their product, and they can name their price. 10 billion dollars PROFIT in one quarter. This is morally wrong.
Another case is like the sweat shop workers. Paying people below a minimum wage, so the company can profit more. This is morally wrong.
And lastly, a system that sets up supervisors' bonuses, based on the production of their workers. This tends to drive the workers in the ground. Hurt, so what? Ill, faker!! Working too slow, fired!
So, overall the capitalist system is set up so that it can be manipulated by bad people. If done right, I don't think it is morally wrong.

Answer 6

It depends on the a person's morals. Capitalism doesn't make people do immoral things. Good people may participate in it, and their morals guide their conduct. Bad people's behaviour is guided by their own lack of morality. I know 2 companies in the same business in my area. One treats customers well, always tells the truth, and never tries to take advantage of people. The other will be as immoral as they can be without it hurting their business. It's sad that the latter has been more successful just because their standard of conduct is not determined by a sense of morailty; only by the bottom line.

Answer 7

The concept of Morality was invented by man.

Depending on the man, everything is either morally right or wrong.

Some will say yes, others will say no, but at the end of the day, nobody really knows.

Answer 8

The system is morally neutral, if the least inefficient system there is.

How it is run depends on the socio-political historical background and the morality of the people.

As long as there are competitive, free markets of unfettered individuals, free of monopolies and restrictive practices, with a good reward of risk-taking balanced with appropriate help for those who genuinely need it...what could be more moral than that?

Answer 9

The moral basis for capitalism is the right of the individual to receive the rewards due from his efforts, talents and skills, and further, to bear the consequences of his lack of effort or skill.

The rewards are, of course, relative to what the individual produces. There is, therefore, an 'apparent' inequity in that many whose efforts and skills are of great social value -- teachers, police, fire and EMS personnel -- do not receive the kind of monetary rewards granted to CEOs, movie stars and star atheletes. The rewards given to these latter are based on the revenue they generate. The inequity lies not in the pay difference itself, but in the fact that the average person will spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on non-essentials and entertainment while balking at cost-of-living increases for the people who make a community worth living in.

Capitalism does not seem to foster greed or dishonety more than any other system. Our high priority on individual rights necessitates allowing each person to make these decisions for him/her-self and freedom of choice is always an opportunity for selfish choices. Made a few in my time, myself.

Answer 10

Free enterprise it not morally wrong, but capitalism as it is practiced today is!

There is no competition! )One percent of America owns 90% of the wealth, and those who were used as a means to that end, the unemployed and the poor, who you love to denigrate, are the people who pay the biggest price with their lives! Who do you think the buffer is between supply and demand?

People are paid millions to mismanage companies like GM! Now Ford is laying off 1/3 of its employees!

In short, it is morally bankrupt and the user and killer of millions with asbestos's, the poisoning of our lands and waters among a million other practices, like working 11 year olds 12 hours a day!

And those it tosses aside they feel no responsibility for! WE have to pay for them!

Answer 11

Sadly capitalism is as faulty as communisim is we just havent reached the pinacle yet. As long as our nature makes us greedy then neither system works only when it becomes our nature to look after each other(which at the moment only seems to be when in crisis) will we find a system which works