Welcome. This is a new blog that has been created by me, Brian Snowden. This blog will be dedicated to the topic of Enlightened Capitalism. Most people are not familiar with this term, so the purpose of writing this blog is to begin to explore and build interest in this term and what it means for the future of our society in the United States.

The term was coined by Andrew R. Cecil in a speech he delivered at Lambeth College in Jackson, Tennessee on April 21, 1979. The speech was titled "Enlightened Capitalism: Interdependence and Shared Responsibility." The speech, and the concepts presented, centered on our capitalism system and the importance of defining capitalism in a way that promotes such ideas as justice, equality and social harmony.

It is important to note that the speech was written during the time when the Cold War was winding down, certainly, but not yet over. There was still an ideological battle going on between the United States, and the West in general, with its economic system of capitalism, and the Soviet Union and its attempts to establish a viable command economy. One of the dynamics of this struggle involved religion, primarily Christianity in the West, and the purported elimination of organized religion in the Soviet Union. Cecil, in his analysis and development of the term Enlightened Capitalism, evoked references from the Bible and supported many of his ideas, especailly of capitalism, as being consistent with Christianity.

Today, the ideological battle no longer exists, and the issue of the relationship between religion and capitalism as practiced in the United States, is no longer germane. Furthermore, society in the United States has undergone enormous demographic changes, and so attempts to connect the economic system with any particular religion, seems to me to be somewhat exclusionary.

In this blog I will explore what Cecil said in his speech about Enlightened Capitalism and how the term might be applied today. There are aspects of the term that are suitable today, but it is important to consider how the term can be expanded and re-defined in the context of the United States in now and into the future.

I encourage anyone who is interested in finding ways to improve our society to read this blog and to respond to the topics and issues that I bring up. This blog is part of a larger project that I am undertaking. I am starting an informal association of people that I call Advocates of Enlightened Capitalism - Advoencap. I have begun building a website that is now available, although still 'under construction'. Please visit the site soon; I will be making updates on almost a daily basis. This site is www.advocatedofenlightenedcapitslism.org.

Please return to this blog frequently as I will be making contributions on a weekly or biweekly basis. I will close this first installment with a quote from John F. Kennedy that I feel is an appropriate message for this blog and for the Advocates of Enlightened Capitalism:

"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

Thank you for reading my blog.

Brian