The Philosophical Roots of Socialism and the Free Market Economy

Jeff Carreira Philosophy 4 Comments

It is common knowledge that among developed western countries the two leading socioeconomic systems are socialism and capitalism. The former is often associated more closely with European systems of governance and the latter with the American free market economy. It is also generally known that these two systems are rooted in two fundamentally different assumptions about how a healthy society progresses. What is not as well known is that they both stem from the same philosophical roots, namely the evolutionary philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel….(You can read the rest of this article here.)

About the Author

Jeff Carreira
Jeff Carreira
Jeff Carreira is a mystical philosopher and spiritual guide. He is the author of eleven books on meditation and philosophy. He teaches online programs and leads retreats throughout the world that teach people how to let go of their current perceptual habits so they are free to participate in the creation of a new paradigm. To put it simply, he supports people to live a spiritually inspired life, free from the constraints of fear, worry and self-doubt, and aligned with their own deepest sense of meaning and purpose.
Learn More
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Frank Luke
Frank Luke
10 years ago

Not to be a smartAlec but can I submit Jesus is the posterchild of socialism? Conservatives and rabid capitalists decry socialism and oppose any progressive measures characterizing them as socialistic yet they usually say they’re “devout Christians”. Hypocritical schizophrenics.

@EdGibney
10 years ago

Adam Smith?

Marx was reacting to free market capitalism’s results as seen in industrialzed England.

Frank Luke
Frank Luke
10 years ago

Will there always be the huge gap between the haves and have-nots? It seemed less so after WWII but was that just an illusion? Capitalists have figured out how to become plutocrats and turned our nation into a plutocracy. For those concerned: Moyers & Co. TV show discusses this (online Moyers & Co): ( Few understand how money moves in and out of our political system better than campaign finance reform advocate Trevor Potter. A former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and founding president of the Campaign Legal Center, Potter was Stephen Colbert’s chief advisor when Colbert formed his… Read more »

liesbeth
liesbeth
10 years ago

Hi Jeff, only today I had time to finish reading your article and during the last part I had to think about these-antithese-synthese. At this moment in Holland the liberals and social democrats, representing both sides, are are forced ti created this synthese. I found it interesting to read that both ideologies where influenced by Hegel. In that light it would be possible to create a synthese. But in practise both sides are hold back by dogmatic/conservative forces that go against something realy new. As Integral says ‘no theory is so bad that nothing can be used. I remember the… Read more »