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Capitalism Quotes

Browse 2965 quotes about Capitalism.

Capitalism Quotes

“The idea is the least labor and capital and resources you put together and the more you accumulate the better capitalist you are. So the suggestion I will make to you is that the idea of constant accumulation, which is what America is about, what consumerism, NAFTA are about, means that you always take more than you need and you don't leave the rest. So I suggest that it is possible from an indigenous world view that capitalism is inherently out of order with natural law.”

“We're always projecting our moral categories on things. I think that's inevitable. But capitalism places no particular value on morality. Morality in the market is enforced by contract and regulation and law, because morality is understood to be in conflict with the motive force of greed and accumulation.”

Thinking Law Values Force Moral Particular Morality Conflict Understood Capitalism Greed Inevitable Motive Contracts Categories Regulation Accumulation

Author:Michael Pollan

“Poetry can add its grain to an accumulation of consciousness against the idea that there is no alternative - that we're just in the great flow of capitalism and it can never be any different - that this is human destiny, this is human nature.”

Humans Ideas Different Consciousness Destiny Human Nature Capitalism Flow Add Alternatives Grain Accumulation

Author:Adrienne Rich

“What distinguishes the historical social system we are calling historical capitalism is that in this historical system capital came to be used (invested) in a very special way. It came to be used with the primary objective or intent of self-expansion. In this system, past accumulations were 'capital' only to the extend they were used to accumulate more of the same.”

Way Self Past Used Social Special Calling Capitalism Historical Objectives Primaries Expansion Accumulation Social Systems

Author:Immanuel Wallerstein

“The concept that one ought to restrict one's political involvement to one's own state was deeply antithetical to those who were pursuing the accumulation of capital for its own sake.”

States Political Ought Concepts Capitalism Sake Involvement Accumulation Political Involvement

Book:Capistalist Civilisation

Source: Capistalist Civilisation

“The first and probably most fundamental aspect of this crisis is that we are now close to the commodification of everything. That is, historical capitalism is in crisis precisely because, in pursuing the endless accumulation of capital, it is beginning to approximate that state of being Adam Smith asserted was 'natural' to man but which has never historically existed. The 'propensity [of humanity] to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another' has entered into domains and zones previously untouched, and the pressure to expand commodification is relatively unchecked.”

Men Firsts States Humanity Natural One Thing Capitalism Aspect Pressure Crisis Fundamentals Historical Endless Zone Adam Truck Domain Accumulation Propensity Commodification

Author:Immanuel Wallerstein

“This is a steady, ceaseless process, impossible to contain as long as the economy driven by the endless accumulation of capital. The system may prolong its life by slowing down some of the activities which are wearing it out, but death always looms somewhere on the horizon.”

May Long Process Economy Impossible Activity Capitalism Driven Endless Horizon Steady Slow Down Accumulation Slowing

Author:Immanuel Wallerstein

“This argument has been codified in the twentieth century as meritocracy, in which those on top in the process of capitalist accumulation have merited their position.”

Has Beens Process Century Position Capitalism Argument Capitalist Twentieth Century Accumulation Meritocracy

Book:Capistalist Civilisation

Source: Capistalist Civilisation

“The way in which these two practices contain each other is that it has always been possible to use the one against the other: to use racism-sexism to prevent universalism from moving too far in the direction of egalitarianism; to use universalism to prevent racism-sexism from moving too far in the direction of a caste system that would inhibit the work force mobility so necessary for the capitalist accumulation process.”

Way Two Use Moving Force Process Practice Racism Capitalism Sexism Capitalist Accumulation Castes Mobility Egalitarianism Caste System Universalism

Author:Immanuel Wallerstein

“Capitalism will never fall on its own. It will have to be pushed. The accumulation of capital will never cease. It will have to be stopped. The capitalist class will never willingly surrender its power. It will have to be dispossessed.”

Fall Class Capitalism Surrender Cease Capitalist Accumulation

Book:The Enigma of Capital: and the Crises of Capitalism

Source: The Enigma of Capital: and the Crises of Capitalism