Profit and the public good: Companies that merely compete and prosper make society better off (The Economist February 5th 2005) |
*Çؼ³: À̱â½ÉÀÌ °æÁ¦¸¦ ¹ßÀü½ÃŲ´Ù
³ÃÀü ½Ã´ë ¼Ò·ÃÀº °ÅÀÇ ¸Å³â ½Ä·®ÀÌ ºÎÁ·ÇÏ¿´´Ù. À¯¶ó½Ã¾Æ¿¡ °ÉÃÄ »¸¾î ÀÖ´Â ¹«ÇÑ´ëÀÇ ´ëÆò¿øÀÌ À־ ½Ä·®ÀÌ ¸ðÀÚ¶ó¼ Çظ¶´Ù ÀιεéÀÌ ¸¹Àº °íÅëÀ» ´çÇÏ¿´´Ù. 1920³â´ë ¸»¿¡´Â °îâÁö´ëÀÎ ¿ìÅ©¶óÀ̳ªÁö¿ª¿¡¼ ¼ö¹é¸¸ÀÌ ±¾¾î Á×¾ú°í Àü±¹ÀûÀ¸·Î´Â 1500¸¸ ÀÌ»óÀÌ ä»ÞÝ(¾Æ»ç)ÇÏ´Â Âü»ç°¡ ÀϾ¾ú´Ù. ÅäÁö±¹À¯È¿Í Áý´Ü³óÀå ¶§¹®À̾ú´Ù. °³ÀÎÀº ¿øÄ¢ÀûÀ¸·Î ³óÁö¸¦ °¡Áú ¼ö ¾ø¾úÀ» »Ó¸¸ ¾Æ´Ï¶ó °æÁ¦È°µ¿ÀÇ ÀÚÀ¯µµ ¾ø¾ú´Ù. ½Ã°£ÀÌ °¡¸é¼ ³ó¹ÎµéÀÌ ³ó»çÀÏ¿¡ ¼Ò±ØÀûÀ¸·Î µÇ¾î °¬´Ù. ±Ù·ÎÀÇ¿åÀ» »ó½ÇÇÏ°Ô µÇ¾ú´Ù. Àڱ⠶¥µµ ¾Æ´Ï°í »ý»êÀ» ¸¹ÀÌ ÇÏ¿©µµ ÀÚ±â¿Í´Â »ó°ü¾ø´Â ÀÏÀ̱⠶§¹®¿¡ µ¿±âºÎ¿©°¡ Àß µÇÁö ¾Ê¾Ò´Ù.
³óºÎµéÀº ¹°·Ð °£ºÎµéµµ ³óÀå¿¡ Ãâ±ÙÇÏ¿© ½Ã°£¸¸ Àû´çÈ÷ ¶§¿ü´Ù. ¾ÆħºÎÅÍ ¼úÆÇÀ» ¹ú¸®±âµµ ÇÏ¿´´Ù. ÆÄÁ¾ÇÒ ¶§´Â ´«¿¡ ¶ç´Â µµ·Î ¿·¿¡¸¸ ¾¾¸¦ »Ñ¸®°í ³ª¸ÓÁö´Â °¹°¿¡ ¹ö¸®±âµµ ÇÏ¿´´Ù. ºñ·áµµ °¹°¿¡ ½ñ¾Æ ¹ö·È´Ù. ½ÉÁö¾î Æ®·¢ÅÍ °°Àº ³ó±â°è¸¦ ÆļÕÇϱ⵵ ÇÏ¿´´Ù. »óȲÀÌ ÀÌ·¯´Ï ´ç°ú Á¤ºÎ¿¡¼ ¾Æ¹«¸® µ¶·ÁÇÏ¿©µµ ³ó¾÷»ý»ê·®ÀÌ Á¦ÀÚ¸®¿¡ ¸Ó¹°°Å³ª ¸ñÇ¥¹Ì´ÞÀÌ µÉ ¼ö¹Û¿¡ ¾ø¾ú´Ù. ¼Ò·ÃÀº ¸¸¼ºÀû ½Ä·®ºÎÁ·±¹°¡°¡ µÇ¾ú´Ù. ÇØ¿Ü¿¡¼ ½Ä·®À» ±¸ÇÏÁö ¸øÇϸé ÀιÎÀÌ ±¾ÁÖ¸± ¼ö¹Û¿¡ ¾ø´Â ³ª¶ó°¡ µÇ¾ú´Ù.
¹Ì±¹Àº 1³â ³ó»ç¸¦ ÁöÀ¸¸é Àü ±¹¹ÎÀÌ 3³âÀ» ¸ÔÀ» ¼ö ÀÖ´Â ½Ä·®ÀÌ »ý»êµÇ´Â ³ó¾÷´ë±¹ÀÌ´Ù. ¹Ì±¹³ó¾÷ÀÇ °¡Àå °ñÄ¡ ¾ÆÇ ¹®Á¦ ÁßÀÇ Çϳª´Â °úÀ×»ý»êÀÌ´Ù. ¶§¹®¿¡ Á¤ºÎ¿¡¼´Â º¸Á¶±ÝÀ» ÁÖ¾î¼ ³ó¹Îµé·Î ÇÏ¿©±Ý ¶¥ÀÇ ÀϺθ¦ ýÌÌé(ÈÞ°æ)Çϵµ·Ï ÇÑ´Ù. ¶¥À» ³î¸®¶ó´Â °ÍÀÌ´Ù. ±×·±µ¥ ³ó¹ÎµéÀº ¼ÒÀ¯ ÅäÁö Áß¿¡¼ »ý»ê¿©°ÇÀÌ ´Ù¸¥ °Í¿¡ ºñÇؼ »ó´ëÀûÀ¸·Î ¸ðÀÚ¶ó´Â ºÎºÐÀº ³î¸®¸ç º¸Á¶±ÝÀ» ì±â°í ³ª¸ÓÁö ¶¥¿¡´Â Àü º¸´Ùµµ ºñ·áµµ ´õ ¸¹ÀÌ ÁÖ°í ±èµµ ´õ ¸¹ÀÌ ¸Å¼ »ý»ê·®Àº Àü°ú ¶È°°°Å³ª ´õ ¸¹°Ô ÇÑ´Ù. ±×·¡¼ ¹Ì±¹ÀÇ ³ó¾÷¹®Á¦´Â ÇØ°áÇϱⰡ ¾î·Æ´Ù. Ç×»ó ½Ä·®ÀÌ ³²¾Æµ¹±â ¶§¹®ÀÌ´Ù. ¹Ì±¹ ´ëÅë·ÉÀÇ °¡Àå Å« °ü½É»ç ÁßÀÇ Çϳª´Â ½Ä·®ÀÇ ÇؿܼöÃâÀÌ´Ù. ½Ä·® °¡°ÝÀÇ Æø¶ôÀ» ¸·¾Æ¼ ³ó¹ÎµéÀÇ ºÒ¸¸À» ´Þ·¡¾ß Çϱ⠶§¹®ÀÌ´Ù.
³ÃÀü½Ã´ë ¹Ì±¹°ú ¼Ò·ÃÀº ½Ä·®¹®Á¦¿¡¼¸¸Àº »çÀÌ°¡ ³ª»ÚÁö´Â ¾Ê¾Ò´Ù. ¼Ò·ÃÀº ½Ä·®ºÎÁ·À» ÇØ°áÇϱâ À§ÇØ ¹Ì±¹¿¡ ½Ä·®À» ÆȾƴ޶ó°í ±¸°ÉÇÏ¿´°í ¹Ì±¹Àº ¼±½É ¾²µíÀÌ ³²¾Æµµ´Â ½Ä·®À» ÆȾҴÙ. ³ÃÀüÀÌ ¿ÀüÀ¸·Î ºñÈ µÇÁö ¾ÊÀº ÀÌÀ¯ Áß Çϳª´Â ÀÌ·± »çÁ¤À̾úÀ» °ÍÀÌ´Ù. ½Ã´ë°¡ ¹Ù²î¾î ¼Ò·ÃÀÌ ¸ÁÇÏ°í ·¯½Ã¾Æ°¡ ž´Ù. Áý´Ü³óÀåÀº ÇØüµÇ°í ¶¥Àº ´Ù½Ã °³ÀμÒÀ¯°¡ µÇ¾ú´Ù. ±×·¡¼ ·¯½Ã¾Æ´Â ð¨ïÙ(Á¦Á¤) ·¯½Ã¾Æ ¶§Ã³·³ Áö±Ý ´Ù½Ã À¯·´ÀÇ °î¹°Ã¢°í°¡ µÇ¾ú°í ±×¶§Ã³·³ ´Ù½Ã ¼¼°è ÃÖ´ë ½Ä·®¼öÃâ±¹ Áß Çϳª°¡ µÇ¾ú´Ù. ¹é¼ºµéÀº Àû¾îµµ ¾ç½Ä¸¸Àº °ÆÁ¤ ¾øÀÌ ¹èºÎ¸£°Ô ¸Ô°í »ì°Ô µÇ¾ú´Ù. ±¹¹Î °³°³Àο¡°Ô °æÁ¦Àû ÀÚÀ¯¸¦ ÁÖ¸é ÀÌ·± ±âÀûÀÌ ÀϾ´Â °ÍÀÌ´Ù.
10-1-64
Adam Smith, you might say, wrote the book on corporate social responsibility. It is entitled, "Wealth of Nation".
¡°Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it...he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promote that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.
It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. ¡°
Adam Smith´Â ±â¾÷ÀÇ »çȸÀû Ã¥ÀÓ¿¡ °üÇÑ Ã¥À» ½è´Ù°í ¸»ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´Ù. ±× Ã¥Àº ¡°±¹ºÎ·Ð¡±À̶ó°í öà(Ī)ÇÑ´Ù.
¡°¸ðµç °³ÀÎÀº ÇÊ¿¬ÀûÀ¸·Î ÀÏÀ» Çؼ »çȸÀÇ ¿¬°£¼ÒµæÀ» °¡´ÉÇÑ ÇÑ Å©°Ô ¸¸µç´Ù. Áø½Ç·Î °³ÀÎÀº ÀϹÝÀûÀ¸·Î ÍììÌ(°øÀÍ)À» Áõ´ëÇÏ·Á°í ÀǵµÇÏÁöµµ ¾Ê°í °øÀÍÀ» ¾ó¸¶³ª Áõ´ë½ÃÅ°°í ÀÖ´ÂÁöµµ ¸ð¸¥´Ù... ±×´Â ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ À̵游 ÀǵµÇÏ¸ç ±×¸®°í ´Ù¸¥ ¸ðµç °æ¿ì¿¡¼¿Í ¸¶Âù°¡Áö·Î ÀÌ·± Àǵµ¿¡¼ ±×ÀÇ Àǵµ¿¡´Â Á¶±Ýµµ(no part) ¾ø¾ú´ø ¸ñÀûÀ» Áõ´ë½ÃÅ°µµ·Ï º¸ÀÌÁö ¾Ê´Â ¼Õ¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ À̲ø·ÁÁø´Ù. ±×ÀÇ Àǵµ(it)°¡ °ø°øÀÇ ¸ñÀû(it)À» À§ÇÑ °ÍÀÌ ÀüÇô ¾Æ´Ï¾ú´Ù´Â °ÍÀÌ »çȸ¸¦ À§Çؼ Ç×»ó ´õ ³ª»Û °ÍÀº ¾Æ´Ï´Ù. ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» Ãß±¸ÇÔÀ¸·Î ÀÇÇؼ °³ÀÎÀº »çȸÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» ½ÇÁ¦·Î Áõ´ëÇÏ·Á°í ÀǵµÇÒ ¶§º¸´Ùµµ ºó¹øÇÏ°Ô ´õ È¿À²ÀûÀ¸·Î »çȸÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» Áõ´ëÇÏ°Ô µÈ´Ù. ³ª´Â °ø°øÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» À§ÇØ ³ë·ÂÇÏ¿´´ø(±×·¸°Ô °¡ÀåÇß´ø, affected) »ç¶÷µé¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ ¸¹Àº ÁÁÀº ÀÏ(much good)ÀÌ ÇØÁö´Â °ÍÀ» º» ÀûÀÌ ¾ø´Ù.
¿ì¸®°¡ Àú³á ¸Ô±â¸¦ ±â´ëÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´Â °ÍÀº Á¤À°Á¡ ÁÖÀΰú åÔðãíº(¾çÁ¶ÀÚ) ¶Ç´Â Á¦»§¾÷ÀÚµéÀÇ ÀÚ¼± ¶§¹®ÀÌ ¾Æ´Ï°í ±×µé ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ ÀÌÀÍ¿¡ ´ëÇÑ °ü½É ¶§¹®ÀÌ´Ù. ¿ì¸®´Â ±×µéÀÇ Àΰ£¾Ö(humanity)°¡ ¾Æ´Ñ ±×µéÀÇ À̱â½É(self-love)¿¡¸¸ °ü½ÉÀ» µÎ¸ç ¿ì¸® ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ Çʿ伺¿¡ ´ëÇؼ´Â °áÄÚ ¸»ÇÏÁö ¾Ê°í ±×µéÀÇ ÀÌÀÍ¿¡ ´ëÇؼ¸¸ ¸»ÇÑ´Ù.
10-2-65
Smith did not worship selfishness. He regarded benevolence as admirable, as a great virtue, and he saw the instinct for sympathy toward one's fellow man as the foundation on which civilised conduct is built (he wrote another book about this: "The Theory of Moral Sentiments"). But his greatest economic insight - and indeed the greatest single insight yielded by the discipline of economics - was that benevolence was not in fact necessary to advance the public interest, so long as people were free to engage with each other in voluntary economic interaction. That is fortunate, he pointed out, since benevolence is often in short supply. Self-interest, on the other hand, is not.
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.
Smith´Â À̱â½ÉÀ» ¼þ»óÇÏÁö´Â ¾Ê¾Ò´Ù. ±×´Â ÀÚ¼±À» ÂùźÇÒ ¸¸ÇÑ °ÍÀ¸·Î, À§´ëÇÑ ¹Ì´öÀ¸·Î °£ÁÖÇÏ¿´À¸¸ç µ¿·á Àΰ£¿¡ ´ëÇÑ µ¿Á¤ÀÇ º»´ÉÀ», ±×°ÍÀ» ¹ÙÅÁÀ¸·Î ¹®¸íµÈ ÇàÀ§°¡ Çü¼º(built)µÇ´Â, õ¨à´(Ãʼ®)À¸·Î °£ÁÖÇÏ¿´´Ù(±×´Â ÀÌ°Í¿¡ ´ëÇÑ Ã¥µµ ½è´Ù: ¡°µµ´öÀû Á¤¼ÀÇ À̷С±). ±×·¯³ª ±×ÀÇ °¡Àå À§´ëÇÑ ÅëÂûÀº¡ª±×¸®°í Áø½Ç·Î °æÁ¦ÇÐ °ú¸ñ¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ »ý»êµÈ °¡Àå À§´ëÇÑ ÅëÂûÀº¡ª »ç¶÷µéÀÌ ÀÚ¹ßÀû °æÁ¦È°µ¿¿¡ ¼·Î¼·Î ÀÚÀ¯·Ó°Ô Âü¿©¸¸ ÇÒ ¼ö¸¸ ÀÖ´Ù¸é °ø°øÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀ» ÁõÁø½ÃÅ°±â´Â µ¥¿¡ ÀÚ¼±Àº »ç½Ç»ó ÇÊ¿ä ¾ø´Ù´Â °ÍÀ̾ú´Ù. ±×°Í(ÀÚ¼±ÀÌ ÇÊ¿ä ¾ø´Ù´Â °Í)Àº, ÀÚ¼±Àº Á¾Á¾ °ø±ÞºÎÁ· »óÅ¿¡ Àֱ⠶§¹®¿¡, ´ÙÇàÀ̶ó°í ±×´Â ÁöÀûÇÏ¿´´Ù. ¹Ý¸é¿¡ À̱â½ÉÀº ±×·¸Áö ¾Ê´Ù(À̱â½ÉÀÌ °ø±ÞºÎÁ· µÇ´Â ÀÏÀº ¾ø´Ù).
¸¸¾à ¸¶Ä¡ º¸ÀÌÁö ¾Ê´Â ¼Õ¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ À̲ø¾îÁö´Â À̱â½ÉÀÌ Üâëò(º»ÀÇ) ¾Æ´Ï°Ô °øÀÍ¿¡ ±â¿©ÇÑ´Ù¸é, ±×·¸´Ù¸é, »ç¶÷µéÀÌ Ç×»ó ÀÚ¼±½É¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ¸¸ ¿òÁ÷ÀÌÁö´Â ¾Ê´Âµ¥µµ »çȸ°¡ ¹ø¿µÇÏ´Â ÀÌÀ¯¸¦ ¾Ë±â´Â ½±´Ù. °ø»êÁÖÀÇ°¡ ½ÇÆÐÇÏ°í ÀÚº»ÁÖÀÇ°¡ ¼º°øÇÑ(worked) °ÍÀº À̱â½É°ú °ø°øÀÇ ÀÌÀÍ¿¡ °üÇÑ SmithÀÇ »ý°¢ÀÌ ¿Ç¾Ò±â ¶§¹®ÀÌ´Ù.
CSR(±â¾÷ÀÇ »çȸÀû Ã¥ÀÓ) ñ«óÝíº(ÁÖâÀÚ)ÀÇ ´ëºÎºÐÀº ƯÈ÷ °Å´ëÇÑ ±¹Á¦Àû ȸ»ç¸¦ °æ¿µÇÏ´Â »ç¶÷µéÀº ¾Æ¸¶µµ ÀþÀ» ¶§(in their time) °æÁ¦Çп¡ ´ëÇؼ ÀоúÀ» °ÍÀÌ´Ù. CSRÀ» Âù¼ºÇÏ°í ÁÖÀåÇÏ´Â UNÀ̳ª ¼¼°èÀºÇàÀ̳ª OECD¿¡ ±Ù¹«ÇÏ´Â ¸¹Àº °øÁ÷ÀÚµéÀº ÃÖ°íÀÇ ´ëÇп¡¼ ±× °ú¸ñ(°æÁ¦ÇÐ)¿¡ ´ëÇÑ °íµîÇÐÀ§(¼®¡¤¹Ú»ç)¸¦ °¡Áö°í ÀÖ´Ù.
10-3-66
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¡ªand 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¡ªand 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.
±×·±µ¥µµ ±×µéÀº Çй®(°æÁ¦ÇÐ) Àüü¿¡ ´ëÇÑ ÀÌ °¡Àå ±âº»ÀûÀÌ°í ÇʼöÀûÀÎ ÅëÂû(ÀÚ¼±º¸´Ù´Â À̱â½ÉÀÌ °øÀÍÁõÁø¿¡ ±â¿©ÇÑ´Ù´Â °Í)À» ºÐ¸íÈ÷ ÆľÇÇÏÁö ¸øÇÏ°í ÀÖ´Ù. SmithÀÇ º¸ÀÌÁö ¾Ê´Â ¼ÕÀÇ ÀÛ¿ëÀ» ÅëÇؼ ÞçìÌ(»çÀÍ)ÀÇ Ãß±¸°¡ ÍììÌ(°øÀÍ)À» ÁõÁø½ÃŲ´Ù. ÀÌ°ÍÀ» Çس»±â(bring about) À§ÇØ Á¤Ã¥(initiative)°ú °èȹ¼(compact)·Î ¹«ÀåÇÑ CSR À̳äÁöµµÀÚ´Â ÇÊ¿ä ¾ø´Ù.
°øÀÍ°ú »çÀÍÀÇ ÀÌ·± Á¶È´Â ¾ó¸¥ ´«¿¡ ¶çÁö ¾Ê±â ¶§¹®¿¡ (º¸Åë»ç¶÷¿¡°Ô´Â ¸íÈ®ÇÏÁö ¾Ê±â ¶§¹®¿¡) Smith´Â õÀç¿´´Ù.¡ª±×·±µ¥µµ µ¿½Ã¿¡ ÀÏ´Ü ±×°ÍÀÌ ÁöÀûÀÌ µÇ¸é ±× »ç»óÀº Áï°¢ ´Ü¼øÇÏ°í ±×·²µíÇÏ°Ô µÈ´Ù. ÀÌ°ÍÀº À̱âÀûÀÎ °³ÀÎÀÌ ¾Æ´Ï°í ÀÌÀÍÀ» Ãß±¸Çϴ ȸ»ç¿¡ ´ëÇؼ »ý°¢Çϸé Ưº°È÷ ±×·¸°Ô µÈ´Ù. »ç¶÷µé(¼ÒºñÀÚ)ÀÌ È¸»ç·ÎºÎÅÍ ±¸¸ÅÇÏ´Â »óÇ°°ú ¿ë¿ª¿¡ ºÎ¿©ÇÏ´Â °¡Ä¡(°¡°Ý)´Â ±×µéÀÌ ±×°Íµé(»óÇ°°ú ¿ë¿ª)À» »ç±â À§ÇØ ÁöºÒÇÒ ¶æÀÌ ÀÖ´Â °Í¿¡ ÀÇÇؼ Ç¥½ÃµÈ´Ù. ±× »óÇ°°ú ¿ë¿ªÀÇ »ý»êºñ¿ëÀº »çȸ°¡ ±×°ÍµéÀ» ¼ÒºñÇϱâ À§Çؼ ÁöºÒ(surrender)ÇØ¾ß ÇÏ´Â °ÍÀÇ Ã´µµ°¡ µÈ´Ù. »ç¶÷µéÀÌ ÁöºÒÇÏ´Â °ÍÀÌ »ý»êºñ¸¦ ÃÊ°úÇÏ¸é »çȸ´Â À̵æÀ» º¸°Ô µÈ´Ù.¡ª±×¸®°í ±× ȸ»ç´Â ÀÌÀÍÀ» º¸°Ô µÈ´Ù. »çȸÀÇ À̵æÀÌ Å¬¼ö·Ï ÀÌÀÍ(ȸ»çÀÇ)µµ Ä¿Áø´Ù. ÀÌÀÍ(ȸ»çÀÇ)Àº ȸ»ç°¡ »çȸ¸¦ À§ÇØ »ý»êÇÏ´Â °¡Ä¡¿¡ ´ëÇÑ Áöħ(°áÄÚ ¿Ïº®ÇÑ °ÍÀº ¾Æ´ÏÁö¸¸ ±×·¡µµ Áöħ)ÀÌ µÈ´Ù.
10-4-67
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 honoring 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.
ÀÌ°ÍÀº ¿µÈ "Wall Street"ÀÇ ¹Ó»ì½º·¯¿î ÁÖÀΰø Gordon Gekko°¡ ¡°Å½¿åÀº ÁÁÀº °ÍÀÌ´Ù¡±¶ó°í ¸»ÇÏ´Â °ÍÀÌ ¿Ç´Ù´Â °ÍÀ» ÀǹÌÇϴ°¡? ¾Æ´Ï´Ù. Ž¿å°ú À̱â½ÉÀº Gekko°¡ ±× ¿µÈ¿¡¼ ¹ß°ßÇÏ´Â °Íó·³ °°Àº °ÍÀÌ ¾Æ´Ï´Ù. ´Ü¾îÀÇ ÀϹÝÀû Àǹ̿¡¼ Ž¿åÀº ÇÕ¸®ÀûÀÌÁöµµ ¾Ê°í °è»êÀûÀÌÁöµµ ¾Ê´Ù. Ž¿å¿¡ ¿ÏÀüÈ÷(freely) ¸ôµÎÇϸé Ž¿åÀº »ç¶÷À»(you) ¿ìµÐÇÏ°Ô ÇÏ°í ÆÄ»êÀ¸·Î ¸ô°í °£´Ù. °øÀÍÀ» ÁõÁø½ÃÅ°´Â ±×·± Á¾·ùÀÇ À̱â½ÉÀº ÇÕ¸®ÀûÀÌ°í °è¸ùµÈ °ÍÀÌ´Ù. ÇÕ¸®ÀûÀÌ°í °è»êÀûÀÎ À̱â½ÉÀº °³ÀÎÀ̳ª ȸ»ç·Î ÇÏ¿©±Ý ȸ»çÀÇ Á¤Á÷¼º°ú °øÁ¤ÇÑ °Å·¡¿¡ ´ëÇÑ ¸í¼º¿¡ ´ëÇؼ, ȸ»çÀÇ ºÎäÁöºÒ°ú ÇùÁ¤Á¸Áß¿¡ ´ëÇÑ ¸í¼º¿¡ ´ëÇؼ ½Å°æÀ» ¾²°Ô ÇÑ´Ù. À̱â½ÉÀº ´Ü±â°£À» ³Ñ¾î¼ ¾Õ³¯À» ´ëºñÇÑ´Ù. À̱â½ÉÀº ³»ÀÏÀÇ À̵æÀ» À§Çؼ, ȤÀº 5³â µÚÀÇ À̵æÀ» À§Çؼ ¿À´ÃÀ» Èñ»ýÇÑ´Ù. À̱â½ÉÀº ÁÁÀº ÀÌ¿ôÀ» ¸¸µç´Ù.
¶ÇÇÑ µµ´öÀûÀ¸·Îµµ Ž¿å°ú À̱â½É »çÀÌ¿¡´Â ´Ù¸¥ ¼¼°è°¡ ÀÖ´Ù. ù ¹ø°(Ž¿å) ¼¼°è´Â ºñ·Ï ÀÚ¸êÀûÀÌÁö´Â ¾ÊÀ»Áö¶óµµ ¿©ÀüÈ÷ µÎ ¹ø°(À̱â½É) ¼¼°èÀÇ ºñõÇÑ ¾Ç¿ëÀÌ´Ù. ÀÌ·¯ÇÑ Â÷À̸¦ ÆľÇÇÏÁö ¸øÇÏ°í ±×·¡¼ º¸´Ù ´õ ±íÀº »ý°¢µµ ¾øÀÌ »ç±â¾÷Àº ´õ·´ÇôÁ® ÀÖ´Ù°í °á·Ð ³»¸®´Â °ÍÀº ÀÏÁ¾ÀÇ µµ´öÀû ¿ìµÐÀÌ´Ù. Ž¿åÀº ÃßÇÏ´Ù. ÀÌ¿Í ´ëÁ¶ÀûÀ¸·Î, ŸÀÎÀÇ º¹Áö¿¡ ´ëÇØ µ¿Á¤Àû °ü½ÉÀ» °¡Áö¸é¼ (´ëºÎºÐÀÇ °æ¿ì¿¡ ±×·± °Íó·³) ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ º¹Áö¸¦ ÁõÁø½ÃÅ°·Á´Â Á¶¿ëÇÏ°íµµ ¿Â°ÇÇÑ ¿å¸Á¿¡ ´ëÇؼ´Â Àú¿ÇÑ °ÍÀ̶ó°í´Â ÀüÇô ¾ø´Ù. ±×¸®°í Smith°¡ ÁöÀûÇÑ °Íó·³ À̱â½ÉÀº ´ë´ÜÈ÷ Áß¿äÇÏ°í ÇʼöÀûÀÌ´Ù(make the world round).