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Deborah Martin
Ms. Rand
UWRT 1102-038
April 2, 2015

Why are humans the only species on the planet that pay money to live, and is this system of
capitalism a blessing or a curse?

This is a very interesting thought provoker. Take a second to consider how there has been
a lack of demonstration surrounding the in-depth history and psychology of capitalism. Humans
are of course the most intelligent species on the planet. We have the greatest potential to do and
be the best, as we have the same potential to do the worst. Think about it: of course this money
system is the way of the world, and always has been, but human society is created by our own
actions, and with that being said, it is very important to examine the human heart and how it can
be and was manipulated by the institution of capitalism and power.
Coupled with common knowledge and background information about the beginning of
capitalism, my initial perception of capitalism was that the motive behind it involved greed and
exploitation. Yes, America is the land of the free, but nothing is free, is it? We pay for absolutely
everything. For instance, watereven a complimentary cup from time to time is fifty cents! Why
are we paying for resources that are and have already been here?
I also asked if capitalism was a compliment or a curse because it is a bit confusing how
the world has enough food for every person in the world, yet people are still dying everyday
from hunger. Sure capitalism has been the most effective mode of production in the history of

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mankind, considering all of the technological advancements, rises in life expectancy, etc., but it
is also at odds with itself considering the fact that when we cannot afford the basic necessities,
they are taken away, as if they are given as a privilege.
I have noticed along with capitalism, that institutions in general keep the weak,
inadequate. Vast wealth co-exists with poverty, as the inequality gap between the rich and the
poor grows continuously. Why? Because the greed of capitalists relies on the exploitation of
wage laborers. Think about how industries pump pollutants into the environment when methods
of production that are less ruinous could easily be utilized. Why is this happening? Because of
the profits that are made.
With all this being said, not are we paying for resources that are suppose to be here for
everybody, but it also seems like the system is hogging them only for those with money. I felt the
need to challenge this question because part of me feels like this system was inevitable to happen
because it currently feels like it will never end, but research reveals the historical conditions that
caused social change, transforming our society overtime were not at all inevitable.
This question may be philosophical, but I want our society to question the system weve
relied on for what seems forever. According to The Spiral of Capitalism, capitalism is an
organization system of resistance to exploitation and domination (Boswell, 6). I have looked into
the facts about the development and how such an expansion took place. I have drawn
conclusions and I have built my own answer to this question by studying the motivation behind
capitalism and making comparisons with its maturation that we see today.
Although the human race is sought out to be the most intellectual species in the world,
the overwhelming, and dramatic changes in supply and demand, and economical default, has
clouded the judgment of many. However, without the twisted art of capitalism, the America we

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inhabit today would not exist, nor be as powerful as it is. For example, during the era or the
nomads, hunter-gatherers would walk around aimlessly from place to place looking for shelter,
food, and resources. They merely relied on trade, findings, and each other for their survival. The
issue with any and all governments, is the fact that not every living person can be helped or
provided for, so by establishing a structured system to insure the prosperity of the majority, an
outbreak of ideas, teachings, and new ways of thinking would soon emerge and create the
America of today.
Another aspect to highlight is that not every country in the world has a government
system. There are still places where other forms or payment are allowed, or where a government
doesnt exist at all. Looking outside the U.S, and into developing countries, one can see the
conspicuous differences in wealth, education, and everyday living. They do not have a stable
government system which, honestly, is the main reason for them to be in the situation they are in.
During the nomad era, hunter-gatherers had no formal education or any understanding of
what a civilization consists of. However, as time went on, the changes that occurred during the
coming years expanded the mindset that influenced modern day perspectives. For example, if a
present day person was to be brought to a completely new surrounding and a new form of
establishment, that individual would have to become accustomed to his new surrounding in order
to survive. So why are humans the only species that pay to live on this planet? Because were
smart enough to realize the potential destruction it could bring us, had we not had major reforms
in establishing a government.
Imagine a world where all people could obtain human necessities and desires and
never having to pay for it. Though this may sound appealing, the human race could not survive
with that much unlimited freedom. The idealistic perception of capitalism is built on the

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foundation of a buyer and a seller. Without capitalism, jobs wouldnt exist because the price of
living is free. Without structured jobs in place, facilities such as schools, prisons, and other
government appointed positions would virtually not exist. Even if capitalism is the epitome of
greed, it produces sustainable, and realistic long-term outcomes. Digging deeper however,
another questions arises. Do we really pay to live, or do we pay to live certain lifestyle? Life
itself is very much free.
A person could decide to live in a cave and be sustained by natural resources that are
already there. However, no one wants to live in a cave and eat berries for the rest of their lives.
Theres a quote by Edward Abbey, from the article, The Journey Home: Some Words in defense
of the American West, that states, Greed for the sake of greed is the ideology of the cancer
cell. This quote reflects on the contagious acceleration of greed through capitalism, in like that
of a cancer cell. Its starts off small and tamed, but gradually gets bigger and ultimately so out of
hand that there is no way of having capitalism without greed being involved. With that being
said, humans are more than capable of surviving with the basic necessities provided by nature (as
it has been done before), however the fear of loosing materialistic avidity has a much stronger
hold on us.
It wasnt only the progression of the human mind that cultivated the capitalistic society
we live in today, but also the technological advances that put the foundation of capitalism
(supply and demand), through the roofs. It would be an understatement to say that as technology
began to advance, it created a wide divide in society. For example when the telephone was first
invented, only the wealthy could afford it, but that did not deter the poor. They worked day and
night striving to get a phone. By the time the family works hard enough to finally buy a phone,
theyve already come out with the next best thing, and so the cycle continues. Its the exact same

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evolution of acquisitiveness we see in modern day communism. A co-worker has the i-Phone 6
so you the i-Phone 6, and when you have it, you feel equal to that person. Its that equivocal
hunger and desire to feel a part of something in the society we live in that fuels the fire of
communism.
A more positive outlook on capitalism is that it allowed, and continues to allow for the
build up of jobs. Without certain regulations being placed in the capitalistic polices, many of the
jobs that we have in place would not exist. Due to this system of government people have the
opportunity to provide a stable lifestyle for themselves and their families. I dont think the
intentions of capitalism was ever to hurt anyone, rather, I believe it was to create a society so
great that it would carry on to be everlasting.
Nothing is so important, that it cant be done safely. In my opinion, I think Capitalism
is a necessary, sustainable, and beneficial system of government. Without it, the American
economy would virtually be a joke. Time is very timeless and waits for no one. Had we had
stayed in the same place we were in even just 50 years ago, America the Great would not have
been established. However, why is that we dont take more of an emulation to ensure the well
being of others? None of us asked to come into this world, so it should be an obligation for the
government whom we pay, to make sure our basic needs are met.
This is where the question whether capitalism is a blessing or a curse enters. To do this, I
want to introduce one of Karl Marxs ideas that of class struggle. In one of his best works Das
Kapital, he sets out to explain the 19th century world in historical and philosophical terms (Green,
Capitalism and Socialism). Marx explains that the focus is not on the class; it is on the struggle.
Essentially this means that he believed that classes dont necessarily struggle to make history, but
its actually the struggle that makes classes individually into themselves. He expounds that ideas

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through conflict, classes identify a sense of themselves, and without conflict there is no such
thing as class-consciousness. Marx was writing in the 19th century in which at that time, two
classes mattered: the capitalists, who owned most factors of production like land and the capital
to invest in factories, and the workers, who just had their labor.
Even the class struggle back then was between capitalists who want labor at the lowest
possible price, and the laborers, who want to be paid as much as possible for their work. Two
keys that underlie this theory was that one, Marx believed that work, or production was the one
thing that gave life meaning, and that two, we as humans by nature are social animals who are
more efficient when we share work together, and share ideas and resources. This is where we see
the positives of capitalism. Marxs criticism of capitalism was that capitalism replaced
egalitarian collaboration with conflict, which means that it isnt a natural system after all (Green,
Capitalism and Socialism). The well being of everyone in the world doesnt seem to matter in the
eye of capitalism.
According to Darren Poynton, by studying capitalism it is revealed that human society is
not the result of some eternal logic or divine law, but it is created through our own actions as we
need and use them everyday (Poynton, The Rise of Capitalism).
In the words of Darren Poynton, wemustfullyunderstandthefullpowerofmarket
imperatives,oftheneedtoaccumulatecapitalandoftheneedtoraisetheproductivityoflabor.
Wemustalsohaveaclearideaoftheirorigins.Oncewecanbegintoanswerhowandwhy
societyworksinthewayitdoeswearealreadysomewaytowardsunderstandingwhatcouldbe
donetochangeit(Poynton,TheRiseofCapitalism).

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1. What was the most interesting thing you learned in this inquiry process?
The most interesting thing that I learned is that there are places in the world where
countries can actually survive and sustain without government authority.
2. What did you struggle with during the research and/or writing process? How did you
overcome this obstacle?
I admit that in the process of researching this particular dimension of capitalism was quite
difficult because many of my sources were very repetitive.
3. Did your inquiry question change over time? If so, how did it change, and why do you
think it changed?
It did not change too, rather it just expanded more. I think my thoughts started
accumulating even more after I started finding out different aspects of capitalism and the
positive outlook on it as well.
4. Why is it important to look at a historical view of your topic/question?
I think its very important to look into the history of it because history has the tendency of
repeating itself. It also helped me to better understand the root of my question and to
create a possible hypothesis as to what could happen in the future.
5. Do you think your analytical/evaluation skills have changed as a result of the inquiry
project? If so, how?
Actually, yes. It has made me realize that not everything is really what it seems. Theres
so much more behind supply and demand that we dont know or care to think about
because we are the consumers. It has made me more aware of the greedy society that we
live in.
6. What are you most proud of in this process?
Im most proud that I actually learned something from this paper and that it wasnt just
another project to do. I really feel like I know more about how our economic system is
built, and I think thats a very important piece of information that will be useful.
7. What more would you like to know about this subject?
I would like to know more about how we can keep the ideas of capitalism without having
to sacrifice our moral grounds for a government system.

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Works Cited

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1. Abbey, Edward. "Quotes About Capitalism." (502 Quotes). N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.
2. Boswell, Terry, and Christopher K. Chase-Dunn. The Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism:
Toward Global Democracy. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000. Print.
3. Green, John. "Capitalism and Socialism: Crash Course World History #33." YouTube.
YouTube, 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
4. Poynton, Darren. The Rise of Capitalism. Rep. The Socialist Party Of Great Britain, Aug.
2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.