Is Greed Good?

[Akvod]

stof said:

Chairman-Mao said:
Without greed/capitalism there would be far less inventions/discoveries.

Christopher Columbus wasn't an explorer, he was a businessman looking for a new way to India so he could trade goods. He was a capitalist. Without him all of us in North America would be natives.

And talking more modernly...do you think Bill Gates made Windows for the good of the people? Haha hell no he made it to make $$$, and thanks to him we all have computers.

Greed is good to a certain extent.

 

You know, there used to be civilizations of millions of people who might not have seen that as a particularly good argument for the beneficial powers of greed.

Anyways, the very definition of greed is that the wish for self gain and wealth is excessive. Lots of the things people do for money (even a crap load of money) isn't greed.

Although I disagree with that definition of greed, going with that definition isn't it the desire to live beyond our needs, luxury, what drives consumerism? Our strive for utility? Our strive to not simply produce for our families, but produce excess (which leads to specialization), trade them, etc? How do you define "excessive"? Utility, although marginally deminishing, is always increasing. Net utility, can be increased with specialization and productivity. What's excessive? Basic needs today have been the luxury of yesterday. We live like kings today because of economic progress, and economic progress is driven by greed, the desire for happiness (or love, life, etc).