There is an important strand of Islamic thought that asserts that excessive profit-making is not virtuous and suggests that businesses refrain from accepting high profits, even when those profits are obtained without fraud.
This form of perceived virtue nestles beside [1] maintaining self-sufficiency, [2] helping one’s progeny, and [3] helping those in economic need.
Is there a moral issue with excessive profit-making?
Thoughts?
@fmf said"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
There is an important strand of Islamic thought that asserts that excessive profit-making is not virtuous and suggests that businesses refrain from accepting high profits, even when those profits are obtained without fraud.
This form of perceived virtue nestles beside [1] maintaining self-sufficiency, [2] helping one’s progeny, and [3] helping those in economic need.
Is there a moral issue with excessive profit-making?
Thoughts?
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- 1 Timothy 6:9-10, KJV
@suzianne saidGranted, the term "excessive profit-making" is a bit imprecise, but "the love of money" is very vague indeed. It seems to me that society could act collectively to tackle "excessive profit-making" and its detriments. How would it go about tackling "the love of money"?
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- 1 Timothy 6:9-10, KJV
@fmf saidThey go hand-in-hand, obviously.
Granted, the term "excessive profit-making" is a bit imprecise, but "the love of money" is very vague indeed. It seems to me that society could act collectively to tackle "excessive profit-making" and its detriments. How would it go about tackling "the love of money"?
And America will never stop corporations from making excessive profits. Ditto the "love of money". Part of the collective unconscious in this country is that you are free to make as much money as you possibly can, without limit. This encourages those who "pierce themselves through with many sorrows", and many others pay the price.
@suzianne saidAs a morality based issue, you - in cooperation with the rest of society - could tackle "excessive profit-making" by first defining it and measuring it in some way.
They go hand-in-hand, obviously.
This is not the case with a phenomenon like "the love of money". So, I don't think the fact that they "go hand-in-hand" is particularly germane, but we can put that to one side.
I understand what you mean and I don't think you are wrong.
Let's put it this way: what would be the moral basis for curbing excessive profit-making and how, in moral terms, could the word "excessive" be defined.