Summer 2010 Update

The last entry for this blog was in October, 2009. You may be wondering what has happened to me and to my association of Advocates of Enlightened Capitalism since then. Something did indeed happen that has taken my focus away from this exciting project. In late December of 2009 my wife, Julia, was in a terrible car accident. She was on her way to work with a co-worker when that person, who was driving the vehicle, suffered a fatal attack of some kind. The car was traveling north on I75 toward Dayton, OH just north of West Chester. My wife realized there was a problem and valiantly tried to help the gentleman and gain control of the car that was going in excess of 60 mph, but it was too late. The car ran off the highway at a rest area and slammed into two parked tractor-trailers. It went airborne, spun around and landed upside down in the ramp to the rest area.
Julia suffered a total of eleven fractures in the accident. She spent two days in the ICU and two weeks total in the hospital. Now, six months after the accident, she is still recovering. She was very fortunate to not have suffered any paralysis, internal injuries or brain damage. The last six months have been difficult for both of us. My focus during this time has been almost entirely on two things - helping my wife recover from the accident and establish a somewhat normal routine, and keeping up with my professional obligations as an assistant professor of business administration at Wilmington College - Cincinnati Branch.
This update to my blog signals my return to Advoencap and the development of my ideas on the many ways we might work on improving American society. During my unexpected and unintended hiatus from this project a lot of things have been happening in the U.S. I am thinking about things from a political standpoint. Most notable to me is the tension (the continuation of it, really) and divide between the liberal and conservative elements of society. President Obama has faced enormous challenges since his election. Despite the passing of the historic health care legislation, there has been little discussion of what this will mean to the country. That is because of all of the other crises that we are having to deal with.
On the other side, the conservative elements are exploring every possible avenue for bringing about a marked shift in the mid-term elections in the House, and in other key political races as well, and turning the agenda back to something more favorable to them. The Tea Party movement is an example of this shift. What concerns me, and is something that will influence my project to spread the word about Enlightened Capitalism, is the polarization, or partisanship, that is greater than any time I can recall.
I would have to recognize that my vision of an American society that embraces the tenets of Enlightened Capitalism would be more aligned with a political system that is, well, more enlightened in nature. By this I mean that ways must be found to have more cooperation between the private sector, and especially Corporate America, and our federal government. This is not likely to resonate with those who believe that enormous changes are needed in this country that will be based on a significant reduction in the influence of the federal government. Regardless of the political and ideological shifts that may be forthcoming, I will continue on this project and seek consensus with others on the ways we can make our society better through the vehicle of Enlightened Capitalism.

Cecil's Enlightened Capitalism Part II - Oct. 26, 2009

This is the second in a series of blogs on the basic tenets of Enlightened Capitalism as espoused by the person who coined the phrase, Andrew R. Cecil. Cecil pointed out in his speech that the intentions of capitalism are sound. Capitalism was believed to be based on doctrines of a "natural order," as Cecil called it, that involved free trade and laissez-faire. There was a belief that freedom of enterprise was completely in harmony with "natural liberty." The problem, however, was that this system, without any checks or balances, could lead to great prosperity for a few but suffering for many people in society if the interpretation of the term became "dogmatic and absolute." Cecil gives as an example the problems that occurred during the potato famine in Ireland in the nineteenth century. One of the contributing factors to the human disaster, according to Cecil, was the official position of the person in charge of the British Treasury at the time. That person remained faithful to laissez-faire and the protection of grain owners (a dogmatic position) when the establishment of government grain depots might have greatly alleviated the suffering.

Cecil uses the concept of Enlightened Capitalism to describe a system that is based on capitalism and the essence of laissez-faire, but he understood that there is no system that, on its own, is likely to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of members of a society. Everything has to be taken, as the adage says, with a grain of salt. Thus, Cecil describes the other 'invisible hand' of capitalism. The other invisible hand, as Cecil stated in his speech, "should guide the activities of society, namely concern for one's fellowman. This is the core of a harmonious order within the framework of the existing system of free enterprise."

It is important to keep in mind that in the real world that we are increasingly familiar with today, there is a reality that cannot be ignored. It is a reality that has always existed and is likely to exist far into the future. Some people are born into propitious circumstances while others are born into abject poverty. There is, of course, a substantial middle segment of people that are not found at either extreme, and perhaps this number is greater than ever before. However, considering the many statistics available about the billions of people on earth who must try to eke out an existence on a pitifully small daily budget, there is no doubt that there are simply too many people who are disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

Cecil described the situation in the United States quite eloquently in his speech. Let me quote him directly:

"Enlightened Capitalism is the realization that different groups of our society are joint partners who, by accepting the social creed of cooperation, can work by a mutually advantageous live-and-let-live policy. This policy is more than an ethical notion; it is the law of life upon which the prosperity of our mechanized, complex, and interdependent society depends."

I think that one of the most important words used by Cecil in that part of the speech is 'interdependent.' The United States is known for being a highly individualistic society. Our history is a testimony to the spirit of individualism, something that was dramatically underscored by the frontier spirit, something that can still be felt today. However, it seems to me that too much emphasis on individualism and that frontier spirit is problematic. This is more so in the early twenty-first century when this country has a greater degree of diversity than ever before. That diversity is something to be discussed in relation to Enlightened Capitalism in future blogs.

Interdependence is an extremely important concept in any society. It implies that all citizens have a role to play and a contribution to make. We must not put too much emphasis on the idea that some societal groups make a greater contribution than others. Everyone has something at stake and wants society to improve and be more inclusive. Each person should feel the responsibility to do what he or she can to contribute to everyone's well being. The idea that, "I'll take care of myself and those close to me, and everyone else should do the same, and if so everyone will be alright" fails to recognize that some people are born in disadvantaged circumstances and do not have the means to take care of themselves (or count on being taken care of by someone close to them). Those who "have" must always understand that some people in society will "have not" and need some help in becoming productive citizens.

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