Capitalism and Morality

July 18, 2021

There’s something strange about billionaires flying into space to try out space tourism. Fly up, just beyond the atmosphere, return back down. The only goal? Do something that has only recently become possible. 

This is how capitalism works. Companies need to make a profit, which can happen in a number of ways: lowering costs, raising prices, widening the available market, manufacturing a brand new good to sell. As a product takes off, more companies start producing that product, forcing innovators to either improve upon an existing product, make that same product cheaper, or find a new product to sell.

There are a host of ways this process can be immoral, whether by lowering costs at the expense of the workers or consumers, raising prices on necessary products at the expense of the consumer, or forcing other countries to allow your company to sell your product there. Or you can find new products to sell by convincing people that a previously taboo item or activity is no longer taboo, slowly and steadily chipping away at the moral foundation of a society until every experience imaginable is available and celebrated.

In light of this, God seems awfully restrictive. He created this good world, and us with the ability to imagine all sorts of new things. But just because we have the ability to imagine it, doesn’t mean we should pursue it. Especially not when it comes at the expense of others. Just because it’s cool to fly to space doesn’t mean we should spend thousands of dollars a ticket to do it.

This is not to say we have to give up every enjoyable experience because “it’s a waste of money.” It is to say that we should be mindful of how we are using our money. And it is to, if I may, demand that we be aware of the way capitalism has the ability to erode morals. Society may call us lame for avoiding some of its excesses, but that is because our willingness to give up an opportunity due to our moral convictions is an indictment against the system as a whole. We are not consumers, some impersonal thing that exists primarily to put money in the pockets of companies or individuals who are willing to get rich off any and every immorality. We are citizens of the kingdom of God, taking up the mantle of our king by caring for the poor and oppressed.

This is America, and people have the freedom to use their money as they wish, whether we see that as wasteful or not. And who knows? Maybe something good will actually come from it. But there’s just something strange about spending so much on a pleasure cruise to the stratosphere, when people breathing oxygen down here are suffering so badly. Jesus tells us to store up for ourselves treasure in heaven. I don’t think he intended us to fly into space to do it.

—John Coffey