Reflection on Capitalism

Capitalism is a relatively recent system, it hasn't had much time to evolve and adapt to the frantic pace at which technological and societal changes have been taking place. I do not advocate a capitalist kind of development, as I hope I have made clear so far, but I instead advocate a reflection on what capitalism has to offer and the ways in which we can make it evolve to allow for more diversity and freedom.

The question of development and capitalism is almost a philosophical one, it involves ethics and human nature. Capitalism is not natural, it is not something within us that we cannot escape. It is now part of culture and is very deeply ingrained in our way of life but it is also in a state of perpetual change. The domination of some humans over the rest might be something in our nature, it seems this has happened throughout our history. It boils down to the perpetual question of are we born evil or is it society that make us that way? It's Rousseau Vs. Original Sin or Hobbes' “war of all against all” all over again and by now we know that there is probably no truth concerning this question. However there are indications that we are able to move away from this tendency, we are able to think in terms other than I against you. Still, should we assume that it is something we should work with and assume will always occur periodically?
This, indeed, is troubling, especially when we know how naïve and exploitable humans can be. A glance at post independence Africa is enough to convince us of that. Otherwise how could we explain the quick rise to power of dictators that plunged their country in the depth of despair, often under the approving eyes of the former colonial powers? This poses yet another grave problem, is it possible to have equality and freedom at the same time? If we assume that someone will inherently rise above others and exploit them, wouldn't it take sever restrictions of freedoms to keep everyone equal, hence creating a vicious circle of exploitation? I have no answer to this dilemma but I think it does exist and that many chose to ignore it.

Going back in time is not an option. Tribal affiliation that were created by the colonial era now exist and will not easily be got rid of. The massive urban migration cannot be simply reversed, the contact to capitalism cannot be erased from the population. the cultural aspect of family is no longer viable in a different context. If a certain culture was conductive to large families it also was effective in controlling population growth, which was stable before 1945. Now what is the point of preserving traditional natalist policies in urban settings where it is simply impossible to maintain a large family and a large number of children has no advantages? Capitalism and development are interwoven, now the two cannot go without the other. This also means that the two need to influence each other and learn from each other, not try to dominate the other. As Amartya Sen rightly said economic development is not an end in itself but a means to achieve greater freedom. It is this freedom that is key to defining development because there is not such a thing as universal development. In conclusion, I think everyone can benefit from capitalism by reshaping it to serve one's goals and and values. however, that requires a massive amount of humility on the part of the western intellectual forces and an equal amount of open-mindedness on the part of the people who need to accept changes and sacrifices. Needless to say, the amount of optimism that is required to believe this can be achieved is still beyond anything I can reckon by.