Abstract

Prominent and influential figures of the last century have made the case that greed powers our world. In effect, it is claimed that greed is necessary for prosperity. I argue that societal prosperity is standardly regarded as a conjunction of security, material abundance, and technological advancement. I also make the case that acquisitive and exclusionary behavior towards goods others need or desire is an essential property of greed. Finally, I argue that such behavior is not necessary for prosperity. If such behavior is unnecessary for prosperity, then greed is unnecessary for prosperity.