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Sense of Life

Free to Live Life
by James Kilbourne

In the century-and-a-half long war to discredit capitalism waged by its enemies, the battle to establish the state's superiority in providing material progress is over. No one seriously believes that you are monetarily better off under socialism than under capitalism. However, this was never the primary thrust of the anti-capitalists, as pointed out by Ludwig von Mises a half century ago in The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality and, of course, by Ayn Rand in her fiction and her non-fiction collection, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. We were told it is the soul of man that thrives in the collective, but this proved to be the greatest lie of all. The freeing of the individual and his or her consequent development is the greatest story of the capitalist revolution. It is with the development of capitalism that we have escaped from the banality of the collective and have been able to explore—to the greatest extent in humankind’s history—the full potential of what it means to be human.  

Capitalism is superior to all other economic systems precisely because under it both the body and the mind thrive. The history of the human race, outside of brief episodes, is one of fighting for physical survival. America is the first country that has eliminated famines. One can clearly see capitalism's benefits for society and individuals by studying the evolution of American society since the establishment of the United States of America in the eighteenth century. The expansion of the rights of its citizens has been a continuing process, which has gained speed since the end of the second World War. Not only has this been a period of great plenty, it has also been a time of redefinition and expansion of what it means to be human. As the individual explores his potential and learns more about his capacities and desires, he transforms the entire society as well. 

What happens to a man when he realizes that he is truly free? Well, first, he provides for the physical needs of himself and his family. Then he starts to think about what makes him happy. In post-World War II America, there has been an explosion of opportunities for the individual to explore self-fulfillment. More and more citizens have been given the freedom to pursue their own goals in a manner they choose, and the number of minorities included and the degree of freedom acceptable to express in society continues to expand with each passing decade. Some major areas of development started by individuals and now flowing into mass movements are: 

Freedom of geographical location 

Throughout human history, most people have lived and died within a space of a few square miles. Now individuals are moving to parts of the country or world where they feel they have a greater opportunity to improve their lot in life. This desire on the part of individuals to find greater prosperity and a more open environment has led to vastly greater interactions with people of differing backgrounds, and has helped to expand the horizons of everyone involved.

Freedom of labor 

For centuries and centuries, a man did what his father did, which generally involved trying to survive off the land. Capitalism created a division of labor and allowed individuals to have a greater choice in how they will provide for themselves and their families. They first chose the hard life of factory work over the harder life of trying to live off of the land (and perishing if they did not succeed). Over time, the opportunities for self-fulfilling employment have improved steadily, and now more and more people are choosing a greater variety of ways to earn a living than have ever been explored anywhere at any time. We have evolved from the farm to the factory to the office to self-employment in our quest for meaningful ways to earn a living. 

Freedom of association 

When people who had experienced prejudicial treatment decided to leave their hometowns and search for greater acceptability in other parts of the country, they brought with them a new vitality to many communities and a greater tolerance to all sections of the country. These individual decisions have resulted in such mass movements as the migration of blacks from the South to the North, women and gays from rural to urban areas, and currently the gradual spreading out of the Latinos from areas near the southern borders to all parts of the nation. People used to associate only with their family, a few neighboring friends, and perhaps others from their local village. Now we have the luxury of choosing the people with whom we wish to associate according to our interests; and now that can be anywhere on the globe, as is aptly demonstrated by the fact that I have written this article and you are reading it. Women can seek other women, gays can seek other gays, libertarians can seek other libertarians; the possible combinations of shared experiences and common goals are nearly endless, and are leading to a much greater depth of expertise in all areas of knowledge.

Freedom to become physically healthier 

Hobbes pointed out that life outside of civilization was “nasty, brutish, and short”. In postwar America, it is getting easier, more civilized, and much longer. Taking care of ourselves physically becomes more important each year, and the near doubling of life expectancy over the past century is the result. We have learned the nutrients and the exercises needed to replenish our bodies and to keep us healthier for a great portion of these extended lives.

Freedom of leisure time 

As less time was required to put food on the table and a roof over one’s head, individuals were able to pursue subjects of interest that weren’t directly tied to their survival. The resultant explosion of the arts, sports, travel, and hobbies has not only provided great pleasure to individuals, but employment for many as well. Instead of just escaping the pain of a boring, repetitive job, today one can leave an interesting job and spend even more time each day pursuing other diversions of interest. 

Freedom to develop intellectually 

A result of increased leisure time, and perhaps the greatest advancement under capitalism, is the development of the individual’s opportunities to gather knowledge in all disciplines and subjects. Having greater knowledge makes one able to make better choices in life, choices that can make you richer, healthier, and happier. The result is individuals who are more confident and secure. An individual can choose to educate himself in any subject imaginable, anywhere, at any time. The true “renaissance man,” one who knows a great deal about many subjects, is “capitalist” man. In pre-capitalist society, only a handful of people could become educated and follow their interests. Through reading and mass media such as television, the average citizen is more informed in all subjects than at any time in human history. The internet and World Wide Web explosion is showing us that this sharing of information is only in its infancy.

Thus, by seeking their own happiness, millions of individuals bring constant change and growth to society, but the changes do not occur in a straight line of improvements. The pendulum swings from one extreme to another before finding a middle area. Because we are free to choose our own paths, we are also free to make our own mistakes. But because we are trying to lead better and richer lives, extremes of behavior and destructive choices are gradually starting to diminish. Although Americans are accused of becoming softer and lazier, in truth we tend to work longer and more efficaciously than people in other cultures. This is also true of the world’s other predominantly capitalistic, or “laissez faire,” societies. An explosion of self-help and behavior modification movements have occurred in the last 50 years, all coming from the efforts of pioneering individuals learning the merits of self-discipline in the creation of a happier life. 

In summary, capitalism creates an atmosphere which allows individuals to grow healthier, more knowledgeable, and happier than under any other system. In other words, it has the exact opposite effect on individuals and the culture that its critics have historically claimed.  

Oppression of the worker? Workers have achieved the highest standard of living in history. People have been able to improve their working conditions, and more and more have chosen to work independently each year. 

Oppression of children? It is capitalism that gave children a real childhood. Before capitalism, children faced a fate of early death and grueling labor. It is in capitalist nations, where prosperity became the norm, that there no longer was the need for children to work.

Oppression of women? Every female on earth has capitalism to thank for her ongoing political liberation. It is in capitalist nations where women were free to organize and demand the right to vote. It is in a capitalist culture where women were able to declare their freedom and equality. 

Oppression of minorities? Slavery was ended by capitalism, and minorities of all description are exploring new venues of freedom daily. Waves of minorities have come to capitalist nations to search for freedom and prosperity, and have found that equality also became their birthright. Anti-capitalistic gay people need to understand that it is capitalism that has freed them, not the statist gulags and torture chambers, where many gays were eliminated alongside other persecuted minorities. 

The brilliant achievement of capitalism is the freeing of the individual to achieve his own potential, and as millions are doing this, they are redefining the attributes of what it means to be a fully actualized human being. People are becoming bigger, stronger, more empathetic, more self-aware and self-reliant, more knowledgeable, less prejudiced—in short, capitalism is producing a more civilized human animal. To say that you believe in human dignity and well being is to say you believe in capitalism. Under capitalism, every person can mould his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness to the shape of his imagination and stretch his potential to the limits of his ability. 
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