Chrematistics
The chrematistics is to acquire the art of wealth.
The term was coined by Aristotle , who differentiates between economics (property management art) and chrematistics (art of making money). Other terms that are already tied to a value judgment are natural acquisition for economics and unnatural acquisition for chrematistics .
Natural acquisition (economics)
The concept of natural acquisition aims at the basic satisfaction of human needs. Economics deals with the procurement and preservation of those goods that are useful and necessary for the house or the state. "In these things there is only true wealth." (Politics, 1256 b 30). This economic system is therefore characterized by the principle of meeting needs. Capital accumulation or the striving for it does not take place here. Since the amount of tools or instruments that make up the wealth of property or state administration is not unlimited in size and number, the wealth cannot be unlimited either. Aristotle's reflections on economic activity are embedded in philosophical considerations. In this sense, one notices in his passages that he carried out a strong normative analysis, i.e. that he was constantly on the lookout for how economic activity can be carried out in such a way that it serves the common good, which he can certainly regard as an overriding ideal, can contribute. We would probably treat this approach today under the heading of business ethics. Returning to the natural art of acquisition, it is also permeated by a principle of justice. So he described the barter between economic subjects and introduced the terms profit and loss. Accordingly, profit is given if one has more after the exchange transaction than before. Loss is given when one has less than before. According to Aristotle, justice lies in the middle between profit and loss. At this point, the requirement-coverage principle should come into play again.
Unnatural acquisition (chrematistics)
Aristotle contrasted economics with chrematistics as an economic art. This is about accumulating money. The exchange is not carried out here to meet needs or for the sake of the self-sufficiency of the house and the state, but to amass wealth. In his sense, this type of economic art also comes into play as a result of the introduction of money as a medium of exchange. Aristotle blamed her for the fact that people often think that wealth and possessions are unlimited.
Contemporary criticism
Christian Felber explains in his work "Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie" that the common good is actually already contained in the term economy and that the current "economy" is rather chrematistics. So that the economy currently considered in public discourse is actually chrematistics.
swell
- Bernd Ziegler: History of Economic Thought. Paradigm Shift in Economics . Oldenbourg, Munich 1998, ISBN 3486221604 .
- Bertram Schefold: Plato and Aristotle . In: Bertram Schefold (Ed.): Wirtschaftsstile . Vol. 1. dtv, 1994, pp. 113-157.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christian Felber: Common good economy . 3. Edition. Piper Verlag, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-492-31236-3 , pp. 8-10 .