5 of 18

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

lead to mass production if capital created out of profit making was not available. Thus it would not be out of place to say that our modern industrial growth is largely a by-product of profit making process.

Profit making is perfectly fine in a capitalist economy, provided the rules of the free market are followed. When the market is free, when any one can purchase or sell anything he wishes, and when information about all products is freely available, then any one purchases or sells anything only if it helps that person. In such a system, every sale purchase transaction makes both the seller and the buyer better off, even if the profit is accrued only to the seller.

When profit is made by controlling the market by way of forced prices, monopoly or misinformation, then it is no more just a matter of profit. When this is done with the purpose to maximise one's profit at the cost of the others, then it is definitely immoral. Thus profit itself is not immoral but the means used to maximise it can be immoral. One common immoral practise indulged in making profits is monopoly, where the producers jack up prices by forming a cartel, as is happening today in the case of petroleum crude. When that happens, it is time to sit up and take notice.

Another aspect which is often confused with generation of profits is the application of those profits. Creating an efficient enterprise and making profits is perfectly fine and immoral, but wasting such profits on vulgar life-style, environmental damaging activities, or using that money for any kind of destructive purposes is certainly not moral. As an entrepreneur, making profits and creating capital which gets re-invested in the economy is an activity that benefits the society, while vulgar display of wealth that leads to dissatisfaction among others, or activities that are destructive to environmental health or social fabric harm the society as a whole and hence are not acceptable, even though they may not always be a crime in the eyes of law.

To conclude, profit making is not immoral, but use of certain unacceptable practices in making profits can be immoral as can be the use of that profit in activities that harm society as a whole.

Learn more about this author, V. Kumar.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about The pursuit of profit is moral?
We want to hear your view. Write now!