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Poverty
Formerly society was not used to having more than what was needed to survive and luxuries only existed for the richest -
World's first consumer revolution
In northwestern European countries, economies began to expand and wages rose. Their spending created a virtuous business cycle, the more they spent, the more the business grew and the more wages increased.
The churches did not agree with this since people were worrying more about how they looked and not about the state of their soul so that God would not look at them with good eyes. -
The Fable of the Bees
A London doctor named Bernard Mandeville, published an economic treatise entitled "The Fable of the Bees", where he says that what he did to the rich countries they grew by "buying for pleasure." The only way to generate wealth, Mandeville argued, was to ensure a high demand for absurd and unnecessary things. -
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Surprised by the consumerist impact, he asked for a return to a simpler and older way of life. Rousseau recommended closing the Geneva borders and imposing taxes on luxury goods, so that people's energy could be redirected towards non-material values. Between decadent consumption and wealth, and restriction and virtuous poverty, Rousseau preferred virtue to wealth. -
Adam Smith
In his book "The Wealth of Nations", consumerist societies help the poor by providing jobs based on the satisfaction of what are often quite suboptimal, also mocked the triviality of some consumer choices while admiring its consequences. All of these irrelevant things encouraged trade, created employment, and generated immense wealth. But he proposed that consumption does not have to be based on the trading of frivolous things but could be based on consumption to be used in education. -
Present
We simply accept that we will live in a consumer society, with unfortunate effects such as: rude advertising, unhealthy products, products that are too stupid and far from our needs. All in exchange for economic growth and high employment, we have chosen wealth over virtue.