Profit and the public good ¨è

Profits are a guide to the value that companies create for society.
9-2-46
If self-interest, guided as though by an invisible hand, inadvertently serves the public good, then it is easy to see why society can prosper even if people are not always driven by benevolence. It is because Smith was right about self-interest and the public interest that communism failed and capitalism worked.
Most advocates of CSR, especially those who run giant international corporations, have probably read some economics in their time. Many of the officials at the United Nations, World Bank and OECD who argue in favour of CSR have advanced degrees in the subject from the best universities. Yet they have apparently failed to grasp this most basic and necessary insight of the entire discipline. Through the action of Smith's invisible hand, the private search for profit does advance the public interest. There is no need for thought-leaders in CSR armed with initiatives and compacts to bring this about.
Smith was a genius because this harmony of private interest and public interest is not at all obvious-and yet, at the same time, once it is pointed out, the idea is instantly simple and plausible. This is especially so if you think not about self-interested individuals but about profit-seeking companies. The value that people attach to the goods and services they buy from companies is shown by what they are willing to pay for them. The costs of producing those goods and services are a measure of what society has to surrender to consume those things. If what people pay exceeds the cost, society has gained-and the company has turned a profit. The bigger the gain for society, the bigger the profit. So profits are a guide (by no means a perfect one, but a guide nonetheless) to the value that companies create for society.

A. ¾îÈÖ
inadvertently ¿ì¿¬È÷, ¹«½ÉÇϰÔ. capitalism worked ÀÚº»ÁÖÀǰ¡ Àß µÇ¾ú´Ù.
advocate ¿ËÈ£ÀÚ, ÁöÁöÀÚ. corporation ÁÖ½Äȸ»ç. in their time ±×µéÀÇ ÀþÀº ½ÃÀý¿¡.
official °ü¸®, °ø¹«¿ø, ÀÓ¿ø. argue in favor of Âù¼º ÁÖÀåÇÏ´Ù.
advanced degrees »ó±ÞÇÐÀ§( ¼®»ç, ¹Ú»ç ÇÐÀ§).
advanced degrees in the subject ±× ÁÖÁ¦(±â¾÷ÀÇ »çȸÀû Ã¥ÀÓ)¿¡ °üÇÑ ¼®»ç.¹Ú»ç ÇÐÀ§. apparently ºÐ¸íÈ÷. grasp ÀÌÇØÇÏ´Ù. the entire discipline ÇØ´çÇй®(°æÁ¦ÇÐ) Àüü.
the action of Smith's invisible hand ½º¹Ì½º°¡ ¸»ÇÏ´Â º¸ÀÌÁö ¾Ê´Â ¼ÕÀÇ ÀÛ¿ë.
private search for profit ÞçîÜ(»çÀû)ÀÎ ÀÌÀÍÃß±¸. initiative ÁÖµµ±Ç, ¼Ö¼±.
compact °è¾à, ¿©·Ð. bring about °¡Á®¿À´Ù, ÇØ ³»´Ù.
this harmony of private interest and public interest ÍëìÌ(°øÀÍ)°ú ÞçìÌ(»çÀÍ)ÀÇ Á¶È­.
obvious (´«¿¡) ºÐ¸íÈ÷ µå·¯³ª´Ù. plausible ±×·²½ÎÇÑ, Áø½Ç°°ÀÌ º¸ÀÌ´Â.
the goods and services they buy from companies »ç¶÷µéÀÌ È¸»ç·ÎºÎÅÍ ±¸¸ÅÇÏ´Â »óǰ°ú éÄæµ(¿ë¿ª).
measure ô©Óø(ôµµ). surrender ¾çµµÇÏ´Ù. consume ¼ÒºñÇÏ´Ù.
exceed ÃʰúÇÏ´Ù. by no means= never. nonetheless ±×·³¿¡µµ ºÒ±¸Çϰí.
turn a profit ÀÌÀÍÀ» ¾ò´Ù.

B. ±¸¹®
-guided as though by an invisible hand¡æthough it is guided by an invisible hand
[ºñ·Ï Þç××(»ç¸®)´Â º¸ÀÌÁö ¾Ê´Â ¼Õ¿¡ ÀÇÇØ¼­ Á¶Á¾µÇÁö¸¸.]
-there is no need for thought-leaders . . . to bring this about.
armed¡æwho are armed. whoÀÇ ¼±Çà»ç´Â thought leaders.
[°ø°øÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» »êÃâÇϱâ À§Çؼ­´Â ÁÖµµ±ÇÀ» Àâ°í ¿©·ÐÀ¸·Î ¹«ÀåÇϰí CSR »ç»óÀ» ÁöµµÇÏ´Â »ç¶÷µé¿¡ ´ëÇÑ Çʿ伺Àº ÀüÇô ¾ø´Ù. ]
-The costs of producing . . . to consume those things.
cf. what society has to surrender. »çȸ°¡ ¾çµµÇØ¾ß ÇÏ´Â °Í. whatÀº ¼±Çà»ç¸¦ Æ÷ÇÔÇÑ °ü°è´ë¸í»ç, ...°Í.
[±×·± »óǰ°ú ¿ë¿ªÀÇ »ý»êºñ¿ëÀº »çȸ°¡ ±× »óǰµéÀ» ¼ÒºñÇϱâ À§ÇØ ÁöºÒÇØ¾ß µÇ´Â °ÍÀÇ ±âÁØÀÌ µÈ´Ù.]

9-3-47
Does this mean that Gordon Gekko, the odious protagonist of the movie, 'Wall Street', was right to say that 'greed is good'? No : greed and self-interest are not the same thing, as Mr Gekko discovered in that movie. Greed, in the ordinary meaning of the word, is not rational or calculating. Freely indulged, it makes you fat and drives you into bankruptcy. The kind of self-interest that advances the public good is rational and enlightened. Rational, calculating self-interest makes a person, or a firm, worry about its reputation for honesty and fair dealing, for paying debts and honouring agreements. It looks beyond the short term and plans ahead. It considers sacrifices today for the sake of gains tomorrow, or five years from now. It makes good neighbours.
Morally, also, there is a world of difference between greed and self-interest. The first, even if it were not self-defeating, would still be a gross perversion of the second. Failing to see this distinction, and thus concluding without further thought that private enterprise is tainted, is a kind of ethical stupidity. Greed is ugly. There is nothing ignoble, in contrast, about a calm and moderate desire to advance one's own welfare, married (as it is in most people) to a sympathetic regard for the well-being of others. And, as Smith pointed out, rational self-interest also happens to make the world round.

A. ´Ü¾î
odious ¹Ó»ì½º·¯¿î. protagonist ÁÖÀΰø. greed Ž¿å. self-interest À̱âÁÖÀÇ.
ordinary meaning ÀÏ»óÀûÀÎ ÀǹÌ. rational ÇÕ¸®ÀûÀÎ. calculating °è»êÀûÀÎ.
indulge (¿å¸Á, Äè¶ô µûÀ§¿¡)ºüÁö´Ù, ÷°Òü(Ž´Ð)ÇÏ´Ù. bankruptcy ÆÄ»ê.
advances public good °øÀÍÀ» ÁõÁø½ÃŰ´Ù. enlightened °è¹ßµÈ, ¹®¸íÈ­µÈ. firm ȸ»ç.
reputation ÆòÆÇ, ¼¼Æò. fair dealing °øÁ¤ÇÑ °Å·¡. paying debt ºÎ並 °±´Â °Í.
honouring agreements úðïÒ(ÇùÁ¤)À» Á¸ÁßÇÏ´Â °Í. term ±â°£.
looks beyond the short term, ¸Ö¸® ³»´Ùº»´Ù. sacrifice Èñ»ý. morally µµ´öÀûÀ¸·Î.
self-defeating ÀÚ¸êÀûÀÎ. gross ðØäÂ(Á¶¾Ç)ÇÑ, õ¹ÚÇÑ. perversion è¦éÄ(¿À¿ë), ¾Ç¿ë.
distinction Â÷ÀÌ, ±¸º°. enterprise ±â¾÷. taint ´õ·¯¿öÁö´Ù. ¿À¿°µÇ´Ù.
stupidity ¿ìµÐ, ¸ÛûÇÔ. ignoble ǰÀ§°¡ ¾ø´Â, õÇÑ, ºñ¿­ÇÑ.
in contrast (with) (...¿Í)´ëÁ¶ÀûÀ¸·Î. moderate è±Ó×(¿Â´ç)ÇÑ, ¿Â°ÇÇÑ.
sympathetic µ¿Á¤ÀûÀÎ.

B. ±¸¹®
-Freely indulged, it makes you . . . into bankruptcy.
cf. Freely indulged¡æIf it is freely indulged¡æBeing freely indulged
[¹«Á¦ÇÑÀûÀ¸·Î Ž¿å¿¡ ºüÁö¸é, Ž¿åÀº »ç¶÷À» Ž¿åµ¢¾î¸®(fat)·Î ¸¸µé¾î¼­ ÆÄ»êÀ¸·Î ¸ô°í °£´Ù.]
-The first, even if it were not. . . is a kind of ethical stupidity.
cf. the first=greed, the second= self-interest
. even if it were not self-defeating¡æ°¡Á¤¹ý°ú°Å=ÇöÀç»ç½ÇÀÇ ¹Ý´ëÀÇ °æ¿ì¸¦ °¡Á¤¡æin fact it is self-defeating.
. failing/ concluding¡æÁÖ¾î·Î ¾²ÀÎ µ¿¸í»ç
[Ž¿åÀº, ½ÉÁö¾î í»ØþîÜ(ÀÚ¸êÀû)ÀÌÁö´Â ¾Ê´Ù ÇÏ´õ¶óµµ, À̱âÁÖÀÇÀÇ Ãµ¹ÚÇÑ ¾Ç¿ëÀÌ´Ù. (Ž¿å°ú À̱âÁÖÀÇ»çÀÌÀÇ)ÀÌ·¯ÇÑ Â÷À̸¦ ¸ð¸£°í º¸´Ù ´õ ±íÀº »ý°¢ÀÌ ¾øÀÌ ÞçÐêåö(»ç±â¾÷)Àº ´õ·¯¿öÁ® ÀÖ´Ù°í °á·ÐÀ» ³»¸®´Â °ÍÀº ÀÏÁ¾ÀÇ µµ´öÀû ¸ÛûÇÔÀ̶ó ÇϰڴÙ.]
-married (as it is in most people)to the well-being of others.
cf. married¡æas it is married¡æwhich is married¡æbeing married
[(´ëºÎºÐÀÇ »ç¶÷µé¿¡°Ô ÀÖ´Â °Íó·³) (Â÷ºÐÇÏ°í ¿Â´çÇÑ »çÀûÀÎ ¿å¸ÁÀº) ´Ù¸¥ »ç¶÷µéÀÇ º¹Áö¿¡ ´ëÇØ¼­ µ¿Á¤ÀûÀÎ °ü½É°ú ¿¬°áµÇ¾î À־.]
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