Humanism and the Buying and Selling of Money

One of the oldest practices in Human history is the selling and buying of money.  Thus, there is nothing specific to Profit-Seeking in Capitalism.  Likewise, there is nothing in that respect that is de-Humanizing in Capitalism.  But, in a transition to a Humanist Morality, the elimination of the assistance by others for Profit would be a first step.

Wealth and Conspicuous Consumption

From the youngest age, regardless of their economic condition, Americans seem motivated to maximize personal Profit. The motivation is part of the general Ethos rooted in Capitalism.  Leisure time is no exception--such periods seem devoted to conspicuous consumption, dedicated to the purchase and display of excess wealth.  There seems to be no opportunity in American life for an alternative to the production of personal Wealth.

Education Loan and Education Pressure

Someone who has to rely on an Education Loan is at a disadvantage in comparison with one who does not because of the obligation to repay that they have incurred.  Their educational focus must be entirely on the classroom material being delivered, with no leeway for reflection.  But even with such attention, Education remains an exercise in pressure, as the primary goal of Education, from the earliest age, is to maximize Personal Profit, even if the motivation to do so remains obscurely conditional.

Free Education and Student Loan

The call for Free Education is primarily a corrective against the ills of the Student Loan business, to which a student is obligated almost immediately upon a graduation.  A student thus becomes almost completely at the mercy of an employer, having to labor under conditions, performing tasks, dictated by the latter.  The consequence is essentially a lifetime of servitude, even if superficially a life of conventional 'freedom'.  So, one of the benefits of Free Education is that it liberates a student to at least some Liberal Arts Education, in which they have the opportunity, without obligation, to reflecting on the nature of society, and their role in it.  With such an opportunity, a student can also participate in the building of society.  In recent decades, such an opportunity has seem far-fetched, but it was once envisioned as central to both Education and Society-building.

Compassionate Capitalism

Ultimately, Compassionate Capitalism is Self-Indulgence.  It is an opportunity for feeling Good about Oneself, without any Causal Efficacy.  It lacks the capacity to go beyond a Feeling, since the motivation to change a situation is lacking.  The motivation to change a situation must be Objective, which can derive from neither Profit-Seeking nor from feeling Good about Oneself.  Compassionate Capitalism is a Moral deadend.

Capitalism and Compassion

Perhaps the most decisive moment in the development of Capitalism is Smith's unexplained abandonment of his previous advocacy of Compassion as the basis of Morality, in favor of personal Profit-Seeking.  The historical consequence has been routine political conflict--Capitalists rigorously adhering to Smith's Principle, and those who seek opportunity to modify the Principle with occasions of Compassion.  The current mainstream conflict in the U. S. is an example of this conflict.  However, both sides of the conflict have neglected the interests of those who have routinely been marginalized by both sides, outsiders who have become numerous enough and robust enough this year to mount a potential formidable challenge.  One attempt to neutralize the challenge has been the attempt of the less than rigorous side to co-opt the rhetoric of the traditionally marginalized, and recast it in the rhetoric of traditional Compassionate Capitalism.  The degree of success of the strategy remains to be seen.

Humanism and Education

A Humanist Education teaches that each is a Part of an Organic Whole, so that any skill that a Part learns benefits all.  This concept of Education is, of course, very different from that taught for centuries, according to which each is taught to maximize personal Profit.  Human society is changing, and in a matter of centuries, the slow trend is that it will be determined by Humanist Education.