money is power essay

Money controls our lives. It's time to rethink our relationship with the almighty dollar

Pedestrains walk past a shop sale sign in Oxford Street, central London December 13, 2012. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTR3BJ6W

'Materialism shouts so loudly that it overrides our caring about other things' Image: REUTERS/Toby Melville

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This year, 1 March marks the beginning of Lent in the Western church. For many, it will be a time to give up a personal vice – numerous people opt out of chocolate or alcohol, although fasting from social networks is becoming increasingly popular. It is a time to go without, and in doing so, draw closer to the one whom Christians follow, Jesus Christ. It is an opportunity to replace something that has some control over us with the liberating relationship we can have with Jesus.

Recently, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the control that money has over our lives. In fact, for better or worse, I wrote a book about the relationship we have with money. It is called Dethroning Mammon and will be used by some churches this coming Lent as a study book that digs a little deeper into this relationship.

To me, it seems that the more interconnected the world becomes, the more power is held over individuals and nations by economics, money and flows of finance. In so many human crises, money plays a part – it is treated as both the problem and the solution. In the Gospels, the name Jesus gives to this force is Mammon.

Spending time at the World Economic Forum with people who lead countries, international organizations and corporations, is deeply enjoyable and educational. The theme of the 2017 Annual Meeting , Responsive and Responsible Leadership, offers an opportunity to reflect on how our personal and corporate attitudes to money and economics affect how we see the world and those with whom we share it.

The problem with materialism is not that it exists, but that it dominates. It shouts so loudly that it overrides our caring about other things. This is demonstrated particularly in how we measure things and ascribe value. If we can’t measure something, then there is a tendency not to value it as much as something that is easily measurable.

A book that is a particular favourite of mine is The Shield of Achilles by Philip Bobbitt. In it, amongst other things, he charts the evolution of the state. One of his most perceptive theses is that we no longer live in an age of the nation state, but rather of the market state. In the market state, the success or failure of the state and its government is measured entirely by the capacity to consume more or less. Economics is an end in and of itself, rather than a tool by which we pursue the common good.

As I have been thinking and writing about these matters, I have actively tried to avoid the typically negative attitude towards money that is often found in the church. Supply and demand, risk and reward, the gift of the free market to agreeably locate goods, the need for balance in the flows of money within the economy – all continue to be relevant. But they are not God.

Money itself isn’t negative or bad, but our attitude towards money can certainly have a deeply negative impact on our relationships and priorities.

The challenge, then, is to be increasingly aware of how money affects us as individuals, as well as at a systemic level. Very often, the more we have or are responsible for, the harder we have to work at maintaining this awareness and building habits into our lives that dethrone the emotional and ethical control that economics or money holds over us.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Student Essays

12 Powerful Essays on Money [ Importance, Value, Power ]-2024

Money is really an important role player in our lives. But, we need to accept, money is not everything. Though money has the power, you can enjoy and afford every material luxury of life. But that is short lived. Money can’t bring real happiness, peace, certainty, power and freedom.

We have written the following short and long essays on topic Money. These essays cover all related topics including; importance and power of money, is money everything, role of money in life etc.

Essay on Money | Value, Role & Importance of Money in Life

It cannot be denied that money is essential for our healthy living. In order to remain in good standings in society, we will need money to live a life and maintain our good standings.

The money is essential for providing necessary comforts and amenities of the life. When you have money, you have everything you could ever want.

In order for us to get a good personality we need money, which will also improve our self-confidence. We will become more credible, improve our capabilities, increase our confidence level, and enhance our courage to a greater extent.

With no money, no one will help us. In a world where nobody is willing to help, we feel helpless. A person cannot live and survive in today’s materialistic world without money.

Today, in order to earn more money through unfair means, bad people take assistance from corruption, bribes, smuggling, etc. People who are lazy may follow the wrong ways to earn money, assuming that these methods are easy and simple.

It is true that one can earn more money through less effort, but not for long; surely he will lose his money by following a wrong and weak path in the near future.

A person who earns money by following the rules of humanity earns less money but for a long period of time and then becomes a well known personality in the society.

People who commit corruption hide their money as black money in other countries to hide it from the general public. Their money is used for doing bad things or living in luxury.

It is generally observed that those who have more money by either means, are respected by ordinary people. As money is the factor of power in society. Those powerful people then wield social and political power in our society.

It is however an established fact that money is not the entire thing in our life. You can’t buy time with money . Neither you earn the real respect, love or affection when you have illegal money. The real joy of peace, happiness or satisfaction come through hard work, dedication, sincerity and peacefulness

Essay on Power of Money in Life

One cannot imagine a healthy and peaceful life without money. We need money even to buy a single needle. Nowadays, when everything is becoming more expensive and civilization is becoming increasingly advanced and following western culture, we need more money.

In the past, people relied on the barter system in which they would be able to exchange things for goods, but in the modern world, money is all that is necessary to purchase everything. Money is becoming more and more important as the cost of living increases.

A great deal of importance has been attached to money in the production, consumption, exchange, distribution, public finance, etc. As a result, it plays an important role in determining raw material input, income, employment, output, and general price levels of anything, etc.

Essay on Money is Everything

In a highly competitive and expensive society, no one can live without money. Food, clothing, and many other necessities of life are nearly impossible to buy without money.

A poor person in a society is viewed as an enemy due to their poverty. However, rich and powerful people are perceived as decent and honest people.

Money can increase a person’s status in the society and make him look good. To fulfill the ever-increasing demands of the modern age, we all strive to be wealthy through a good job or business. The reality is that very few people get this chance of becoming millionaires.

As a result, everything is dependent upon money, be it rich or poor, urban or rural. Money is essential to everyone, whether he or she is living in the city or in the country. In cities, people are earning a higher salary than those in rural or backward areas. This is because the people of urban areas have more access to the technologies and get more opportunities because they have access to the easy resources

Essay on Money is the Root of all Evils:

Money has been a part of human society since its inception. It has evolved from being used as a medium of exchange to becoming a symbol of power and success. People have always desired to accumulate wealth, and in today’s materialistic world, money has become the ultimate goal for many.

However, with this desire for wealth, comes numerous negative consequences that are often overlooked. In this essay, we will discuss how money can be considered as the root of all evils.

The Obsession with Money

In the pursuit of materialistic possessions, people often become obsessed with money. Money becomes their sole purpose in life, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to acquire it. This obsession can lead individuals down a path of greed, where they only care about their own financial gain without considering the consequences of their actions. As a result, many unethical and immoral activities such as fraud, theft, and corruption occur due to this unhealthy obsession with money.

Creates Disparity and Inequality

Another major issue caused by the love for money is the creation of disparity and inequality within society. People with more wealth tend to have better access to education, healthcare, and opportunities that can lead to a better quality of life. This creates an uneven playing field where those who are already financially stable have an advantage over others.

As a result, poverty rates increase, leading to social unrest and crime in society. Moreover, the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen as the wealthy become wealthier while the poor struggle to make ends meet.

Causes Conflict and Strife

Money can also be considered as the root of many conflicts and strife within society. As people become more obsessed with money, they are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect their wealth. This can lead to disputes and disagreements among individuals, communities, and even nations. Wars have been fought over resources and power, which ultimately stems from the desire for money.

On a smaller scale, family relationships can also be affected when one member becomes financially successful while others struggle. This creates tension and resentment within the family unit, leading to conflict and strain in relationships.

It Leads to Materialism and Consumerism

The pursuit of money also leads to a culture of materialism and consumerism. People often equate their self-worth and happiness with the possessions they own. This constant need for more, bigger, and better things can lead to excessive spending, debt, and financial strain.

Furthermore, the never-ending cycle of consumption has negative consequences on the environment as resources are depleted at an alarming rate. This consumeristic mindset also perpetuates a throwaway culture where items are discarded instead of being repaired or reused, leading to environmental pollution and waste.

In conclusion, while money may be necessary for survival and provides a sense of security, it can also be considered as the root of all evils in society. The unhealthy obsession with money leads to numerous negative consequences such as greed, inequality, conflict, and environmental degradation. It is essential to recognize the dangers of this love for wealth and strive towards a more balanced and equitable distribution of resources in society.

As the saying goes, “money cannot buy happiness,” and it is crucial to prioritize values such as compassion, empathy, and kindness over material possessions. So let us not forget that money is just a means to an end and not an end in itself. The true wealth lies in human relationships and making a positive impact on society, not in the accumulation of material possessions.

Essay on Money Management:

In today’s fast-paced world, money management is an essential skill that everyone should possess. It is the process of managing one’s finances wisely to achieve financial stability and security. Proper money management involves budgeting, saving, investing and controlling spending habits. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of money management and some tips for effective management.

One of the main reasons why money management is crucial is because it helps individuals to reach their financial goals. Whether it is buying a new house, funding education or planning for retirement, good money management can help achieve these goals. Proper budgeting allows individuals to allocate their income towards different expenses wisely. It also helps in identifying areas where one can cut down on unnecessary spending and save more money. By saving money, individuals can have a financial safety net for any unexpected expenses or emergencies.

In addition to achieving financial goals, effective money management also leads to a stress-free life. People who manage their money well are less likely to face financial difficulties and are better equipped to handle financial crises. They also have a sense of control over their finances and do not live paycheck-to-paycheck. This can reduce the stress and anxiety associated with money matters. Moreover, good money management can also improve relationships as financial problems are one of the leading causes of stress and conflicts in marriages and families.

Now let us discuss some tips for effective money management:

Creating a budget is the first step towards managing money properly. It helps in tracking expenses and controlling spending.
Setting financial goals is crucial as it gives direction to one’s financial decisions and motivates towards saving and investing.
Saving a portion of income regularly should be a priority. Experts recommend saving at least 10% to 15% of one’s income for future needs.
Controlling spending habits is essential to avoid unnecessary expenses and impulse purchases.
Investing money wisely can help in growing wealth and achieving long-term financial goals.
Regularly reviewing and adjusting the budget and financial plan is important to adapt to changing circumstances.

In conclusion, managing money well is crucial for achieving financial stability, reducing stress and improving relationships. By following some simple tips and being disciplined with finances, individuals can achieve their financial goals and lead a comfortable life.

Remember, it is never too late to start practicing good money management habits! So start today and secure your financial future. That’s all! Happy saving 🙂

Essay on Money Laundering:

Money laundering is a term used to describe the illegal process of concealing the true origins of money obtained through criminal activities. It involves disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income in order to avoid detection by law enforcement and financial institutions.

Money laundering has become a global problem, with an estimated $800 billion to $2 trillion laundered annually. In this essay, we will discuss the concept of money laundering, its impact on society, and some measures to combat it.

Origin of Money Laundering

The term money laundering originated from the Italian word “lavare,” which means to wash. It was first used in the 1920s by American gangsters who were involved in bootlegging liquor during Prohibition. These criminals created elaborate schemes to disguise their illegal profits as legitimate businesses or investments.

This facilitated the integration of illicit funds into the legal economy and made it difficult for law enforcement officials to trace the source of these funds. Since then, money laundering has evolved into a sophisticated global crime that involves the movement of huge sums of money across borders and through multiple financial institutions.

Impact on Society

Money laundering has far-reaching consequences for society. It undermines the integrity and stability of financial systems, distorts competition, and facilitates corruption. By allowing criminals to profit from their illegal activities, it perpetuates criminal behavior and poses a threat to national security.

It also has negative impacts on legitimate businesses as they may face unfair competition from those using laundered funds.

Furthermore, money laundering enables criminal organizations to sustain their operations by providing them with access to clean funds for financing terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other illicit activities. Ultimately, this has a detrimental effect on the overall economy and society.

Measures to Combat Money Laundering

To combat money laundering, countries have implemented various laws and regulations. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization that sets international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

It conducts regular evaluations of member countries’ efforts in implementing these standards and provides recommendations for improvement. Financial institutions are also required to implement strict know-your-customer (KYC) procedures to identify their customers and verify the source of funds.

Additionally, governments should increase collaboration with law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, and other regulatory bodies to share information and intelligence on suspicious activities. This will help in detecting and preventing money laundering activities more effectively.

In conclusion, money laundering is a serious global issue that has significant impacts on society. It is not only a financial crime but also a threat to national security and the integrity of our financial systems. To combat it successfully, there needs to be cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies, and financial institutions.

Strict laws and regulations must be implemented and enforced, along with proper monitoring mechanisms. Only by working together can we effectively tackle this complex and ever-evolving problem of money laundering. So let us all do our part in preventing this illegal activity and contribute towards building a safer and more transparent world economy for everyone

Essay on Money Plant:

The Money Plant, also known as Devil’s Ivy or Golden Pothos, is a popular houseplant that is loved for its beautiful foliage and easy maintenance. It belongs to the family of Araceae and is native to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. This plant has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.

The Money Plant is an evergreen vine with heart-shaped leaves that can grow up to 40 feet in length. Its leaves are glossy and have a marbled pattern in shades of green and yellow. The plant also produces small, white flowers, but they are insignificant compared to its lush foliage. It is often grown as a hanging plant or trained on a trellis for support.

One of the reasons why the Money Plant is so popular is because it can easily adapt to different environments and grow in low light conditions. It also has air-purifying properties, making it a great choice for indoor spaces. The plant is known to remove toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from the air, improving the overall air quality in your home or office.

Taking care of a Money Plant is relatively easy. It requires well-draining soil and moderate watering, making it suitable for people who don’t have a green thumb. The plant can also be propagated easily by stem cuttings, making it an ideal choice for beginner gardeners.

Apart from its aesthetic and health benefits, the Money Plant is also believed to bring financial prosperity. According to Feng Shui, placing a Money Plant in the southeast or east direction of your home can attract wealth and abundance. However, it is essential not to rely solely on the plant for good luck and instead work hard towards your goals.

In conclusion, the Money Plant is not only a beautiful and low-maintenance houseplant but also has cultural and metaphysical significance. Whether you believe in its luck-bringing properties or not, this plant is undoubtedly a great addition to any home or office space.

Essay on Money is not Everything:

Money is a powerful tool that can provide us with comfort, security and luxury. It is often seen as the ultimate goal in life, and people spend most of their time chasing it. However, money is not everything in life. It cannot buy happiness, love or good health. In fact, it can sometimes lead to more problems and conflicts in relationships.

Money can surely buy materialistic things that give us temporary pleasure, but true happiness comes from within. It is not something that can be bought with money. Many people have all the luxuries in the world but are still unhappy and unfulfilled.

This is because they lack strong relationships, a sense of purpose and inner peace. It is important to understand that money can only provide temporary satisfaction, but true happiness lies in the simple things in life like spending time with loved ones, helping others and pursuing our passions.

Moreover, love and relationships cannot be bought with money. True love and genuine relationships are built on trust, respect and mutual understanding.

These cannot be bought with money; they must be earned through sincere efforts. In fact, having too much money can sometimes create power imbalances in relationships, leading to conflicts and even breakups. Therefore, it is important not to let money become the priority in a relationship. Instead, we should focus on building strong and meaningful connections with our loved ones.

Additionally, money cannot buy good health. It may be able to provide access to healthcare facilities and treatments, but it cannot guarantee a healthy mind and body. In fact, people who prioritize money over their health often neglect self-care and face various health issues in the long run. Therefore, it is important to maintain a balance between work and personal life and prioritize self-care. After all, without good health, money becomes meaningless.

In conclusion, money is certainly important in life, but it should not be the sole focus. True happiness and fulfillment come from within and cannot be bought with money. We should prioritize building meaningful relationships, pursuing our passions and taking care of our health over constantly chasing after more wealth. As the saying goes, “money can’t buy everything,” and we must remember that in order to live a truly fulfilling life.

Argumentative Essay on Money:

The topic of money and its role in our lives is a highly debated one. Some argue that money is the root of all evil, while others view it as a means to achieve success and happiness. The truth lies somewhere in between. Money is a necessary aspect of our lives, but it should not be the sole focus or measure of our success.

On one hand, money can provide us with material comforts and opportunities. It allows us to have a decent standard of living, access to education and healthcare, and the ability to pursue our passions. Without money, we would struggle to meet our basic needs and live a fulfilling life. In this sense, money can bring us happiness and satisfaction.

However, the pursuit of money can also have negative consequences. It can consume our lives and lead to greed, materialism, and a constant desire for more. Many people become trapped in a cycle of work and earning just to keep up with societal expectations or to maintain their status.

This relentless pursuit of wealth can lead to neglecting other important aspects of life such as relationships, personal growth, and mental well-being. In this sense, money can become a source of stress and unhappiness.

Moreover, the unequal distribution of wealth in society adds to the complexity of the issue. While some individuals have an abundance of money and resources, others struggle to make ends meet.

This creates a divide between the haves and have-nots, leading to feelings of resentment and inequality. Money can also be used as a tool for power and control, further fueling societal issues such as corruption and exploitation.

In conclusion, money is an important aspect of our lives, but it should not be the sole determinant of our success or happiness. We must strike a balance and prioritize what truly matters to us beyond material possessions. It is crucial to find a healthy relationship with money and use it wisely for our well-being and that of others. Ultimately, true success lies in achieving a fulfilling life rather than accumulating wealth.

Write a high school Essay on Money:

Money is a crucial topic for high school students, especially as they approach adulthood. It plays a significant role in shaping their future and achieving their goals. Money management skills are essential for students to learn at an early age. It helps them understand the value of money, how to earn it, save it and spend it wisely. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of money for high school students and how they can learn to manage it effectively.

Firstly, understanding the value of money is crucial for high school students. Most teenagers have a limited understanding of where money comes from and how hard their parents work to earn it. It’s essential to teach them about earning an income, whether through part-time jobs or chores at home.

This not only helps them appreciate the value of money but also instills a strong work ethic in them. It also teaches them to be responsible for their own finances and not rely solely on their parents.

Secondly, high school students need to learn how to save money. Many teenagers have the tendency to spend impulsively, especially with peer pressure and societal influences. It’s important to teach them the concept of budgeting and saving for future goals such as college or a car.

This will help them develop financial discipline and avoid getting into debt later in life. They can also start small by setting aside a portion of their allowance or earnings each month. This will teach them the value of delayed gratification and long-term planning.

Lastly, high school students should learn how to spend money wisely. With access to credit cards and online shopping, it’s easy for teenagers to overspend and fall into debt. Educating them on the importance of budgeting and differentiating between needs and wants is crucial in making informed financial decisions.

They can also be taught about investment options such as mutual funds or stocks, which can help their money grow over time. This will give them a head start in building their financial future.

In conclusion, money is an important aspect of a high school student’s life and learning how to manage it effectively is crucial for their future success. By teaching them the value of money, saving skills, and wise spending habits at an early age, we can help them become financially responsible adults. It’s never too early to start teaching teenagers about money management as it sets them up for a stable and secure financial future.

Advantages of Money Essay:

Money is something that has been a part of human society for centuries, and it plays a crucial role in our daily lives. In simple terms, money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. It can come in various forms such as paper notes, coins, or even digital transactions. In this short essay, we will discuss the advantages of money and why it is such an essential aspect of our society.

First and foremost, money provides a means for people to exchange goods and services. In earlier times, barter system was used for trade where people exchanged goods or services directly with one another.

However, this system had its limitations as it required a double coincidence of wants. With the introduction of money, individuals could now sell their products or services for money and then use that money to purchase other goods or services they needed.

This made trading much more efficient and convenient. Moreover, money also serves as a unit of account, making it easier for people to compare the value of different goods or services.

Money also allows individuals to save and accumulate wealth. With the use of money, people can store their excess income and use it later for future needs such as emergencies or retirement. This provides a sense of security and stability in one’s life.

Additionally, with the help of financial institutions like banks, individuals can invest their money in various sources to earn interest over time and increase their wealth. This creates opportunities for people to improve their financial status and achieve their goals.

Furthermore, money also enables governments to operate and provide essential services to its citizens. Taxes collected from individuals and businesses make up a significant portion of a government’s revenue, which is used for various purposes such as building infrastructure, providing education and healthcare facilities, and maintaining law and order. Without money, it would be challenging for governments to function effectively, leading to a breakdown of society.

In conclusion, money has numerous benefits in our society. It facilitates trade and exchange, allows people to save and invest, and enables governments to operate efficiently for the betterment of its citizens. However, it is crucial to use money responsibly and ensure that it does not become the sole focus of our lives

Essay on Save Money is a Good Habit:

Saving money is an important habit that everyone should develop. It refers to the process of setting aside a portion of your income for future use, rather than spending it all at once. This practice not only helps in meeting unforeseen expenses but also ensures financial stability and security. In this essay, we will discuss why saving money is a good habit and how it can benefit individuals in the long run.

One of the primary reasons for saving money is to prepare for unexpected events. Emergencies such as medical emergencies, job loss, or natural disasters can occur at any time, and having saved money can help in dealing with them without causing financial strain.

Additionally, saving money also helps in achieving financial goals and fulfilling dreams such as buying a house or going on a dream vacation. It provides a sense of security and peace of mind, knowing that there is a safety net in times of need.

Moreover, saving money can also lead to financial stability. By building a habit of saving regularly, individuals can create a cushion for themselves during tough economic times. This habit can help in avoiding debts and living within one’s means. Furthermore, it can also provide the freedom to take career risks or pursue new opportunities without worrying about financial consequences.

In the long run, saving money can also bring financial freedom and independence. By consistently saving a portion of their income, individuals can build a nest egg that can generate passive income in the future. This provides stability during retirement or even allows for early retirement. Additionally, it can also help in achieving long-term financial goals such as starting a business or investing in assets.

In conclusion, saving money is a good habit that can bring numerous benefits to individuals. It not only helps in preparing for unexpected events but also leads to financial stability and independence. Therefore, it is essential to develop this habit from an early age and make it a part of our daily lives.

As the saying goes, “a penny saved is a penny earned,” and by following this principle, we can secure a better future for ourselves and our loved ones. So let us all start saving today! # Keep Saving! Start Saving now!

Essay on Money and Credit:

Money and credit are two fundamental concepts that play a crucial role in our daily lives. Money is a medium of exchange that enables us to buy goods and services, while credit allows us to access funds without having to pay the full amount upfront. In this essay, we will discuss the relationship between money and credit and their importance in our economy.

Money is a universal currency that facilitates trade and commerce. It comes in various forms such as coins, paper notes, and digital currency. Without money, the barter system would still be prevalent where goods were exchanged directly for other goods.

However, this system was inefficient as it required a coincidence of wants between two parties. Money eliminates this problem by providing a common medium of exchange accepted by everyone.

On the other hand, credit is an essential aspect of modern economies as it allows individuals and businesses to access funds for various purposes. It can be in the form of loans, mortgages, or credit cards. Credit enables people to invest in their future by purchasing a house or starting a business without having to save up all the money beforehand. It also provides short-term financing options for emergency situations or unexpected expenses.

Money and credit are closely intertwined as the availability of credit depends on the amount of money in circulation. When there is more money available, interest rates tend to be lower, making it easier for individuals and businesses to access credit. Similarly, a lack of confidence in the economy or a shortage of money can lead to higher interest rates, making it more challenging to get credit.

In conclusion, money and credit are crucial components of our economy. They enable transactions to take place smoothly and provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to invest in their future. It is essential to understand the relationship between money and credit to make informed financial decisions that can benefit us in the long run.

Money is undoubtedly an important part of life. But it is not the only thing. As these essays explain with clear facts and examples, meaning, importance or power of money in life. These essays are written in simple English for high school and college level students to assist them in their exams.

2 thoughts on “12 Powerful Essays on Money [ Importance, Value, Power ]-2024”

Without money and without happiness u can’t live both are very important for a healthy life❤👑

Essays About Money: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts

With money comes great power; however, power must always come with responsibility. Discover thought-provoking essays about money in our guide.

Money is everywhere. We use it to eat, drink, clothe ourselves, and get shelter, among many other uses. Nowadays, it is an undisputed fact that “money makes the world go round.” The earliest known form of money dates back to around 5,000 years ago ; trade was previously carried out using a barter system. However, over the centuries, more and more nations began implementing a currency system, and money has become more critical.

In the contemporary world, it seems to be “all about money.” However, it is important not to lose sight of what is important; we must maintain good physical and mental health and healthy relationships with the people around us. Money is necessary; it is just not the only thing necessary. To start your essay, read these examples to write insightful essays about money.

5 Top Examples On Essay About Money

1. essay on money by prasanna, 2. how money changed human history by jacob wilkins, 3. capitalism: money that make money by ernestine montgomery, 4. is money the most important thing by seth higgins.

5. An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

Writing Prompts For Essays About Money

1. good uses for money, 2. the “dark side” of money, 3. money’s role in history, 4. morality vs. money, 5. can money buy happiness, 6. how to save money.

“Imagine the world without money. We will eventually come to a point where we will be asking questions like “what’s the point of life”. Hope and goals are some of the important things that will keep a man going in life. Without any sense of achievement or motivation, there wouldn’t be any inventions or progress in the world. People work to get money and then people work harder to get more money. This cycle of life that keeps a man motivated and hopeful is one of the biggest advantages of the system of money”

This essay gives readers a general outlook on money and its advantages and disadvantages. It gives people equal opportunity to work for their dreams and motivates them to be productive members of society, while it also raises the question of greed. Money, without a doubt, has its positive and negative aspects, but it exists and is only becoming more critical.

“But the barter economy was flawed. There was no universal measure for determining the value of an item. It was all based on the subjective opinion of the individuals involved. And to make matters worse, the barter economy relied on both sides wanting something the other had to offer. Trade, therefore, could be sluggish and frustrating. Human beings needed something different, and money was the answer.”

Wilkins writes about how money revolutionized the way trade was conducted. The barter system involved trading any objects if both parties agreed to a deal, such as trading animal skins for fish or medicine for timber. However, the only measure of an item’s value was how much one party wanted it- both sides needed to have something the other wanted. The introduction of money allowed people to put a solid value on commodities, making trade easier.

“So, if you were to closely observe the dirty, disordered canvas of economic progress during the 20th and 21 st century, you should conclude that, for all its warts, capitalism has been the winner. It has sometimes caused pain; suffered from serious cycles; and often needed the clout of the state- such as we have seen from September 2008. It has also been quite resistant to sensible regulation. Even so, the basic institutions of capitalism have worked, not just in the US and the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and development) nations, but also many developing countries, of which India is one.”

Albeit lengthy, Montgomery’s essay discusses the debate between socialism and capitalism, a topic of which money is at the core. Montgomery describes Karl Marx’s criticism of capitalism: all the money goes to a few people, not the workers. She believes these are valid to an extent and criticizes certain forms of capitalism and socialism. Neither capitalism nor socialism is perfect, but according to Montgomery, capitalism creates a better economy.

“Being the richest man in the world does not mean you are the happiest man in the world, although money can buy you happiness sometimes, but not always. If we could all appreciate the way life is, the fun, and the beauty I think the world would be better. If people weren’t power hungry maybe we’d have a lesser demand for money. Those people who is money hungry and power hungry need to relax. Money can’t buy you happiness. These individuals need to understand that.”

Higgins implores readers to remember that money is not the only thing people need in the world. He stresses the necessity of money, as it is used to pay for various necessary goods and services; however, he believes it is not a prerequisite for happiness. Material things are temporary, and there are other things we should focus on, like family and friends.

5. An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

“A financial emergency may take the form of a job loss, significant medical or dental expense, unexpected home or auto repairs, a hurricane or major storm, or something unthinkable, such as a global pandemic. The last thing you want to do is to rely on credit cards with their hefty interest fees or to be forced to take out a loan. That’s where your emergency fund can come in handy. Historically, the formula for an emergency account is to have enough readily available cash to cover three to six months of living expenses.“

Vohwinkle’s essay gives readers some suggestions on how to save more money. Most importantly, he suggests setting up an emergency fund, as all other saving techniques stem from there. He also suggests creating an automatic savings plan and cutting down on “spending leaks,” like buying coffee. You might also be interested in these essays about celebration .

In this essay, write about why money is necessary and the ways to use it for the greater good, and include ways in which it can be used (investing, donating, etc.). For each point, you make, be sure to explain why. Of course, this is entirely subjective; feel free to write about what you consider “good uses” for money.

On the other hand, money also has a negative side —research on money-related issues, such as taxpayer-funded corruption and trading of illegal goods. In your essay, explore this side of money and perhaps give solutions on how to stop these problems.

Money has played a progressively more important role throughout human history. Discuss the development of currency and the economy, from the barter system to the digital world we live in today. You need not go too in-depth, as there is a lot of ground to cover and many eras to research. Be sure to cite reputable sources when discussing history.

Many people warn of “selling your soul” for financial gain. In your essay, you can write about the importance of having solid values in this day and age, where money reigns supreme. What principles do you need to keep in mind? Explain how you can still value money while staying grounded; mention the balance between material needs and others.

As stated in Higgins’ essay, more people have begun to prioritize money over all else. Do you believe that money is truly the most important thing? Can it alone make you happy? Discuss both sides of this question and choose your position accordingly. Be sure to provide precise supporting details for a stronger argument.

Enumerate tips on how you can save money. Anything works, from saving certain things for special occasions to buying more food in the grocery rather than eating out. This is your opinion; however, feel free to consult online sources and the people around you for extra advice.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Importance of Money Essay - 100, 200, 500 Words

Money is a commodity accepted by general consent as a medium of economic exchange. It is the principal measure of wealth. It is any good that is widely used and accepted in transactions. Human life will have a lot of changes with the presence and absence of money. Money has become the most vital part of life.

100 Words Essay On Importance Of Money

Money is a critical factor in our lives as it helps us to meet our basic needs and desires. It provides us with a sense of security and helps us to plan for the future. Money enables us to buy food, shelter, and clothing, and to access healthcare and education. Additionally, it provides us with the means to enjoy leisure activities and to travel. Money is also important in terms of personal and professional development, as it allows individuals to invest in themselves and their careers. Furthermore, money plays a crucial role in the economy, as it is used for transactions and for saving and investing.

200 Word Essay On Importance Of Money

The status of a person in society is impacted by how much money they have. We all desire financial success either b y working hard or succeeding in business. However, only a few people seize the opportunity to realise their dream of becoming a millionaire. Money also provides a measure of economic stability, as it allows for the management of inflation and the allocation of resources. On a personal level, money helps to meet basic needs and provide a sense of security, allowing individuals to plan for the future and pursue their goals and aspirations.

Everyone needs money, no matter how wealthy they are. Knowing the value of money in our lives helps us to avoid wasting or squandering it for any reason. The only reason for all the changes and variations in life is money. From the moment we begin till the moment we go to sleep, everything that happens in between requires the use of money. However, it is important to remember that money is not everything, and that true happiness and fulfillment come from other sources such as relationships, personal growth, and contributing to the community. Money is important, but it should not be the driving force in one's life.

500 Word Essay On Importance Of Money

Creation of money.

People bartered for goods and services before money was invented. About 5000 years ago, the Mesopotamian people created the shekel. This is considered the first known form of currency. Around 650 to 600 BC, gold & silver coins were stamped and used to pay armies. From then to now, money's importance has been increasing daily.

Origin of money

The word money is derived from the Latin word "Moneta" . Moneta means coin . In the ancient world, Juno was often associated with money.

Types of Money

There are seven types of money—representative, fair, paper, commodity, coinage, digital and commercial bank money . This money is used for exchange depending on their need and requirement.

Properties of money

The different properties of money are durability, divisibility, portability, uniformity, acceptability and limited supply. Having such unique and essential properties adds value to money.

Basic Need For Money

No matter their financial situation, everyone needs money. Money is required for many things, including purchasing clothing, housing, food, and other necessities. It's imperative to satisfy these needs. Our personal and societal well-being will suffer severely if we don't have enough money to achieve it.

Uses of money

In reality, we can say there are only five main uses for money

We can use it to live.

We can give it.

We can pay taxes.

We can repay debt and

We can save or grow it.

Power Of Money

Money has significant power to rule human life. It provides people with the ability to have the freedom to do what they want, be who they want and go where they want. Life with money will have success, freedom, choice, security, happiness and many more. Without money, we would be reduced to a barter economy. For every penny we spend in life, we need to think twice about whether it is worth it. Life without money shows us what adjustment is, what scarcity or starving for food is.

Impact Of Money

Money has a significant impact on our lives, influencing various aspects such as:

Basic necessities: Money allows us to meet our basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.

Security: Having a stable source of income provides financial security, allowing us to plan for the future and reducing stress.

Career and personal development: Money provides the means for individuals to invest in themselves and their careers, allowing for personal growth and professional advancement.

Lifestyle: Money affects our lifestyle and the choices we make, from the type of home we live in to the leisure activities we pursue.

Relationships: Money can influence relationships, as disagreements over financial issues are common and can cause stress and tension.

Social status: Money affects social status, as income and wealth can determine access to certain opportunities and experiences.

Mental well-being: Money has a significant impact on mental health, as financial stress and insecurity can cause anxiety and depression.

In conclusion, money affects many aspects of our lives and has the potential to greatly impact our well-being, both positively and negatively. It is important to manage money wisely and to strive for financial stability while also balancing other important aspects of life.

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Economic Sociology & Political Economy

The global community of academics, practitioners, and activists – led by dr. oleg komlik, the role of money in social life: morality and power in the world of the poor.

by Ariel Wilkis *

“Perhaps behind the coin is God.” — Jorge Luis Borges, The Zahir (1949)

The Moral Power of Money morality and economy in the life of the poor

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Philosophy of Money and Finance

Finance and philosophy may seem to be worlds apart. But they share at least one common ancestor: Thales of Miletus. Thales is typically regarded as the first philosopher, but he was also a financial innovator. He appears to have been what we would now call an option trader. He predicted that next year’s olive harvest would be good, and therefore paid a small amount of money to the owners of olive presses for the right to the next year’s use. When the harvest turned out to be as good as predicted, Thales earned a sizable amount of money by renting out the presses (Aristotle, Politics , 1259a).

Obviously, a lot has changed since Thales’ times, both in finance and in our ethical and political attitudes towards finance. Coins have largely been replaced by either paper or electronic money, and we have built a large infrastructure to facilitate transactions of money and other financial assets—with elements including commercial banks, central banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, and investment funds. This institutional multiplicity is due to concerted efforts of both private and public agents, as well as innovations in financial economics and in the financial industry (Shiller 2012).

Our ethical and political sensitivities have also changed in several respects. It seems fair to say that most traditional ethicists held a very negative attitude towards financial activities. Think, for example, of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple from moneylenders, and the widespread condemnation of money as “the root of all evil”. Attitudes in this regard seem to have softened over time. However, the moral debate continues to recur, especially in connection with large scandals and crises within finance, the largest such crisis in recent memory of course being the global financial crisis of 2008.

This article describes what philosophical analysis can say about money and finance. It is divided into five parts that respectively concern (1) what money and finance really are (metaphysics), (2) how knowledge about financial matters is or should be formed (epistemology), (3) the merits and challenges of financial economics (philosophy of science), (4) the many ethical issues related to money and finance (ethics), and (5) the relationship between finance and politics (political philosophy).

1.1 What is Money?

1.2 what is finance, 2. epistemology, 3. philosophy of science, 4.1.1 the love of money, 4.1.2 usury and interest, 4.1.3 speculation and gambling, 4.2.1 deception and fraud, 4.2.2 avoiding conflicts of interest, 4.2.3 insider trading, 4.3.1 systemic risk and financial crises, 4.3.2 microfinance, 4.3.3 socially responsible investment, 5.1 financialization and democracy, 5.2 finance, money, and domestic justice, 5.3 finance and global justice, other internet resources, related entries, 1. metaphysics.

Money is so ever-present in modern life that we tend to take its existence and nature for granted. But do we know what money actually is? Two competing theories present fundamentally different ontologies of money.

The commodity theory of money: A classic theory, which goes back all the way to Aristotle ( Politics , 1255b–1256b), holds that money is a kind of commodity that fulfills three functions: it serves as (i) a medium of exchange, (ii) a unit of account, and (iii) a store of value. Imagine a society that lacks money, and in which people have to barter goods with each other. Barter only works when there is a double coincidence of wants ; that is, when A wants what B has and B wants what A has. But since such coincidences are likely to be uncommon, a barter economy seems both cumbersome and inefficient (Smith 1776, Menger 1892). At some point, people will realize that they can trade more easily if they use some intermediate good—money. This intermediate good should ideally be easy to handle, store and transport (function i). It should be easy to measure and divide to facilitate calculations (function ii). And it should be difficult to destroy so that it lasts over time (function iii).

Monetary history may be viewed as a process of improvement with regard to these functions of money (Ferguson 2008, Weatherford 1997). For example, some early societies used certain basic necessities as money, such as cattle or grain. Other societies settled on commodities that were easier to handle and to tally but with more indirect value, such as clamshells and precious metals. The archetypical form of money throughout history are gold or silver coins—therefore the commodity theory is sometimes called metallism (Knapp 1924, Schumpeter 1954). Coinage is an improvement on bullion in that both quantity and purity are guaranteed by some third party, typically the government. Finally, paper money can be viewed as a simplification of the trade in coins. For example, a bank note issued by the Bank of England in the 1700s was a promise to pay the bearer a certain pound weight of sterling silver (hence the origin of the name of the British currency as “pounds sterling”).

The commodity theory of money was defended by many classical economists and can still be found in most economics textbooks (Mankiw 2009, Parkin 2011). This latter fact is curious since it has provoked serious and sustained critique. An obvious flaw is that it has difficulties in explaining inflation, the decreasing value of money over time (Innes 1913, Keynes 1936). It has also been challenged on the grounds that it is historically inaccurate. For example, recent anthropological studies question the idea that early societies went from a barter economy to money; instead money seems to have arisen to keep track of pre-existing credit relationships (Graeber 2011, Martin 2013, Douglas 2016).

The credit theory of money: According to the main rival theory, coins and notes are merely tokens of something more abstract: money is a social construction rather than a physical commodity. The abstract entity in question is a credit relationship; that is, a promise from someone to grant (or repay) a favor (product or service) to the holder of the token (Macleod 1889, Innes 1914, Ingham 2004). In order to function as money, two further features are crucial: that (i) the promise is sufficiently credible, that is, the issuer is “creditworthy”; and (ii) the credit is transferable, that is, also others will accept it as payment for trade.

It is commonly thought that the most creditworthy issuer of money is the state. This thought provides an alternative explanation of the predominance of coins and notes whose value is guaranteed by states. But note that this theory also can explain so-called fiat money, which is money that is underwritten by the state but not redeemable in any commodity like gold or silver. Fiat money has been the dominant kind of money globally since 1971, when the United States terminated the convertibility of dollars to gold. The view that only states can issue money is called chartalism , or the state theory of money (Knapp 1924). However, in order to properly understand the current monetary system, it is important to distinguish between states’ issuing versus underwriting money. Most credit money in modern economies is actually issued by commercial banks through their lending operations, and the role of the state is only to guarantee the convertibility of bank deposits into cash (Pettifor 2014).

Criticisms of the credit theory tend to be normative and focus on the risk of overexpansion of money, that is, that states (and banks) can overuse their “printing presses” which may lead to unsustainable debt levels, excessive inflation, financial instability and economic crises. These are sometimes seen as arguments for a return to the gold standard (Rothbard 1983, Schlichter 2014). However, others argue that the realization that money is socially constructed is the best starting point for developing a more sustainable and equitable monetary regime (Graeber 2010, Pettifor 2014). We will return to this political debate below ( section 5.2 ).

The social ontology of money: But exactly how does the “social construction” of money work? This question invokes the more general philosophical issue of social ontology, with regard to which money is often used as a prime example. In an early philosophical-sociological account, Georg Simmel (1900) describes money as an institution that is a crucial precondition for modernity because it allows putting a value on things and simplifies transactions; he also criticizes the way in which money thereby replaces other forms of valuation (see also section 4.1 ).

In the more recent debate, one can distinguish between two main philosophical camps. An influential account of social ontology holds that money is the sort of social institution whose existence depends on “collective intentionality”: beliefs and attitudes that are shared in a community (Searle 1995, 2010). The process starts with someone’s simple and unilateral declaration that something is money, which is a performative speech act. When other people recognize or accept the declaration it becomes a standing social rule. Thus, money is said to depend on our subjective attitudes but is not located (solely) in our minds (see also Lawson 2016, Brynjarsdóttir 2018, Passinsky 2020, Vooys & Dick 2021).

An alternative account holds that the creation of money need not be intentional or declarative in the above sense. Instead money comes about as a solution to a social problem (the double coincidence of wants) – and it is maintained simply because it is functional or beneficial to us (Guala 2016, Hindriks & Guala 2021). Thus what makes something money is not the official declarations of some authority, but rather that it works (functions) as money in a given society (see also Smit et al. 2011; 2016). (For more discussion see the special issue by Hindriks & Sandberg 2020, as well as the entries on social ontology and social institutions ).

One may view “finance” more generally (that is, the financial sector or system) as an extension of the monetary system. It is typically said that the financial sector has two main functions: (1) to maintain an effective payments system; and (2) to facilitate an efficient use of money. The latter function can be broken down further into two parts. First, to bring together those with excess money (savers, investors) and those without it (borrowers, enterprises), which is typically done through financial intermediation (the inner workings of banks) or financial markets (such as stock or bond markets). Second, to create opportunities for market participants to buy and sell money, which is typically done through the invention of financial products, or “assets”, with features distinguished by different levels of risk, return, and maturation.

The modern financial system can thus be seen as an infrastructure built to facilitate transactions of money and other financial assets, as noted at the outset. It is important to note that it contains both private elements (such as commercial banks, insurance companies, and investment funds) and public elements (such as central banks and regulatory authorities). “Finance” can also refer to the systematic study of this system; most often to the field of financial economics (see section 3 ).

Financial assets: Of interest from an ontological viewpoint is that modern finance consists of several other “asset types” besides money; central examples include credit arrangements (bank accounts, bonds), equity (shares or stocks), derivatives (futures, options, swaps, etc.) and funds (trusts). What are the defining characteristics of financial assets?

The typical distinction here is between financial and “real” assets, such as buildings and machines (Fabozzi 2002), because financial assets are less tangible or concrete. Just like money, they can be viewed as a social construction. Financial assets are often derived from or at least involve underlying “real” assets—as, for example, in the relation between owning a house and investing in a housing company. However, financial transactions are different from ordinary market trades in that the underlying assets seldom change hands, instead one exchanges abstract contracts or promises of future transactions. In this sense, one may view the financial market as the “meta-level” of the economy, since it involves indirect trade or speculation on the success of other parts of the economy.

More distinctly, financial assets are defined as promises of future money payments (Mishkin 2016, Pilbeam 2010). If the credit theory of money is correct, they can be regarded as meta-promises: promises on promises. The level of abstraction can sometimes become enormous: For example, a “synthetic collateralized debt obligation” (or “synthetic CDO”), a form of derivative common before the financial crisis, is a promise from person A (the seller) to person B (the buyer) that some persons C to I (speculators) will pay an amount of money depending on the losses incurred by person J (the holder of an underlying derivative), which typically depend on certain portions (so-called tranches) of the cash flow from persons K to Q (mortgage borrowers) originally promised to persons R to X (mortgage lenders) but then sold to person Y (the originator of the underlying derivative). The function of a synthetic CDO is mainly to spread financial risks more thinly between different speculators.

Intrinsic value: Perhaps the most important characteristic of financial assets is that their price can vary enormously with the attitudes of investors. Put simply, there are two main factors that determine the price of a financial asset: (i) the credibility or strength of the underlying promise (which will depend on the future cash flows generated by the asset); and (ii) its transferability or popularity within the market, that is, how many other investors are interested in buying the asset. In the process known as “price discovery”, investors assess these factors based on the information available to them, and then make bids to buy or sell the asset, which in turn sets its price on the market (Mishkin 2016, Pilbeam 2010).

A philosophically interesting question is whether there is such a thing as an “intrinsic” value of financial assets, as is often assumed in discussions about financial crises. For example, a common definition of an “asset bubble” is that this is a situation that occurs when certain assets trade at a price that strongly exceed their intrinsic value—which is dangerous since the bubble can burst and cause an economic shock (Kindleberger 1978, Minsky 1986, Reinhart & Rogoff 2009). But what is the intrinsic value of an asset? The rational answer seems to be that this depends only on the discounted value of the underlying future cash flow—in other words, on (i) and not (ii) above. However, someone still has to assess these factors to compute a price, and this assessment inevitably includes subjective elements. As just noted, it is assumed that different investors have different valuations of financial assets, which is why they can engage in trades on the market in the first place.

A further complication here is that (i) may actually be influenced by (ii). The fundamentals may be influenced by investors’ perceptions of them, which is a phenomenon known as “reflexivity” (Soros 1987, 2008). For example, a company whose shares are popular among investors will often find it easier to borrow more money and thereby to expand its cash flow, in turn making it even more popular among investors. Conversely, when the company’s profits start to fall it may lose popularity among investors, thereby making its loans more expensive and its profits even lower. This phenomenon amplifies the risks posed by financial bubbles (Keynes 1936).

Given the abstractness and complexity of financial assets and relations, as outlined above, it is easy to see the epistemic challenges they raise. For example, what is a proper basis for forming justified beliefs about matters of money and finance?

A central concept here is that of risk. Since financial assets are essentially promises of future money payments, a main challenge for financial agents is to develop rational expectations or hypotheses about relevant future outcomes. The two main factors in this regard are (1) expected return on the asset, which is typically calculated as the value of all possible outcomes weighted by their probability of occurrence, and (2) financial risk, which is typically calculated as the level of variation in these returns. The concept of financial risk is especially interesting from a philosophical viewpoint since it represents the financial industry’s response to epistemic uncertainty. It is often argued that the financial system is designed exactly to address or minimize financial risks—for example, financial intermediation and markets allow investors to spread their money over several assets with differing risk profiles (Pilbeam 2010, Shiller 2012). However, many authors have been critical of mainstream operationalizations of risk which tend to focus exclusively on historical price volatility and thereby downplay the risk of large-scale financial crises (Lanchester 2010, Thamotheram & Ward 2014).

This point leads us further to questions about the normativity of belief and knowledge. Research on such topics as the ethics of belief and virtue epistemology considers questions about the responsibilities that subjects have in epistemic matters. These include epistemic duties concerning the acquisition, storage, and transmission of information; the evaluation of evidence; and the revision or rejection of belief (see also ethics of belief ). In line with a reappraisal of virtue theory in business ethics, it is in particular virtue epistemology that has attracted attention from scholars working on finance. For example, while most commentators have focused on the moral failings that led to the financial crisis of 2008, a growing literature examines epistemic failures.

Epistemic failings in finance can be detected both at the level of individuals and collectives (de Bruin 2015). Organizations may develop corporate epistemic virtue along three dimensions: through matching epistemic virtues to particular functions (e.g., diversity at the board level); through providing adequate organizational support for the exercise of epistemic virtue (e.g., knowledge management techniques); and by adopting organizational remedies against epistemic vice (e.g., rotation policies). Using this three-pronged approach helps to interpret such epistemic failings as the failure of financial due diligence to spot Bernard Madoff’s notorious Ponzi scheme (uncovered in the midst of the financial crisis) (de Bruin 2014a, 2015).

Epistemic virtue is not only relevant for financial agents themselves, but also for other institutions in the financial system. An important example concerns accounting (auditing) firms. Accounting firms investigate businesses in order to make sure that their accounts (annual reports) offer an accurate reflection of the financial situation. While the primary intended beneficiaries of these auditing services are shareholders (and the public at large), accountants are paid by the firms they audit. This remuneration system is often said to lead to conflicts of interest. While accounting ethics is primarily concerned with codes of ethics and other management tools to minimize these conflicts of interests, an epistemological perspective may help to show that the business-auditor relationship should be seen as involving a joint epistemic agent in which the business provides evidence, and the auditor epistemic justification (de Bruin 2013). We will return to issues concerning conflicts of interest below (in section 4.2 ).

Epistemic virtue is also important for an effective governance or regulation of financial activities. For example, a salient epistemic failing that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis seems to be the way that Credit Rating Agencies rated mortgage-backed securities and other structured finance instruments, and with related failures of financial due diligence, and faulty risk management (Warenski 2008). Credit Rating Agencies provide estimates of credit risk of bonds that institutional investors are legally bound to use in their investment decisions. This may, however, effectively amount to an institutional setup in which investors are forced by law partly to outsource their risk management, which fails to foster epistemic virtue (Booth & de Bruin 2021, de Bruin 2017). Beyond this, epistemic failures can also occur among regulators themselves, as well as among relevant policy makers (see further in section 5.1 ).

A related line of work attests to the relevance of epistemic injustice to finance. Taking Fricker’s (2009) work as a point of departure, de Bruin (2021) examines testimonial injustice in financial services, whereas Mussell (2021) focuses on the harms and wrongs of testimonial injustice as they occur in the relationship between trustees and fiduciaries.

Compared to financial practitioners, one could think that financial economists should be at an epistemic advantage in matters of money and finance. Financial economics is a fairly young but well established discipline in the social sciences that seeks to understand, explain, and predict activities within financial markets. However, a few months after the crash in 2008, Queen Elizabeth II famously asked a room full of financial economists in London why they had not predicted the crisis (Egidi 2014). The Queen’s question should be an excellent starting point for an inquiry into the philosophy of science of financial economics. Yet only a few philosophers of science have considered finance specifically (Vergara Fernández & de Bruin 2021). [ 1 ]

Some important topics in financial economics have received partial attention, including the Modigliani-Miller capital structure irrelevance theorem (Hindriks 2008), the efficient market hypothesis (Collier 2011), the Black-Scholes option pricing model (Weatherall 2017), portfolio theory (Walsh 2015), financial equilibrium models (Farmer & Geanakoplos 2009), the concept of money (Mäki 1997), and behavioral finance (Brav, Heaton, & Rosenberg 2004), even though most of the debate still occurs among economists interested in methodology rather than among philosophers. A host of topics remain to be investigated, however: the concept of Value at Risk (VaR) (and more broadly the concept of financial risk), the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), the Gaussian copula, random walks, financial derivatives, event studies, forecasting (and big data), volatility, animal spirits, cost of capital, the various financial ratios, the concept of insolvency, and neurofinance, all stand in need of more sustained attention from philosophers.

Most existing work on finance in philosophy of science is concerned with models and modelling (see also models in science and philosophy of economics ). It seems intuitive to view financial markets as extremely complex systems: with so many different factors at play, predicting the price of securities (shares, bonds, etc.) seems almost impossible. Yet mainstream financial economics is firmly committed to the idea that market behavior should be understood as ultimately resulting from interactions of agents maximizing their expected utility. This is a direct application of the so-called neoclassical school of economics that was developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While this school continues to dominate textbooks in the field, there is a growing scholarly trend that seeks to criticize, complement or even replace some of its main assumptions. We can see how the problems play out in both corporate finance and asset pricing theory.

Corporate finance concerns the financing of firms. One question concerns a firm’s capital structure: should a firm obtain funding through equity (that is, from shareholders expecting dividends) or through debt (that is, from bondholders who lend money to the firm and have a contractual right to receive interest on the loans), or through a combination of the two. A key result in corporate finance is the Modigliani-Miller theorem, which says that a firm’s capital structure is irrelevant to its market value (Modigliani & Miller 1958). This theorem makes a number of highly unrealistic assumptions, among them the assumption that markets are efficient, and that there are no taxes. Alongside many other results in economics, it may therefore be considered as useless for predictive purposes; or even as dangerous, once used for such purposes nonetheless (Egidi 2014). In a detailed study of the Modigliani-Miller theorem, Hindriks (2008) has argued, however, that the value of highly idealized models in economics may lie in their providing counterfactual insights, just as in physics. Galileo’s law of free fall tells us what happens in a vacuum. Despite the fact that vacuum is rare in reality, the law is not uninformative, because it allows us to associate observed phenomena to the extent to which an unrealistic assumption must be relaxed. Similarly, if one of the assumptions that the Modigliani-Miller theorem makes is the absence of taxes, the observed relevance of capital structure may well have to be explained as resulting from particular tax regimes. The explanation obtained by relaxing unrealistic assumptions is called “explanation by concretization” (Hindriks 2008).

Explanation by concretization works if models and reality share at least a few concrete features. This is arguably the case for many extant models in finance, including models of bubbles and crises that are immediately relevant to explaining the 2008 crisis (Abreu & Brunnermeier 2003). A fairly recent development called “econophysics” may, however, be an exception. Econophysics uses physics methods to model financial markets (see Rickles 2007 for an overview). Where traditional models of crises include individual investors with beliefs and desires modelled by probability distributions and utility functions, econophysics models capture crises the way physicists model transitions of matter from fluid to solid state (Kuhlmann 2014).

Next, consider asset pricing theory. Ever since Bachelier’s groundbreaking mathematical treatment of asset pricing, financial economists have struggled to find the best way to determine the price developments of securities such as shares, bonds, and derivative instruments such as options. The mathematics of financial returns has received some attention in the literature (de Bruin & Walter 2017; Ippoliti & Chen 2017). Most models assume that returns follow Gaussian random walks, that is, stochastic processes in discrete time with independent and identically distributed increments. Empirical studies show, however, that returns are more peaked than Gaussian distributions, and that they have “fat tails”. This means that extreme events such as financial crises are far less improbable than the models assume. An exception with regards to these assumptions is Benoît Mandelbrot’s (1963) well-known contribution to financial mathematics, and work in this direction is gaining traction in mathematical finance.

A third aspect of financial models concerns the way they incorporate uncertainty (Bertolotti & Magnani 2017). Some of the problems of contemporary financial (and macroeconomic) models are due to the way they model uncertainty as risk, as outlined above (Frydman & Goldberg 2013). Both neo-classical models and behavioral economics capture uncertainty as probabilistic uncertainty, consequently ignoring Knightian uncertainty (Knight 1921 see also decision theory ). The philosophy of science literature that pertains to financial economics is, however, still fairly small (Vergara Fernández & de Bruin 2021).

Having considered the epistemic and scientific challenges of finance, we now turn to the broad range of compelling ethical challenges related to money and finance. The present part is divided into three sections, discussing 1) the claim that financial activities are always morally suspect, 2) various issues of fairness that can arise in financial markets, and 3) discussions about the social responsibilities of financial agents.

4.1 Money as the Root of All Evil?

Throughout cultural history, activities that involve money or finance have been subject to intense moral scrutiny and ethical debate. It seems fair to say that most traditional ethicists held a very negative attitude towards such activities. We will here discuss three very sweeping criticisms, respectively directed at the love of money (the profit motive), usury (lending at interest), and speculation (gambling in finance).

At the heart of many sweeping criticisms of money and finance lies the question of motive. For instance, the full Biblical quotation says that “the love of money is the root of all [kinds of] evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). To have a “love of money”, or (in less moralistic words) a profit motive, means to seek money for its own sake. It has been the subject of much moral criticism throughout history and continues to be controversial in popular morality.

There are three main variations of the criticism. A first variation says that there is something unnatural about the profit motive itself. For example, Aristotle argued that we should treat objects in ways that are befitting to their fundamental nature, and since money is not meant to be a good in itself but only a medium of exchange (see section 1.1 ), he concluded that it is unnatural to desire money as an end in itself ( Politics , 1252a–1260b). A similar thought is picked up by Marx, who argues that capitalism replaces the natural economic cycle of C–M–C (commodity exchanged for money exchanged for commodity) with M–C–M (money exchanged for commodity exchanged for money). Thus the endless accumulation of money becomes the sole goal of the capitalist, which Marx describes as a form of “fetishism” (Marx 1867, volume I).

A second variation of the criticism concerns the character, or more precisely the vice, that the profit motive is thought to exemplify (see also virtue ethics ). To have a love for money is typically associated with selfishness and greed, i.e., a desire to have as much as possible for oneself and/or more than one really needs (McCarty 1988, Walsh & Lynch 2008). Another association is the loss of moral scruples so that one is ready to do anything for money. The financial industry is often held out as the worst in this regard, especially because of its high levels of compensation. Allegations of greed soared after the 2008 crisis, when financial executives continued to receive million-dollar bonuses while many ordinary workers lost their jobs (Piketty 2014, McCall 2010, Andersson & Sandberg 2019).

A third variation of the criticism says that the profit motive signals the absence of more appropriate motives. Kant argued that actions only have moral worth if they are performed for moral reasons, or, more specifically, for the sake of duty. Thus it is not enough that we do what is right, we must also do it because it is right (Kant 1785). Another relevant Kantian principle is that we never should treat others merely as means for our own ends, but always also as ends in themselves (see also Kant’s moral philosophy ). Both of these principles seem to contrast with the profit motive which therefore is rendered morally problematic (Bowie 1999, Maitland 2002). It should come as no surprise that Kant was a strong critic of several examples of “commodification” and other market excesses (see also markets ).

There are two main lines of defensive argumentation. The most influential is Adam Smith’s well-known argument about the positive side-effects of a self-interested pursuit of profits: although the baker and brewer only aim at their own respective good, Smith suggested, they are “led by an invisible hand” to at the same time promote the public good (Smith 1776, see also Mandeville 1732). This argument is typically viewed as a consequentialist vindication of the profit motive (see also consequentialism ): positive societal effects can morally outweigh the possible shortcomings in individual virtue (Flew 1976).

A second argument is more direct and holds that the profit motive can exemplify a positive virtue. For example, there is the well-known Protestant work ethic that emphasizes the positive nature of hard work, discipline and frugality (Long 1972, Wesley 1771). The profit motive can, on this view, be associated with virtues such as ambition, industry, and discipline (see also Brennan 2021). According to Max Weber (1905), the Protestant work ethic played an important role in the development of capitalism. But it is not clear whether any of these arguments can justify an exclusive focus on profits, of course, or rather give permission to also focus on profits under certain circumstances.

If having a love of money seems morally suspect, then the practice of making money on money—for instance, lending money at interest—could seem even worse. This is another sweeping criticism directed at finance that can be found among the traditional ethicists. Societies in both Ancient and Medieval times typically condemned or banned the practice of “usury”, which originally meant all charging of interest on loans. As the practice started to become socially acceptable, usury came to mean the charging of excessive rates of interest. However, modern Islam still contains a general prohibition against interest, and many countries still have at least partial usury laws, most often setting an upper limit on interest rates.

What could be wrong with lending at interest? Some of the more obscure arguments concern the nature of money (again): Aristotle argued that there is something unnatural with “money begetting money”. While he allowed that money is a useful means for facilitating commercial exchange, Aristotle thought that it has no productive use in itself and so receiving interest over and above the borrowed amount is unnatural and wrong ( Politics , 1258b). A related argument can be found in Aquinas, who argued that money is a good that is consumed on use. Although a lender can legitimately demand repayment of an amount equivalent to the loan, it is illegitimate to demand payment for the use of the borrowed amount and so adding interest is unnatural and wrong ( Summa Theologica , II–II, Q78).

Some more promising arguments concern justice and inequality. For example, as early as Plato we see the expression of the worry that allowing interest may lead to societal instability ( The Republic , II). It may be noted that the biblical condemnations of usury most straightforwardly prohibit interest-taking from the poor. One idea here is that we have a duty of charity to the poor and charging interest is incompatible with this duty. Another idea is that the problem lies in the outcome of interest payments: Loans are typically extended by someone who is richer (someone with capital) to someone who is poorer (someone without it) and so asking for additional interest may increase the inequitable distribution of wealth (Sandberg 2012, Visser & MacIntosh 1998). A third idea, which is prominent in the protestant tradition, is that lending often involves opportunism or exploitation in the sense of offering bad deals to poor people who have no other options (Graafland 2010).

The Islamic condemnation of interest, or riba , adds an additional, third line of argument which holds that interest is essentially unearned or undeserved income: Since the lender neither partakes in the actual productive use of the money lent, nor exposes him- or herself to commercial risk, the lender cannot legitimately share in the gains produced by the loan (Ayub 2007, Birnie 1952, Thomas 2006). Based on this argument, contemporary Islamic banks insist that lenders and borrowers must form a business partnership in order for fees on loans to be morally legitimate (Ayub 2007, Warde 2010). Economists have over the years given several retorts to this argument. Some economists stress that lending also involves risk (e.g., that the borrower defaults and is unable to repay); others stress the so-called opportunity costs of lending (i.e., that the money could have been used more profitably elsewhere); and yet again others stress the simple time-preference of individuals (i.e., that we value present more than future consumption, and therefore the lender deserves compensation for postponing consumption).

The gradual abandonment of the medieval usury laws in the West is typically attributed to a growing acknowledgment of the great potential for economic growth unleashed by easy access to capital. One could perhaps say that history itself disproved Aristotle: money indeed proved to have a productive use. In a short text from 1787, Bentham famously poked fun at many of the classical anti-usury arguments and defended the practice of charging interest from a utilitarian standpoint (Bentham 1787). However, this does not mean that worries about the ethics of charging interest, and allegations of usury, have disappeared entirely in society. As noted above, usury today means charging interest rates that seem excessive or exorbitant. For instance, many people are outraged by the rates charged on modern payday loans, or the way in which rich countries exact interest on their loans from poor countries (Baradaran 2015, Graeber 2011, Herzog 2017a). These intuitions have clear affinities with the justice-based arguments outlined above.

A sweeping criticism of a more contemporary nature concerns the supposed moral defects of speculation. This criticism tends to be directed towards financial activities that go beyond mere lending. Critics of the capitalist system often liken the stock market to a casino and investors to gamblers or punters (Sinn 2010, Strange 1986). More moderate critics insist on a strict distinction between investors or shareholders, on the one hand, and speculators or gamblers, on the other (Bogle 2012, Sorell & Hendry 1994). In any case, the underlying assumption is that the similarities between modern financial activities and gambling are morally troublesome.

On some interpretations, these concerns are similar to those raised above. For example, some argue that speculators are driven by the profit motive whereas investors have a genuine concern for the underlying business enterprise (Hendry 2013). Others see speculation as “parasitic”, that is, to be without productive use, and solely dependent on luck (Borna & Lowry 1987, Ryan 1902). This latter argument is similar to the complaint about undeserved income raised in particular by Islamic scholars (Ayub 2007, Warde 2010).

A more distinct interpretation holds that speculation typically includes very high levels of risk-taking (Borna & Lowry 1987). This is morally problematic when the risks not only affect the gambler him or herself but also society as a whole. A root cause of the financial crisis of 2008 was widespread speculation on very risky derivatives such as “synthetic collateralized debt obligations” (see section 1.2 ). When the value of such derivatives fell dramatically, the financial system as a whole came to the brink of collapse. We will return to this issue below (in section 4.3.1 ). In this regard, the question of risk imposition becomes important too (Moggia 2021).

A related interpretation concerns the supposed short-sightedness of speculation. It is often argued that financial agents and markets are “myopic” in the sense that they care only about profits in the very near term, e.g., the next quarter (Dallas 2012). Modern disclosure requirements force companies to publish quarterly earnings reports. The myopia of finance is typically blamed for negative effects such as market volatility, the continuous occurrence of manias and crashes, inadequate investment in social welfare, and the general shortsightedness of the economy (e.g., Lacke 1996).

Defenders of speculation argue that it can serve a number of positive ends. To the extent that all financial activities are speculative in some sense, of course, the ends coincide with the function of finance more generally: to channel funds to the individuals or companies who can use them in the most productive ways. But even speculation in the narrower sense—of high-risk, short-term bets—can have a positive role to play: It can be used to “hedge” or off-set the risks of more long-term investments, and it contributes to sustaining “market liquidity” (that is, as a means for providing counterparties to trade with at any given point of time) which is important for an efficient pricing mechanism (Angel & McCabe 2009, Koslowski 2009).

4.2 Fairness in Financial Markets

Let us now assume that the existence of financial markets is at least in general terms ethically acceptable, so that we can turn to discuss some of the issues involved in making them fair and just for all parties involve. We will focus on three such issues: deception and fraud (honesty), conflicts of interest (care for customers), and insider trading (fair play).

Some of the best-known ethical scandals in finance are cases of deception or fraud. Enron, a huge US corporation, went bankrupt after it was discovered that its top managers had “cooked the books”, i.e., engaged in fraudulent accounting practices, keeping huge debts off the company’s balance sheet in an effort to make it look more profitable (McLean & Elkind 2003). Other scandals in the industry have involved deceptive marketing practices, hidden fees or costs, undisclosed or misrepresented financial risks, and outright Ponzi schemes (see section 2 ).

While these examples seem obvious, on further examination it is not easy to give an exact definition of financial deception or fraud. The most straightforward case seems to be deliberately misrepresenting or lying about financial facts. However, this assumes that there is such a thing as a financial fact, i.e., a correct way of representing a financial value or transaction. In light of the socially constructed nature of money and finance (see section 1 ), this may not always be clear. Less straightforward cases include simply concealing or omitting financial information, or refraining from obtaining the information in the first place.

A philosophical conception of fraud, inspired by Kant, defines it as denying to the weaker party in a financial transaction (such as a consumer or investor) information that is necessary to make a rational (or autonomous) decision (Boatright 2014, Duska & Clarke 2002). Many countries require that the seller of a financial product (such a company issuing shares) must disclose all information that is “material” to the product. It is an interesting question whether this suggestion, especially the conception of rationality involved, should include or rule out a consideration of the ethical nature of the product (such as the ethical nature of the company’s operations) (Lydenberg 2014). Furthermore, there may be information that is legitimately excluded by other considerations, such as the privacy of individuals or companies commonly protected by “bank secrecy” laws.

But is access to adequate information enough? A complication here is that the weaker party, especially ordinary consumers, may have trouble processing the information sufficiently well to identify cases of fraud. This is a structural problem in finance that has no easy fix, because financial products are often abstract, complex, and difficult to price. Therefore, full autonomy of agents may not only require access to adequate information, but also access to sufficient know how, processing ability and resources to analyze the information (Boatright 2014). One solution is to require that the financial services industry promotes transparent communication in which they track the understanding of ordinary consumers (de Bruin 2014b, Endörfer & De Bruin 2019, Shiller 2012).

Due to the problems just noted, the majority of ordinary consumers refrain from engaging in financial markets on their own and instead rely on the services of financial intermediaries, such as banks, investment funds, and insurance companies. But this opens up new ethical problems that are due to the conflicts of interest inherent in financial intermediation. Simply put, the managers or employees of intermediaries have ample opportunity, and often also incentives, to misuse their customers’ money and trust.

Although it is once again difficult to give an exact definition, the literature is full of examples of such misuse—including so-called churning (trading excessively to generate high fees), stuffing (selling the bank’s undesired assets to a client), front-running (buying an asset for the bank first and then reselling it to the client at a higher price) and tailgating (mimicking a client’s trade to piggyback on his/her information) (Dilworth 1994; Heacock, Hill, & Anderson 1987). Interestingly, some argue that the whole industry of actively managed investment funds may be seen as a form of fraud. According to economic theory, namely, it is impossible to beat the average returns of the market for any given level of financial risk, at least in the long term. Therefore, funds who claim that they can do this for a fee are basically cheating their clients (cf. Hendry 2013, Kay 2015).

A legal doctrine that aims to protect clients is so-called fiduciary duty, which imposes obligations on fiduciaries (those entrusted with others’ money) to act in the sole interest of beneficiaries (those who own the money). The interests referred to are typically taken to be financial interests, so the obligation of the fiduciary is basically to maximize investment returns. But some argue that there are cases in which beneficiaries’ broader interests should take precedence, such as when investing in fossil fuels may give high financial returns but pose serious risks to people’s future (Lydenberg 2014; Sandberg 2013, 2016). In any case, it is often thought that fiduciary duties go beyond the ideal of a free market to instead give stronger protection to the weaker party of a fragile relationship.

As an alternative or compliment to fiduciary duty, some argue for the adoption of a code of ethics or professional conduct by financial professionals. A code of ethics would be less arduous in legal terms and is therefore more attractive to free market proponents (Koslowski 2009). It can also cover other fragile relationships (including those of bank-depositor, advisor-client, etc.). Just as doctors and lawyers have a professional code, then, so finance professionals could have one that stresses values such as honesty, due care and accuracy (de Bruin 2016, Graafland & Ven 2011). But according to critics, the financial industry is simply too subdivided into different roles and competencies to have a uniform code of ethics (Ragatz & Duska 2010). It is also unclear whether finance can be regarded as a profession in the traditional sense, which typically requires a body of specialized knowledge, high degrees of organization and self-regulation, and a commitment to public service (Boatright 2014, Herzog 2019).

Probably the most well-known ethical problem concerning fairness in finance, and also perhaps the one on which philosophers most disagree, is so-called insider trading. Put simply, this occurs when an agent uses his or her position within, or privileged information about, a company to buy or sell its shares (or other related financial assets) at favorable times and prices. For example, a CEO may buy shares in his or her company just before it announces a major increase in earnings that will boost the share price. While there is no fraud or breach of fiduciary duty, the agent seems to be exploiting an asymmetry of information.

Just as in the cases above, it is difficult to give an exact definition of insider trading, and the scope of its operative definition tends to vary across jurisdictions. Most commentators agree that it is the information and its attendant informational asymmetry that counts and, thus, the “insider” need not be inside the company at all—those abusing access to information could be family, friends or other tippees (Irvine 1987a, Moore 1990). Indeed, some argue that even stock analysts or journalists can be regarded as insiders if they trade on information that they have gathered themselves but not yet made publicly available. It is also debatable whether an actual trade has to take place or whether insider trading can consist in an omission to trade based on inside information, or also in enabling others to trade or not trade (Koslowski 2009).

Several philosophical perspectives have been used to explain what (if anything) is wrong with insider trading. A first perspective invokes the concept of fair play. Even in a situation with fully autonomous traders, the argument goes, market transactions are not fair if one party has access to information that the other has not. Fair play requires a “level playing field”, i.e., that no participant starts from an unfairly advantaged position (Werhane 1989, 1991). However, critics argue that this perspective imposes excessive demands of informational equality. There are many asymmetries of information in the market that are seemingly unproblematic, e.g., that an antiquary knows more about antiques than his or her customers (Lawson 1988, Machan 1996). So might it be the inaccessibility of inside information that is problematic? But against this, one could argue that, in principle, outsiders have the possibility to become insiders and thus to obtain the exact same information (Lawson 1988, Moore 1990).

A second perspective views insider trading as a breach of duty, not towards the counterparty in the trade but towards the source of the information. US legislation treats inside information as the property of the underlying company and, thus, insider trading is essentially a form of theft of corporate property (often called the misappropriation theory) (Lawson 1988). A related suggestion is that it can be seen as a violation of the fiduciary duty that insiders have towards the company for which they work (Moore 1990). However, critics argue that the misappropriation theory misrepresents the relationship between companies and insiders. On the one hand, there are many normal business situations in which insiders are permitted or even expected to spread inside information to outside sources (Boatright 2014). On the other hand, if the information is the property of the company, why do we not allow it to be “sold” to insiders as a form of remuneration? (Engelen & van Liedekerke 2010, Manne 1966)

A third perspective deals with the effects, both direct and indirect, of allowing insider trading. Interestingly, many argue that the direct effects of such a policy might be positive. As noted above, one of the main purposes of financial markets is to form (or “discover”) prices that reflect all available information about a company. Since insider trading contributes important information, it is likely to improve the process of price discovery (Manne 1966). Indeed, the same reasoning suggests that insider trading actually helps the counterparty in the trade to get a better price (since the insider’s activity is likely to move the price in the “right” direction) so it is a victimless crime (Engelen & Liedekerke 2010). However, others express concern over the indirect effects, which are likely to be more negative. Allowing insider trading may erode the moral standards of market participants by favoring opportunism over fair play (Werhane 1989). Moreover, many people may be dissuaded from even participating in the market since they feel that it is “rigged” to their disadvantage (Strudler 2009).

4.3 The Social Responsibility of Finance

We will now move on to take a societal view on finance, and discuss ideas relating to the broader social responsibilities of financial agents, that go beyond their basic role as market participants. We will discuss three such ideas here, respectively focusing on systemic risk (a responsibility to avoid societal harm), microfinance (a responsibility towards the poor or unbanked), and socially responsible investment (a responsibility to help address societal challenges).

One root cause of the financial crisis of 2008 was the very high levels of risk-taking of many banks and other financial agents. When these risks materialized, the financial system came to the brink of collapse. Many banks lost so much money that their normal lending operations were hampered, which in turn had negative effects on the real economy, with the result that millions of “ordinary” people around the world lost their jobs. Many governments stepped in to bail out the banks and in consequence sacrificed other parts of public spending. This is a prime example of how certain financial activities, when run amok, can have devastating effects on third parties and society in general.

Much subsequent debate has focused on so-called systemic risk, that is, the risk of failures across several agents which impairs the functioning of the financial system as such (Brunnermeier & Oehmke 2013, Smaga 2014). The concept of systemic risk gives rise to several prominent ethical issues. To what extent do financial agents have a moral duty to limit their contributions to systemic risk? It could be argued that financial transactions always carry risk and that this is “part of the game”. But the important point about systemic risk is that financial crises have negative effects on third parties (so-called externalities). This constitutes a prima facie case for a duty of precaution on the part of financial agents, based on the social responsibility to avoid causing unnecessary harm (James 2017, Linarelli 2017). In cases where precaution is impossible, one could add a related duty of rectification or compensation to the victims of the harm (Endörfer 2022). It is, however, a matter of philosophical dispute whether finance professionals can be held morally responsible for these harms (de Bruin 2018, Moggia 2021).

Two factors determine how much an agent’s activity contributes to systemic risk (Brunnermeier & Oehmke 2013, Smaga 2014). The first is financial risk of the agent’s activity in the traditional sense, i.e., the probability and size of the potential losses for that particular agent. A duty of precaution may here be taken to imply, e.g., stricter requirements on capital and liquidity reserves (roughly, the money that the agents must keep in their coffers for emergency situations) (Admati & Hellwig 2013). The second factor is the agent’s place in the financial system, which typically is measured by its interconnectedness with—and thereby potential for cascading effects upon—other agents. This factor indicates that the duty of precaution is stronger for financial agents that are “systemically important” or, as the saying goes, “too-big-to-fail” institutions (Stiglitz 2009).

As an alternative to the reasoning above, one may argue that the duty of precaution is more properly located on the collective, i.e., political level (James 2012, 2017). We return to this suggestion below (in section 5.1 ).

Even in normal times, people with very low income or wealth have hardly any access to basic financial services. Commercial banks have little to gain from offering such services to them; there is an elevated risk of loan losses (since the poor lack collateral) and it is costly to administer a large amount of very small loans (Armendáriz & Morduch 2010). Moreover, there will likely be cases where some bank officers discriminate against underprivileged groups, even where extensive legal protection is in place. An initiative that seeks to remedy these problems is “microfinance”, that is, the extension of financial services, such as lending and saving, to poor people who are otherwise “unbanked”. The initiative started in some of the poorest countries of the world, such as Bangladesh and India.

The justifications offered for microfinance are similar to the justifications offered for development aid. A popular justification holds that affluent people have a duty of assistance towards the poor, and microfinance is thought to be a particularly efficient way to alleviate poverty (Yunus 1998, 2007). But is this correct? Judging from the growing number of empirical “impact studies”, it seems more correct to say that microfinance is sometimes helpful, but at other times can be either ineffective or have negative side-effects (Hudon & Sandberg 2013, Roodman 2012). Another justification holds that there is a basic human right to subsistence, and that this includes a right to savings and credit (Hudon 2009, Meyer 2018). But critics argue that the framework of human rights is not a good fit for financial services that come with both benefits and challenges (Gershman & Morduch 2015, Sorell 2015).

Microfinance is of course different from development aid in that it involves commercial banking relations. This invites the familiar political debate of state- versus market-based support. Proponents of microfinance argue that traditional state-led development projects have been too rigid and corrupt, whereas market-based initiatives are more flexible and help people to help themselves (Armendáriz & Morduch 2010, Yunus 2007). According to critics, however, it is the other way around: Markets will tend to breed greed and inequality, whereas real development is created by large-scale investments in education and infrastructure (Bateman 2010, H. Weber 2004).

In recent years, the microfinance industry has witnessed several “ethical scandals” that seemingly testify to the risk of market excesses. Reports have indicated that interest rates on microloans average at 20–30% per annum, and can sometimes be in excess of 100%, which is much higher than the rates for non-poor borrowers. This raises questions about usury (Hudon & Ashta 2013; Rosenberg, Gonzalez, & Narain 2009). However, some suggest a defense of “second best”, or last resort, when other sources of aid or cheaper credit are unavailable (Sandberg 2012). Microfinance institutions have also been accused of using coercive lending techniques and forceful loan recovery practices (Dichter & Harper (eds) 2007; Priyadarshee & Ghalib 2012). This raises questions about the ethical justifiability of commercial activity directed at the desperately poor, because very poor customers may have no viable alternative to accepting deals that are both unfair and exploitative (Arnold & Valentin 2013, Hudon & Sandberg 2013).

Socially responsible investment refers to the emerging practice whereby financial agents give weight to putatively ethical, social or environmental considerations in investment decisions—e.g., decisions about what bonds or stocks to buy or sell, or how to engage with the companies in one’s portfolio. This is sometimes part of a strictly profit-driven investment philosophy, based on the assumption that companies with superior social performance also have superior financial performance (Richardson & Cragg 2010). But more commonly, it is perceived as an alternative to mainstream investment. The background argument here is that market pricing mechanisms, and financial markets in particular, seem to be unable to promote sufficient levels of social and environmental responsibility in firms. Even though there is widespread social agreement on the evils of sweatshop labor and environmental degradation, for instance, mainstream investors are still financing enterprises that sustain such unjustifiable practices. Therefore, there is a need for a new kind of investor with a stronger sense of social responsibility (Sandberg 2008, Cowton & Sandberg 2012).

The simplest and most common approach among these alternative investors is to avoid investments in companies that are perceived to be ethically problematic. This is typically justified from a deontological idea to the effect that it is wrong to invest in someone else’s wrongdoing (Irvine 1987b, Langtry 2002, Larmer 1997). There are at least three interpretations of such moral “taint”: (1) the view that it is wrong in itself to profit from others’ wrongdoings, or to benefit from other people’s suffering; (2) the view that it is wrong to harm others, or also to facilitate harm to other; or (3) the view that there is a form of expressive or symbolic wrongdoing involved in “morally supporting” or “accepting” wrongful activities.

The deontological perspective above has been criticized for being too black-and-white. On the one hand, it seems difficult to find any investment opportunity that is completely “pure” or devoid of possible moral taint (Kolers 2001). On the other hand, the relationship between the investor and the investee is not as direct as one may think. To the extent that investors buy and sell shares on the stock market, they are not engaging with the underlying companies but rather with other investors. The only way in which such transactions could benefit the companies would be through movements in the share price (which determines the companies’ so-called cost of capital), but it is extremely unlikely that a group of ethical investors can significantly affect that price. After all, the raison d’être of stock exchanges is exactly to create markets that are sufficiently liquid to maintain stable prices (Haigh & Hazelton 2004, Hudson 2005). In response to this, the deontologist could appeal to some notion of universalizability or collective responsibility: perhaps the right question to ask is not “what happens if I do this?” but instead “what happens if we all do this?”. However, such more complicated philosophical positions have problems of their own (see also rule consequentialism and collective responsibility )

A rival perspective on socially responsible investment is the (more straightforward) consequentialist idea that investors’ duty towards society consists in using their financial powers to promote positive societal goods, such as social justice and environmental sustainability. This perspective is typically taken to prefer more progressive investment practices, such as pushing management to adopt more ambitious social policies and/or seeking out environmentally friendly technology firms (Mackenzie 1997, Sandberg 2008). Of course, the flip side of such practices, which may explain why they are less common in the market, is that they invite greater financial risks (Sandberg 2011). It remains an open question whether socially responsible investment will grow enough in size to make financial markets a force for societal change.

Recent work has started exploring whether concrete sustainable finance policies (such as those suggested by the European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Action Plan) will generate sufficient funds to pay for climate change mitigation and adaptation, based as they are on policies of information provision only (De Bruin 2023).

5. Political Philosophy

Discussions about the social responsibility of finance are obviously premised on the observation that the financial system forms a central infrastructure of modern economies and societies. As we noted at the outset, it is important to see that the system contains both private elements (such as commercial banks, insurance companies, and investment funds) and public elements (such as central banks and regulatory bodies). However, issues concerning the proper balance between these elements, especially the proper role and reach of the state, are perennially recurrent in both popular and philosophical debates.

The financial system and the provision of money indeed raise a number of questions that connect it to the “big questions” of political philosophy: including questions of democracy, justice, and legitimacy, at both the national and global levels (on the history of political thinking about money see Eich 2019, 2020, 2022; Ingham 2004, 2019; Martin 2013). The discussions around finance in political philosophy can be grouped under three broad areas: financialization and democracy; finance, money and domestic justice; and finance and global justice. We consider these now in turn.

Many of the questions political philosophy raises about finance have to do with “financialization”. The phenomenon of “financialization”, whereby the economic system has become characterized by the increasing dominance of finance capital and by systems of financial intermediation (Ertürk et al. 2008; Davis 2011; Engelen et al. 2011; Palley 2013), is of potentially substantial normative significance in a number of regards. A related normative concern is the potential growth in political power of the financial sector, which may be seen as a threat to democratic politics.

These worries are, in effect, an amplification of familiar concerns about the “structural power” or “structural constraints” of capital, whereby capitalist investors are able to reduce the freedom of action of democratic governments by threatening “investment strikes” when their preferred political options are not pursued (see Lindblom 1977, 1982; Przeworski & Wallerstein 1988; Cohen 1989; B. Barry 2002; Christiano 2010, 2012; Furendal & O’Neill 2022). To take one recent version of these worries, Stuart White argues that a republican commitment to popular sovereignty is in significant tension with the acceptance of an economic system where important choices about investment, and hence the direction of development of the economy, are under the control of financial interests (White 2011).

In many such debates, the fault-line seems to be the traditional one between those who favor social coordination by free markets, and hence strict limitations on state activities, and those who favor democratic politics, and hence strict limitations on markets (without denying that there can be intermediate positions). But the current financial system is not a pure creature of the free market. In the financial system that we currently see, the principle that individuals are to be held financially accountable for their actions, and that they will therefore be “disciplined” by markets, is patchy at best. One major issue, discussed above, is the problem of banks that are so large and interconnected that their failure would risk taking down the whole financial system—hence, they can anticipate that they will be bailed out by tax-payers’ money, which creates a huge “moral hazard” problem (e.g., Pistor 2013, 2017). In addition, current legal systems find it difficult to impose accountability for complex processes of divided labor, which is why there were very few legal remedies after the financial crisis of 2008 (e.g., Reiff 2017).

The lack of accountability intensifies worries about the power relations between democratic politicians and individuals or corporations in the financial realm. One question is whether we can even apply our standard concept of democracy to societies that have the kinds of financial systems we see today. We may ask whether societies that are highly financialized can ever be true democracies, or whether they are more likely to be “post-democracies” (Crouch 2004). For example, states with high levels of sovereign debt will need to consider the reaction of financial markets in every significant policy decision (see, e.g., Streeck 2013 [2014], see also Klein 2020) Moreover “revolving doors” between private financial institutions and supervising authorities impact on the ability of public officials to hold financial agents accountable. This is similar to the problems of conflicts of interest raised above (see sections 2 and 4.2.2 ). If financial contracts become a central, or maybe even the most central, form of social relations (Lazzarato 2012), this may create an incompatibility with the equal standing of citizens, irrespective of financial position, that should be the basis of a democratic society and its public sphere of deliberation (see also Bennett 2020 from an epistemic perspective).

While finance has, over long stretches of history, been rather strictly regulated, there has been a reversed trend towards deregulation since roughly the 1970s. After the financial crisis of 2008, there have been many calls for reregulation. Proposals include higher capital ratios in banks (Admati & Hellwig 2013), a return to the separation of commercial banking from speculative finance, as had been the case, in the US, during the period when the Glass-Steagall Act was in place (Kay 2015), or a financial transaction tax (Wollner 2014). However, given that the financial system is a global system, one controversial question is whether regulatory steps by single countries would have any effect other than capital flight.

When it comes to domestic social justice, the central question relating to the finance system concerns the ways in which the realization of justice can be helped or hindered by how the financial system is organized.

A first question here, already touched upon in the discussion about microfinance above ( section 4.3.2 ), concerns the status of citizens as participants in financial markets. Should they all have a right to certain financial services such as a bank account or certain forms of loans, because credit should be seen as a primary good in capitalist economies (see, e.g., Hudon 2009, Sorell 2015, Meyer 2018)? More broadly, how does the pattern of access to credit affect the distribution of freedom and unfreedom within society? (see Dietsch 2021; Preiss 2021). These are not only issues for very poor countries, but also for richer countries with high economic inequality, where it becomes a question of domestic justice. In some countries all residents have the right to open a basic bank account (see bank accounts in the EU in Other Internet Resources ). For others this is not the case. It has been argued that not having access to basic financial services creates an unfairness, because it drives poorer individuals into a cash economy in which they are more vulnerable to exploitative lenders, and in which it is more difficult to build up savings (e.g., Baradaran 2015). Hence, it has been suggested either to regulate banking services for individuals more strictly (e.g., Herzog 2017a), to consider various forms of household debt relief (Persad 2018), or to offer a public banking service, e.g., run by the postal office, which offers basic services at affordable costs (Baradaran 2015).

Secondly, financialization may also have more direct effects on socio-economic inequality. Those with managerial positions within the financial sector are disproportionately represented among the very top end of the income distribution, and so the growth of inequality can in part be explained by the growth in the financial sector itself (Piketty 2014). There may also be an effect on social norms, whereby the “hypermeritocratic” norms of the financial sector have played a part in increasing social tolerance for inequality in society more broadly (Piketty 2014: 265, 2020; see also O’Neill 2017, 2021). As Dietsch et al. point out, the process of increasing financialization within the economies of the advanced industrial societies has been encouraged by the actions of central banks over recent decades, and so the issue of financialization also connects closely to questions regarding the justice and legitimacy of central banks and monetary policy (Dietsch, Claveau, & Fontan 2016, 2018; see also Jacobs & King 2016).

Thirdly, many debates about the relation between distributive justice and the financial system revolve around the market for mortgages, because for many individuals, a house is the single largest item for which they need to take out a loan, and their mortgage their main point of interaction with the financial system. This means that the question of who has access to mortgage loans and at what price can have a major impact on the overall distribution of income and wealth. In addition, it has an impact on how financial risks are distributed in society. Highly indebted individuals are more vulnerable when it comes to ups and downs either in their personal lives (e.g., illness, loss of job, divorce) or in the economy as a whole (e.g., economic slumps) (Mian & Sufi 2014). The danger here is that existing inequalities—which many theories of justice would describe as unjust—are reinforced even further (Herzog 2017a).

Here, however, a question about the institutional division of labor arises: which goals of distributive justice should be achieved within markets—and specifically, within financial markets—and which ones by other means, for example through taxation and redistribution? The latter has been the standard approach used by many welfare systems: the idea being to let markets run their course, and then to achieve the desired patterns of distribution by taxation and redistribution. If one remains within that paradigm, questions arise about whether the financial sector should be taxed more highly. In contrast, the approach of “pre-distribution” (Hacker 2011; O’Neill & Williamson 2012; O’Neill 202), or what Dietsch calls “process redistribution” (2010), is to design the rules of the economic game such that they contribute to bringing about the distributive pattern that is seen as just. This could, for example, mean regulating banking services and credit markets in ways that reduce inequality, for example by imposing regulations on payday lenders and banks, so that poor individuals are protected from falling into a spiral of ever higher debt. A more radical view could be to see the financial problems faced by such individuals as being caused by more general structural injustices the solution of which does not necessarily require interventions with the financial industry, but rather more general redistributive (or predistributive) policies.

Money creation: Another alternative theoretical approach is to integrate distributive concerns into monetary policy, i.e., when it comes to the creation of money. So far, central banks have focused on the stability of currencies and, in some cases, levels of employment. This technical focus, together with the risk that politicians might abuse monetary policy to try to boost the economy before elections, have been used in arguments for putting the control of the money supply into the hands of technical experts, removing monetary policy from democratic politics. But after the financial crisis of 2008, many central banks have used unconventional measures, such as “quantitative easing”, which had strongly regressive effects, favoring the owners of stocks or of landed property (Fontan et al. 2016, Dietsch 2017); they did not take into account other societal goals, e.g., the financing of green energy, either. This raises new questions of justice: are such measures justified if their declared aim is to move the economy out of a slump, which presumably also helps disadvantaged individuals (Haldane 2014)? Would other measures, for instance “helicopter money” that is distributed to all citizens, have been a better alternative? And if such measures are used, is it still appropriate to think of central banks as institutions in which nothing but technical expertise is required, or should there be some form of accountability to society? (Fontan, Claveau, & Dietsch 2016; Dietsch 2017; Riles 2018; see also Tucker 2018; van ’t Klooster 2020; James & Hockett 2020, Downey 2021). [ 2 ]

We have already discussed the general issue of the ontological status of money ( section 1.1 above). But there are also significant questions in political philosophy regarding the question of where, and by what sorts of institutions, should the money supply be controlled. One complicating factor here is the extensive disagreement about the institutional basis of money creation, as described above. One strand of the credit theory of money emphasizes that in today’s world, money creation is a process in which commercial banks play a significant role. These banks in effect create new money when they make new loans to individual or business customers (see McLeay, Radia, & Thomas 2014; see also Palley 1996; Ryan-Collins et al. 2012; Werner 2014a,b). James Tobin refers to commercial bank-created money, in an evocative if now dated image as “fountain pen money”, that is, money created with the swish of the bank manager’s fountain pen (Tobin 1963).

However, the relationship between private commercial banks and the central bank is a complicated one, such that we might best think of money creation as a matter involving a kind of hybrid public-private partnership. Hockett and Omarova refer to this relationship as constituting a “finance franchise”, with private banks being granted on a “franchise” basis the money-creating powers of the sovereign monetary authority, while van ’t Klooster describes this relation between the public and private as constituting a “hybrid monetary constitution” (Hockett & Omarova 2017; van ’t Klooster 2017; see also Bell 2001). In this hybrid public-private monetary system, it is true that private commercial banks create money, but they nevertheless do so in a way that involves being regulated and subject to the authority of the central bank within each monetary jurisdiction, with that central bank also acting as “lender of last resort” (Bagehot 1873) when inter-bank lending dries up. [ 3 ]

When the curious public-private nature of money creation is brought into focus, it is not surprising that there should exist views advocating a shift away from this hybrid monetary constitution, either in the direction of a fully public option, or a fully private system of money creation.

Advocates of fully public banking envisage a system in which private banks are stripped of their authority to create new money, and where instead the money supply is directly controlled either by the government or by some other state agency; for example by the central bank lending directly to firms and households. Such a position can be defended on a number of normative grounds: that a public option would allow for greater financial stability, that a fully public system of money creation would allow a smoother transmission of democratic decisions regarding economic governance; or simply because of the consequences of such a system with regards to socioeconomic inequality and environmental sustainability (see Jackson & Dyson 2012; Wolf 2014a,b; Lainà 2015; Dyson, Hodgson, & van Lerven 2016a,b; Ingham, Coutts, & Konzelmann 2016; Dow 2016; Wodruff 2019; van’t Klooster 2019, Mellor 2019, Dietsch 2021; for commentary and criticism see Goodhart & Jensen 2015; Fontana & Sawyer 2016, Larue et al. 2020).

In stark contrast, a number of libertarian authors have defended the view that the central bank should have no role in money creation, with the money supply being entirely a matter for private suppliers (and with the consumers of money able to choose between different rival suppliers), under a system of “free banking” (e.g., Simons 1936; Friedman 1962; von Hayek 1978; Selgin 1988). Advocacy of private money creation has received a more recent stimulus with the rise of Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies, with some of Bitcoin’s advocates drawing on similar libertarian arguments to those offered by Hayek and Selgin (see Golumbia 2016, Robison 2022). One can also mention the “alternative currencies” movement here which defends private money creation on entirely different grounds, most often by appeal to the value of community (see Larue 2022, Larue et al. 2022).

Finally, a number of issues relate questions about finance to questions about global justice. The debate about global justice (see also global justice ) has weighed the pros and cons of “statist” and “cosmopolitan” approaches, that is, approaches to justice that would focus on the nation state (maybe with some additional duties of beneficence to the globally poor) or on the global scale. The financial system is one of the most globalized systems of social interaction that currently exist, and global entanglements are hard to deny (e.g., Valentini 2011: 195–8). The question thus is whether this creates duties of justice on the financial system, and if so, whether it fulfills these duties, i.e., whether it contributes to making the world more globally just, or whether it tends in the opposite direction (or whether it is neutral).

There are a number of institutions, especially the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that constitute a rudimentary global order of finance. Arguably, many countries, especially poorer ones, cannot reasonably opt out of the rules established by these institutions (e.g., Hassoun 2012, Krishnamurthy 2014). It might therefore appear to be required by justice that these institutions be governed in a way that represents the interests of all countries. But because of historical path-dependencies, and because a large part of their budget comes from Western countries, the governance structures are strongly biased in their favor (for example, the US can veto all important decisions in the IMF). Miller (2010: 134–41) has described this situation as “indirect financial rule” by the US (see also Herzog 2021).

An issue worth noting in this context is the fact that the US dollar, and to a lesser degree the Euro, function as de facto global currencies, with a large part of global trade being conducted in these currencies (e.g., Mehrling 2011, Eichengreen 2011). This allows the issuing countries to run a current account deficit, which amounts to a redistribution from poorer to richer countries for which compensation might be owed (Reddy 2005: 224–5). This fact also raises questions about the distribution of power in the global sphere, which has often been criticized as favoring Western countries (e.g., Gulati 1980, United Nations 2009). However, global financial markets serve not only to finance trade in goods and services; there are also questions about fluctuations in these markets that result exclusively from speculations (see also sect.1.4.3 above). Such fluctuations can disproportionately harm poorer countries, which are more vulnerable to movements of capital or rapid changes in commodity prices. Hence, an old proposal that has recently been revived and defended from a perspective of global justice is that of a “Tobin tax” (Tobin 1978), which would tax financial transactions and thereby reduce volatility in international financial markets (Reddy 2005, Wollner 2014).

A second feature of the current global order that has been criticized from a perspective of justice is the “borrowing privilege”. As Pogge describes (e.g., 2008: chap. 4), the governments of countries can borrow on international financial markets, no matter whether they have democratic legitimacy or not. This means that rogue governments can finance themselves by incurring debts that future generations of citizens will have to repay.

Sovereign debt raises a number of questions that are related to global justice. Usually, the contracts on which they are based are considered as absolutely binding (e.g., Suttle 2016), which can threaten national sovereignty (Dietsch 2011), and raises questions of the moral and political responsibilities both of citizens of debtor nations, and of creditor countries themselves (Wiedenbrüg, 2018a, 2018b). These problems obtain in particular with regard to what has been called “odious” debt (Sack 1927, Howse 2007, Dimitriu 2015, King 2016): cases in which government officials sign debt contracts in order to enrich themselves, with lenders being aware of this fact. Such cases have been at the center of calls for a jubilee for indebted nations. At the moment, there are no binding international rules for how to deal with sovereign bankruptcy, and countries in financial distress have no systematic possibility of making their claims heard, which is problematic from a perspective of justice (e.g., Palley 2003; Reddy 2005: 26–33; Herman 2007; C. Barry & Tomitova 2007; Wollner 2018). The IMF, which often supports countries in restructuring sovereign debt, has often made this support conditional upon certain requirements about rearranging the economic structures of a country (for a discussion of the permissibility of such practices see C. Barry 2011).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the issue of financial regulation has a global dimension in the sense that capital is mobile across national boundaries, creating the threats to democracy described above. This fact makes it difficult for individual countries, especially smaller ones, to install the more rigid financial regulations that would be required from a perspective of justice. Just as with many other questions of global justice (see, e.g., Dietsch 2015 on taxation), we seem to see a failure of coordination between countries, which leads to a “race to the bottom”. Making global financial institutions more just is therefore likely to require significant levels of international cooperation.

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Essay on Money for Students and Children

500+ words essay on money.

Money is an essential need to survive in the world. In today’s world, almost everything is possible with money. Moreover, you can fulfill any of your dreams by spending money. As a result, people work hard to earn it. Our parents work hard to fulfill our dreams .

Furthermore various businessmen , entrepreneurs have startup businesses to earn profits. They have made use of their skills and intelligence in getting an upper hand in earning. Also, the employee sector works day and night to complete their tasks given to them. But still, there are many people who take shortcuts to success and get involved in corruption.

Black Money

Black money is the money that people earn with corruption . For your information corruption involves the misuse of the power of high posts. For instance, it involves taking bribes, extra money for free services, etc. Corruption is the main cause of the lack of proper growth of the country .

Moreover, money that people having authority earns misusing their powers is black money. Furthermore, these earnings do not have proper documentation. As a result, the people who earn this do not pay income tax . Which is a great offense and the person who does this can be behind bars.

Money Laundering

In simple terms, money laundering is converting black money into white money. Also, this is another illegal offense. Furthermore, money laundering also encourages various crimes. Because it is the only way criminal can use their money from illegal sources. Money laundering is a crime, and the people who practice it are liable to go to jail.

Therefore the Government is taking various preventive measures to abolish money laundering. The government is linking bank accounts to AADHAR Card. To get all the transaction detail of each bank account. As a result, the government comes to know if any transaction is from an illegal source .

Also, every bank account has its own KYC (Know your Customer) this separates different categories of income of people. Businessmen are in the high-risk category. Then comes the people who are on a high post they are in the medium-risk category. Further, the last category is of the Employee sector they are at the lowest risk.

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White Money

White money is the money that people earn through legal sources. Moreover, it is the money on which the people have already paid the tax. The employee sector of any company always has white money income.

Because the tax is already levied on their income. Therefore the safest way to earn money is in the employment sector. But your income will be limited here. As a result, many people take a different path and choose entrepreneurship. This helps them in starting their own company and make profitable incomes .

Every person in this world works hard to earn money. People try different methods and set of skills to increase their incomes. But it is always not about earning money, it’s about saving and spending it. People should spend money wisely. Moreover, things should always be bought by judging their worth. Because money is not precious but the efforts you make for it are.

Q1. What is Black Money?

A1. Black money is the money that people earn through illegal ways. It is strictly prohibited in our country. And the people who have it can go to jail.

Q2. What is the difference between Black money and White money?

A2. The difference between black money and white money is, Black money comes from illegal earnings. But white money comes from legal sources with taxation levied on it.

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Essay On Money: 100, 250 Words Samples

Updated on
Nov 9, 2023

Why do you think money is important? Can we live without money? Does money have its own value? What’s the difference between hard money and digital money? When we plan on buying something, we have to pay a certain amount. Let’s say you want to buy a wristwatch worth $50. How do you compare that commodity with money? Do they have equal value? Is there any authority that states the value of money ? These and several other questions about money can make one wonder why money is given so much importance. Let’s go in-depth with an essay on money and find answers to all these questions.

Table of Contents

1 What is Money?
2 Why is Money So Important?
3 Essay on Money in 100 Words
4 Essay on Money in 250 Words

What is Money?

According to Wikipedia and Oxford Dictionary, Money is simply a medium of exchange. Some even consider money as one of the most important resources , which is used to make transactions of goods, services, or repayment of debts within a specific country or socio-economic context.

Money can have various forms, coins and banknotes in physical form, and electronic balances in bank accounts in digital forms. Money serves as a unit of account, facilitating the measurement of value in terms of prices, and as a store of value, allowing individuals to save purchasing power for future use.

Learn Why Financial Literacy is Important for Students.

Why is Money So Important?

What makes money such an important resource is its acceptance across the globe in multiple transactions and services. From serving as a medium of exchange to facilitating financial activities, the importance of money goes beyond our everyday needs. Here are several reasons stating the importance of money.

Money serves as a convenient medium of exchange that facilitates the buying and selling of goods and services, making transactions more efficient than barter systems.
It provides a standardized unit for measuring the value of goods, services, and assets, allowing for easier comparison and assessment of value across different items.
Money enables individuals and businesses to store wealth and purchasing power over time, facilitating savings and investment for future needs and goals.
A stable and reliable monetary system encourages investment, trade, and economic growth, fostering overall prosperity within an economy.
By using money, individuals and businesses can avoid the high transaction costs associated with bartering and the inefficiencies of non-monetary exchange systems.
The use of money encourages specialization in the production of goods and services, leading to increased productivity and efficiency within an economy.
Money is essential for the functioning of financial markets, banking systems, and investment activities, which are crucial for the allocation of resources and capital within an economy.

Essay on Money in 100 Words

El dinero or money is used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. It facilitates trade, allowing for the smooth exchange of goods and services, while also enabling efficient allocation of resources and encouraging economic growth. As a unit of account, it provides a standardized measure of value, simplifying the comparison of different goods and assets.

Moreover, money acts as a store of value, allowing individuals to save and plan for the future. Its role in reducing transaction costs, enabling specialization, and supporting complex financial activities highlights its significance in the functioning of contemporary economies.

Essay on Money in 250 Words

Modern economics is heavily dependent on money or we can say that money is the pillar of modern economies. As a medium of exchange, it simplifies trade by providing a universally accepted method of payment for goods and services, eliminating the inefficiencies and limitations of barter systems. Its characteristic fosters the development of complex market systems, encouraging specialization and the efficient allocation of resources.

Apart from being a medium of exchange, money functions as a unit of account, providing a standardized measure of value that enables individuals to compare prices and evaluate the worth of different goods and services. This uniformity in valuation streamlines commercial activities and allows for effective planning and decision-making in both personal and business contexts.

Money serves as a store of value, allowing individuals to save and accumulate wealth over time. This feature empowers people to prepare for future expenses, emergencies, or long-term goals, providing a sense of security and stability in an uncertain world.

In addition to its role in daily transactions , money fuels economic growth by facilitating investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Financial institutions utilize money as a tool to allocate capital efficiently, enabling the development of new businesses, industries, and technologies that contribute to overall economic prosperity.

Money plays multiple roles in our lives; it is a physical or digital representation of currency; it is a fundamental pillar of modern economies, underpinning the intricate web of commercial activities, financial systems, and societal well-being. Its importance lies not only in its tangible properties but also in the complex functions and structures it supports within the global economic framework.

Money is globally accepted as a medium of exchange in multiple transactions and services. From serving as a medium of exchange to facilitating financial activities, the importance of money goes beyond our everyday needs. To buy goods or services, you are required to pay a certain amount, which is fulfilled by paying money.

To write an essay on money, you need to highlight the key aspects of this essential resource. The multiple transactions in which money is used in our day-to-day lives make money an important part of our lives. Give examples of how money can change our lives and what would happen if we were out of money. Highlight the latest trends in the financial sector and what governments are doing to save our money from inflation.

Here are the 5 strongest currencies in the world: Kuwait Dinar (KWD), Bahraini Dinar (BHD), Omani Rial (OMR), Jordanian Dinar (JOD), and Gibraltar Pound (GIP).

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Money is power

Sovereign governments have the power to create money. Policies can be enacted to address public debt and deficits, as well as distributional unfairness. What are the consequences for sovereign nations of giving up their constitutional right to print their own money?

AUTHOR JESPER JESPERSEN

MONETARY CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Money is power! We know it much too well from our personal experience. Especially when living in societies where the means of production is protected by private property rights. Money is the instrument of transaction used in modern societies to purchase goods and services and to acquire wealth.

AT THE MICRO LEVEL, money is the generally accepted means of payment. When money is used as the means of payment, in the form of notes, coins or credit cards, the deal is complete. This is a rather practical legal arrangement, – especially when the money instrument has a wide-range circulation. Hence, the positive argument for creating a monetary union.

FROM HERE the naïve microeconomic question follows: Why not just set up a single currency for the entire world economy, and one global central bank?

For a die-hard neoclassical economist, who views money from a micro perspective, this is the appropriate question to ask. Neoclassical theory views money as simply a means of transaction with no real impact: also known as the ‘Money is a veil’- argument. Following this argument, ‘one currency’ has only one kind of real effect: reduced transaction costs, – so the wider the monetary union, the better. (This was the main argument for creating the European monetary union, but the reasoning would also apply to a global level.)

IN FACT, money hardly appears in neoclassical (or new-classical) economics textbooks. For more than a century, the insignificance of money has been part of the neoclassical heritage: the ‘Neutrality of Money’ , see for instance Patinkin (1). It is argued that if money has an impact, it is due to people being irrational or acting out of ignorance: so-called ‘money illusion’. But according to neoclassical theory, such irrational behaviour will not last long: People will quickly learn their lesson, – that money is simply a veil. For instance, in the widely used General Equilibrium models (GE-models) or the DSGE- models, neither money, nor a financial sector, is appearing at all. Why? Because obviously ‘money has no real impact’!

”in the widely used General Equilibrium models.., neither money, nor a financial sector, is appearing at all. Why? Because obviously ‘money has no real impact’

NO WONDER the dean of the London School of Economics (LSE) got into difficulties answering Queen Elisabeth in May 2009, when she visited the university and asked: “How could it [the global financial crisis] happen?” Because according to the General Equilibrium models – it could not happen! In fact, no conventional neoclassical macroeconomist cares much about what happens in the financial sector. Their main concern is advocating for labour market reforms to reduce structural unemployment caused by lack of labour flexibility and a too generous welfare system, and to recommend a balanced public-sector budget.

WHY ARE neoclassical economists so focused on a balanced public-sector budget? The economists know that public sector expenditures are powerful. Governments can by public money direct the market economic system away from the private sector general equilibrium solution with full employment. According to the model this a ‘Pareto-optimal’ meaning that no one can get an improved economic outcome without reducing the utility of someone else. Any policy intervention has a negative impact at the market economic outcome due to its dislocation effect of economic resources. So, any budget deficit will disturb, in fact prevent, that the defined and model-designed optimum is realized. Instead they have constructed a vision of a perfect-market economic system directed by private business and households.

They assume that these rational private market actors are undertaking individually optimal decisions, arriving at a Pareto-optimal solution through the perfect market system.

IN ADDITION, neoclassical economists consider public debt as an economic burden on future generations, who has to pay back the accumulating debt at a later stage. They do not see the cause of the deficit as a consequence of the private sector imbalances and self-inflicted unemployment due to lack of effective demand, see below. Hence, it is important to secure ‘neutrality of the public sector’ by the requirement of a balanced budget preferably written into the constitution.

WITHIN WELL-FUNCTIONING and competitive marketplaces, individuals can make their own free choices without any paternalistic interference from government. Therefore, the recommendation in all cases is to deregulate the market system: Leave it to the individuals and to the market forces to direct the economic evolvement, – and money will have no impact.

SO, AT THE THEORETICAL BOTTOM LINE of neoclassi cal economic thinking is a ‘no trust in political intervention’ to correct the private market economy. Because, politicians are like any other agent self-optimizing only thinking of his/her own carrier, and not caring for the ‘common good’ or ‘society as a whole’). Which is also the argument behind an independent central bank – independent of the self-optimizing politicians.

MONETARY UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM

MONEY AS A MEANS OF PAYMENT In economic terms, money is the ultimate power, because, as Clower (2 ) forcefully stated, ‘money buys goods’. In a market economy you can get everything if you pay the price – and have the money. If you do not have the ultimate liquidity, in other words, the amount of money (means of payment), you must ask for credit. Credit means that you at a later stage return the agreed amount of money. And if not, you are in default and risk to be ‘bankrupt’. Keynes revolutionized monetary theory when he introduced the concept of uncertainty to macroeconomics: The microeconomic, i.e. behavioural consequences of individuals (and governments) not knowing the future, have macroeconomic impact.

To possess money means in modern societies having the ultimate, undisputed and reasonably secure (in real terms) purchasing power. Money is needed to undertake transactions. In fact, the gross domestic product, GDP, is defined as the aggregate value of transactions which create money income (wage and profit) (3). ‘Money makes the world go around’ as we know. Surely, you can buy goods and services (and capital assets, see below) ‘on credit’, but only if you can get either a bank guarantee or a bank loan. Even more importantly, firms waiting to sell their output need to fund current production either by retained profit, or more often by the use of bank credit (i.e. money), essentially to cover the costs of resources as well as the wages of workers and subcontractors.

As such, they have a time gap before they receive the expected revenue in ‘cash.’ There will always be a time lag between when the production begins (costs are incurred) and the firms receive the (somewhat uncertain) revenue – therefore credit and finance is of crucial importance in a monetary production economy. (4)

MONEY AS A STORE OF WEALTH

Money is a store of wealth. This is empirically a trivial statement; but it had to wait until Keynes (5), to be explained by – once again – uncertainty. It is exactly because of ‘we simply do not know the future’ ( 6) that money is an essential part of any portfolio choice model: the financial asset with less uncertainty attached (under normal social and political conditions). Hence, money is a ‘rational’ store of wealth when uncertainty prevails.

”Why are neoclassical economists so focused on a balanced public-sector budget?

MONEY CREATION – CENTRAL BANK LIABILITIES.

If money is power, then the right to supply money makes the issuer powerful. The demarcation of what items can serve as money is changing through time as can be read in histories of money, among other: Keynes ( 5) . Money is defined by legislation and practice of means of payment. Political power (essentially government) can legally define, what is legal tender. This definition of the means of payment can be more or less wide ranging. A narrow definition limits the use of a ‘legal tender’ to payment of taxes, i.e. transactions with the government. A wider definition defines specific financial assets as ultimate payment, the acceptance of which, cannot be denied.

THE CONVENTIONAL VIEW on money supply is to consider central bank notes (and coins) as the ultimate means of payment, which can be used everywhere within the national jurisdiction. This view leads directly to the argument that the money supply is controlled by the central bank. While the gold standard was the core of the law regulating the activity of the central bank, there was a close relationship between the amount of gold and the number of notes in circulation. This link was definitively broken in 1931. Firstly, by the British government and shortly after by most Western countries. Two major changes followed from this institutional change in the 1930s of breaking the link between gold and the national currency:

1. the amount of central bank money became open ended 2. the exchange rate between the different national currencies became flexible.

Both changes were substantial; but the neoclassical macroeconomic literature was unprepared and unhelpful for this new institutional situation, where government via the central bank could print money on demand and the exchange rate became at least partly determined by market forces (and therefore speculation).

ON TOP OF THESE CHANGES came an increase in the use of direct interbank clearing of cheques drawn on ordinary costumers’ deposit accounts in private banks after the war. Cheques became means of payments accepted by government for payment of tax. During the 1980s came the electronic revolution and with that the introduction of credit (or debit) cards. Two kinds of uncertainty emerged when payment with credit cards became the common practice:

1. Was there ‘money on the account’? (if not, the card would, in principle, be blocked) 2. Was the private bank able to honour the amount drawn in the deposit account? (a matter of liquidity and/or solvency)

The problem of bank solvency was (partly) solved by a mandatory requirement for all private banks issuing credit cards to be member of the depositors’ guarantee insurance organized by the government. In EU the amount guaranteed is € 100.000 (in Norway it is still 2 million NOK, but under pressure to conform to EU standard) – deposits beyond this amount ran the risk/uncertainty of the bank going bust.

MONEY CREATION – PRIVATE BANK LOANS CREATE DEPOSITS

Today, more than ninety percent of economic transactions are undertaken by the use of private banks deposits which circulate as means of payment via credit card, mobile-pay or similar payment vehicles. Where do these deposits come from? The simple answer is they are created by private bank loans. Each time a loan is underwritten by a customer, the amount is credited to the borrower’s debtor account in the very same bank. Pop! – the amount of means of payment is increased by an equal amount.

WHEN THE DEPOSITS are used for a (final) payment, the amount of money is credited another deposit account, either in the very same bank or more likely in another bank; but the amount of money is, anyhow, not changed by this transaction. If the deposits leave the issuing bank, there will temporary emerge a liquidity ‘drain’, which at the end of the day can be filled by interbank loans (or lending via the central bank). In fact, the interbank market plays a very important systemic role by leveling the liquidity flows between banks day-by- day. Excess liquidity is hereby channelled to banks with a deficit of deposits, usually at a rate of interest set by the central bank.

AS LONG AS the interbank market functions smoothly, there is hardly any limit to the amount of money, which private banks can create ‘out of thin air’. It all depends on the demand for credit by firms and households, and banks’ attitude (and risk assessment) to providing such loans. As Hyman Minsky ( 7) convincingly has explained, the banking sector (as a whole) is historically characterized by waves of optimism, which at a certain stage collapse into a credit crunch followed by a financial crisis.

“more than ninety percent of economic transactions are undertaken by the use of private bank deposits… [which] are created by private bank loans”

PUBLIC DEBT, LIQUIDITY PREFERENCE AND MODERN MONETARY THEORY

THE FOLLOWING SECTION analyses monetary phenomena within a closed society to clarify the basic arguments. Nevertheless, the analysis would also be applicable to an economy with import and export of goods and services, flexible exchange rate and international capital control, like Great Britain in the 1930s and during the Bretton Woods era (where exchange rates were adjustable).

IF WE TAKE THE VIEW expressed by Abba Lerner in his Functional Finance 8 published in the 40s (ideas re-launched by Randall Wray in 2012 under the name of Modern Monetary Theory ( 9 ), the private and public sector financial imbalances must be analysed simultaneously. In stylized form, the public-sector budget balance has to be by accounting identities an exact mirror picture of the private sector excess savings. (10) An even more important macroeconomic identity is: savings equal real investment (within a closed society or with nations that have a balanced current foreign account). Hence, it is the interplay between private sector real investment and financial savings which determine the level of employment if all production is conducted in the private sector. Keynes’s ( 10) major contribution to macroeconomic theory was his demonstration that this ‘equilibrium’ between private real investment and financial saving could in principle occur at any level of (un)employment. In a closed society there is no self-adjusting mechanism within the private sector to secure full employment. xiii Falling nominal wages mean falling prices and/or falling effective demand.

UNEMPLOYMENT is caused by structural private savings in excess of private real investment. To close this gap of excess private savings, the public sector must take action. For insta nce, they could increase public real investment (or initiate other forms of expansionary fiscal policy). By running a public-sector deficit, excess private savings can be saturated by public bonds. Hence, public real investment has a triple effect:

1. reduces unemployment; 2. saturates private excess savings with secure financial assets (no crowding out); 3. increases the real capital stock (infrastructure, innovation, education, durable energy supply to the benefit future generations).

“Unemployment is caused by structural private savings in excess of private real investment. To close this gap… the public sector must take action.”

ACCORDINGLY, the private structural excess savings could therefore equally well be described as an excess demand for external financial asset (at full employment). In a closed economy, this means that if the government creates more effective demand, output and employment, the public-sector deficit can automatically be financed by private excess savings without necessarily making the rate of interest increase.

SO, THE REAL FINANCIAL CHALLENGE is to find the right mix between new issues of government bonds and of central bank money. This mix of bonds and central bank money will, of course, make an impact on the rate of interest dependent on how the private sector’s liquidity preference develops. If the private sector’s liquidity preference is unchanged, government can manipulate the rate of interest by changing the proportion of government debt to the stock of central bank money, which will have an impact on private real investment.

So, the real financial challenge is to find the right mix between new issues of government bonds and of central bank money. In fact, this is nothing new. The monetary policy which central banks, in broadly speaking all civilized countries, have undertaken in the aftermath of the financial crisis, under the name of Quantitative Easing, was to lower the longterm rate of interest. To what extent this policy has been a success, is not evaluated here. Suffice to say, the longterm rate of interest has never(!) been as low as it had been in the US, UK and euro-zone as when this monetary policy of QE has been undertaken – without, one should add, causing consumer price inflation.

“So, the real financial challenge is to find the right mix between new issues of government bonds and of central bank money.”

THE STOCK of central bank money has increased rapidly without causing wage or consumer price inflation. So, the classical quantity theory of money (QTM) and prices has obviously been discredited. It is equally obvious that the QE-policy has caused an asset price inflation which might have implications for future financial stability.

FORTUNATELY , it is less disputed that the QE-policy, and the low rate of interest, have had a positive effect by reducing the private sector structural excess savings. This positive development has happened via several channels, of which two shall be mentioned here: The first one is the impact of lower rate of interest on the speed of wealth accumulation in private pension funds, which reduces private passive savings. Secondly, a lower rate of (long term) interest will have an expansionary effect on private real investment. How strong these two effects are, will depend on circumstances; but they will, in any case, bring the labour market closer to full employment, and at the same time be a relief of the public sector budget.

TWO HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF MANAGED AND MIS-MANAGED MONETARY POLICY AND FISCAL FUNCTIONALISM.

NEW DEAL IN THE 1930s

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT took office in March 1933 and presented immediately a ‘New Deal’ to restore the American economy. Government involvement and regulation was increased in all sectors: banking, labour market, public investment, business support, agriculture, social policy and the gold content of the dollar. All these initiatives were presented by the President as part of his ‘fireside chats’ and summed up the following way “I hope you can see from this elemental recital of what the Government is doing there is nothing complex, or radical, in the process” ( 11) .

ROOSEVELT WAS RIGHT. He was making this successful policy out of intuition and common sense for two straight forward reasons:

1. The economists of his time assumed a self-adjusting private sector. This was obviously wrong, as were the policy recommendations accepted by the Hoover administration that aimed for a balanced public budget which actually aggravated and deepened the recession. 2. All sectors suffered from lack of purchasing power due to broken banks and a broken market mechanism. On top of these Hoover-failures, Roosevelt had some positive experiences from his time setting up public investment while he was the Governor of New York State, although it was on a much smaller scale.

WHAT THE AMERICANS COULD SEE was an economy that started to grow by 8 to 10 percent each year except for the year 1937/38. Unemployment fell steadily, but it was not until 1943 it had fallen back where it was in 1929 ( 12) . Why did it take such a long time? An important part of the answer is because the American economy had got stuck in a total collapse of gross private capital formation from USD 16 bill. to USD 4 bill. in 1932. The government could only partly fill in this gap by increasing public expenditure to USD bill ( 13) . Recovery had to wait for a restoration in business confidence (and the war).

ALL WAY THROUGH HIS TIME IN OFFICE, Roosevelt faced difficulties in defending the growing public debt. He had to wait for Keynes arguments; but even Keynes had severe difficulties to convince the British politician of the constructive impact that public deficit and debt would have to rebalance the macroeconomic system and to reduce unemployment. This is still the current situation – public sector deficit and debt are considered as two macroeconomic imbalances which can be addressed separate from the private sector. It is even argued that a smaller public sector would be a relief and expansionary to the private sector, because ‘supply creates its own demand!’ (when of course it is the opposite which is true.) Otherwise, the call for austerity policy could only be seen as a cynical attempt to maintain unemployment much longer than needed.

“Roosevelt (..) presented immediately a ‘New Deal’ to restore the American economy. Government involvement and regulation was increased in all sectors”

THE EUROPEAN MONETARY UNION IN 21 ST CENTURY

Looking at the European Monetary Union, it is striking that on average, decade by decade, the growth rate in GDP within the euro-zone has been the lowest ever since the since the Second World War. Growth trends have been reduced and the euro-zone has performed more poorly than the non-euro countries, – not to speak of the US. Many refined arguments have been offered by the euro-monetarists, see Jespersen ( 14) . Among these arguments labour market inflexibility and persistent public-sector debt and deficit are ranking high. Forgotten are the first 25 years of the after-war period, where unemployment was around 1 percent and public debt ratio was constantly falling resulting in hardly any public deficit.

“This is a sad story of intellectual and academic desertion, – and political defeat. I am worried that one has to wait for another Roosevelt, or a so-called populistic revolt by the people…”

THE DEVELOPMENT in nearly all European countries has, of course, changed considerably. The major change is that the private sector has swung into a position of excess financial saving, mainly due to a reduced level of real investment in most (but not all countries). The fall in real private investment could be counterbalanced by either an expansionary monetary or fiscal policy designed specifically for each country, due to each the country having various business structures, institutions, and political preferences. But the euro-zone countries have given up the monetary sovereignty through their membership in EMU. They can no longer:

issue their own currency;

set their own short-term rate of interest and

manipulate the exchange rate. And there is not much help to get from the European Central Bank.

It is under the obligation of the EU-Treaty to secure a stable development of the average of consumer prices all over the euro-zone. This requirement causes a diverging development, because the rate of interest will be too high for countries in recession, and too low for booming countries. Exactly the same counts for the common euro-exchange rate. In addition to this centralized monetary policy, within the EU-Treaty, EU-governments are banned from financing the budget deficit via printed money or lending from private banks.

SO, FISCAL POLICY UNDER EMU must be financed via the bond market, which should not be a problem as long as excess private savings are there to absorb public securities by an equal amount. When the euro-monetarists and the Bruxelles-elite realized that there was no real limit to fiscal expansion during a recession, they became nervous because that would run counter to the political priority of a balanced, – and even better: reduced – public sector. Thus, to limit the potential fiscal policy, the Growth and Stability Pact was written into the EU Treaty in 1997. According to this pact, no EU-member country was allowed to run a budget deficit above 3 percent of GDP. If it still happened, for instance due to a collapse of private investments, government should make plans – and get them approved by the EU-Commission – of how to reduce the public-sector deficit by austerity measures in the middle of a recession! However, when the recession hit in 2009, a number of EU member-states undertook expansionary fiscal policy by increasing the structural public-sector budget deficit to match the hugely increased private structural surplus. This expansionary policy had the positive effect of breaking the downward spiraling of the GDP, and for a short while, the macroeconomic development was supported by macroeconomic theory and policy which made Robert Skidelsky conclude: ‘Keynes: the Return of the Master’ ( 15) .

BUT, THIS OPTIMISM DID NOT LAST LONG , as the consequences of public deficits were very unevenly distributed among the euro-countries. Countries which also suffered from balance of payments deficits had to borrow abroad. Such was the case for the Southern European countries, whereas the Northern European countries, especially Germany, had a massive balance of payments surplus. So, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and later Italy, all had to go begging to borrow money from Berlin, Frankfurt and Bruxelles, as they were prevented from issuing money themselves. The borrowing conditions were tough, and seemingly straight out of the monetarist textbook: increased public savings and labour market reforms. This demanded policies that initially deepened and later prolonged the economic crises in the Southern euro-countries. The effects then spread to the entire euro-zone, where all countries had an excessive public budget deficit according to the EU-Treaty.

THE BERLIN/FRANKFURT/BRUXELLES AXIS had to realize that the Stability Pact was not restrictive enough to prevent financial instability, and it proved a challenge to the idea of the common currency as an integrating instrument. To prevent high uncertainty to unravel again, a Fiscal Compact was forced upon the euro-zone members and accepted by the other governments of the EU-countries (except Great Britain and the Czech- Republic). The countries were asked to amend their national legislation, or even constitution, in such a way, that no government, not even during a recession, should be allowed to undertake an expansionary fiscal policy of more than ½ percent of GDP.

IT IS NO WONDER that most European countries have been stagnating for more than a decade. The only expansionary effect has come from the European Central Bank. The bank lowered the euro-area rate of inter est and initiated a substantial QE-program. The latter became a relief to the debt-burdened euro-countries and created a boost for the exporting sectors by lowering the euro/dollar exchange rate.

“It is no wonder that most European countries have been stagnating for more than a decade”

How can it be that unrealistic macroeconomic theories repeat themselves, after they were discarded by Keynes more than 70 years ago? It applies to monetary, financial, fiscal and labour market theories. One may question how it can be that hardly any conventional economist has objected to the ‘soundness’ of the Stability Pact or the Fiscal Compact although Europe has had such a poor economic performance? How can it be that politicians, either blue or red, have renounced on a number of national policy instruments without having any influence on how these policies are undertaken at the federal level? It creates the impression as though politicians are scared of being made accountable of the macroeconomic development and be in opposition to the crunching international financial markets, – and has accepted that the latter has been implemented into national law by parliament in a number of EU countries, among others by the social democratic led Danish government in 2012 – even when the economic recession was at its deepest.

THIS IS A SAD STORY of intellectual and academic desertion, – and political defeat. I am worried that one has to wait for another Roosevelt, or a so-called populistic revolt by the people, which seems to be under its way in Italy. In some way it makes no sense to wait for another Keynes – one is enough; his theories will be reawakened when the political climate is ripe to set a political agenda that gives priority to ‘full employment and a fair distribution of income and wealth’.

But still I am wondering, like Keynes did, why it is so difficult to explain to one’s academic colleagues that:

The private sector is not self-adjusting,

When there is an excess financial saving in the private sector it will cause unemployment,

Government may reduce this unemployment by a matching/mirroring budget deficit (which, in fact, is self- financing) that will disappear when the private sector turns around and starts to run a financial savings deficit.

There are, of course, many strategies to reduce excess savings and unemployment within the private sector: low rate of interest, redistribution of income and wealth from rich to poor, investment subsidies, reduced (tax) incentives to private savings (old age pension is heavily subsidized especially for the rich people) or a reduced number of working hours per week ( 16) .

This article was published in our Rethinking Finance publication, Check out the full magazine here

And it is not only in neoclassical textbooks ‘that money is neutral’, see for instance Whitta-Jacobsen, H.J. & P.B.Sørensen (2005), Intermediate Macroeconomics, New York: McGrawHill (p.62). This statement was also one of the favourite arguments used by prominent economists (and politicians) arguing in favour of giving up the Danish Krone and to adapt the euro: less transaction costs and a German rate of interest. Fortunately, the people and common sense in general overruled the neoclassical arguments, when the question was set to be decided on by a Danish (2000) and Swedish (2003) referendum. See also Patinkin, D. (1987), Neutrality of Money, in The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, edited by J. Eatwell, M. Milgate, and P. Newman, London New York Tokyo: Macmillan Stockton Press Maruzen.

Clower, R. W. 1967. A Reconsideration of the Microfounda- tions of Monetary Theory, Chapter 14 in Clower. R. W. 1969. Monetary Theory, Harmondsworth: Penguin book

There are few exceptions, but not relevant here.

These aspects of monetary theory are especially emphasized by Monetary Circuit Theory, see among other, Graziani, A. (2003), The Monetary Theory of Production, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Keynes, J.M. (1930), Treatise on Money, vol. 1 & 2, London: Macmillan

Keynes, J.M. (1937), The General Theory of Employment, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 51, 209-23

Minsky, H. P. (1982), Can ‘It’ happen Again? Essays on Instability and Finance, Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe

Lerner, A. (1944), The Economics of Control, New York: Macmillan

Wray, L. Randall (2015), Modern Money Theory: A Primer on Macroeconomics for Sovereign Monetary Systems, (Second edition) London: Palgrave/Macmillan

Public debt as a percentage of GDP fell in UK steadily from approximately 200 percent of GDP just after the 2nd world war to less than 50 percent in the early 1970s. This development was mainly driven by a GDP in current prices (due to real growth and rising inflation) which grew much faster than the public debt; In some countries e.g. Scandinavia there was even a public sector surplus for many years due to a deficit of private sector savings – caused by, among other things, a private housing boom. Keynes, J.M. (1936), The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. London: Macmillan

Rauchway, E. (2008), The Great Depression & The New Deal, Oxford: Oxford University Press (p.57)

Rauchway, E. (2008), The Great Depression & The New Deal, Oxford: Oxford University Press (p.5)

Lewis 1960 (p. 113)

Jespersen, J. (2016), The Euro: why it failed, London: Palgrave/Macmillan

Skidelsky, R. (2009), Keynes: The Return of the Master, London: Allen Lane

Keynes, J.M. (1931), ‘Economic Possibilities of our Grandchildren’ in Essays in Persuasion, London: Macmillan

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Essay on Money

Money is a significant part of human civilisation. It is difficult to think about the world without money. Everybody needs money for various purposes, starting from day-to-day transactions to savings for the future. But if we go back to history, we will find that before money came into existence, there was a barter system to facilitate transactions among individuals in society. With the development of civilisation over time, the barter system lost its ground and was replaced by money. This essay on money will provide ideas to students so they can effectively write essays on this topic. They can also check out the list of CBSE Essays to practise more essays on different topics and boost their writing skills.

500+ Words Essay on Money

Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts which also acts as a standard of deferred payments. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value. The money supply of a country consists of currency (banknotes and coins) and bank money. Bank money usually forms the largest part of the money supply.

With the help of money, we can fulfil our dream. We can go on trips to various places, eat tasty food, buy a beautiful house and can buy any luxury items. Many businessmen earn a lot of money by making profits from their businesses. They provide services or make products that people need and make money from them. Now, there are many industries and startups which have set up their business and gained success. But still, there are many people who use illegal modes to earn money and become a part of corruption.

Significance of Money in Economy

Money plays an important role in shaping the economy of any country. Money can stimulate or even hamper economic progress. Money affects the income, output, employment, consumption and economic welfare of the community at large. Money through its purchasing power increases consumption and, as a store of value, increases investment, and employment and leads to economic development.

Demonetisation in India

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced demonetisation on 8th November 2016, where Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were withdrawn from circulation. It was a major event of the year 2016. The demonetisation decision was taken by the Government in consultation with the RBI. The action was taken to tackle Black Money which is available in various forms like cash, investment in property and real estate, luxury goods like jewellery or with foreign currency dealers and private financiers. The target was to curb the use of black money.

The other motto of demonetisation was to reduce corruption. With demonetisation, the cash in the hands of corrupt people becomes useless, and if the same is deposited in the banks, it loses anonymity, and the person has to pay taxes on the said amount.

The demonetisation also helped in promoting digitalisation through online transactions. A large section of the Indian economy was being run on the cash system, which does not get captured by the tax department as it does not leave any trail. So, the Government thought about promoting digitisation and formalisation of the economy through online transactions, e-wallets, and various payment instruments like Paytm, Rupay cards, the BHIM app etc. The beauty of these instruments is that the entire economic activity gets captured. It reduces tax evasion and improves tax collection.

Students must have found this essay on money useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams, at BYJU’S.

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Does More Money Really Make Us More Happy?

Elizabeth Dunn
Chris Courtney

A big paycheck won’t necessarily bring you joy

Although some studies show that wealthier people tend to be happier, prioritizing money over time can actually have the opposite effect.

But even having just a little bit of extra cash in your savings account ($500), can increase your life satisfaction. So how can you keep more cash on hand?
Ask yourself: What do I buy that isn’t essential for my survival? Is the expense genuinely contributing to my happiness? If the answer to the second question is no, try taking a break from those expenses.
Other research shows there are specific ways to spend your money to promote happiness, such as spending on experiences, buying time, and investing in others.
Spending choices that promote happiness are also dependent on individual personalities, and future research may provide more individualized advice to help you get the most happiness from your money.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

How often have you willingly sacrificed your free time to make more money? You’re not alone. But new research suggests that prioritizing money over time may actually undermine our happiness.

ED Elizabeth Dunn is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and Chief Science Officer of Happy Money, a financial technology company with a mission to help borrowers become savers. She is also co-author of “ Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending ” with Dr. Michael Norton. Her TED2019 talk on money and happiness was selected as one of the top 10 talks of the year by TED.
CC Chris Courtney is the VP of Science at Happy Money. He utilizes his background in cognitive neuroscience, human-computer interaction, and machine learning to drive personalization and engagement in products designed to empower people to take control of their financial lives. His team is focused on creating innovative ways to provide more inclusionary financial services, while building tools to promote financial and psychological well-being and success.

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Money Essay | Importance and Benefits of Money Essay in English

Money Essay: Money is a vital wellspring of everyday routine to experience a solid and satisfying life, despite the fact that it can not measure up to adore and mind. Both have their own significance and benefit. We are giving articles on Money to partake in a paper composing contest in basic and basic words here.

Money is the medium utilized by individuals to purchase required labor and products. It is utilized as the source to satisfy fundamental requirements and is additionally a wellspring of solace throughout everyday life. Money is the main source to carry on with a sound and prosperous life; nonetheless, it couldn’t measure up to the meaning of affection and care. Both have their own significance and advantages. By the way, Money is a helpful and important product to live cheerily arranging all your standard liabilities towards your family and friends and family.

You can read more Essay Writing about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Short Essay on Money 300 Words in English

Money is the fundamental need of life, without which nobody can envision a sound and tranquil life. We need money to satisfy our littlest needs. In present-day times, when progress is growing quickly and everybody is following western culture, in such a period, we need more money because of expanding merchandise. On prior occasions, there was training called trade framework, in which anybody would get another thing in return for a certain something. In any case, presently in this advanced world, just Money is expected to purchase everything or thing. it happens.

These days you need Money for each work, for garments, for food, for a safe house and surprisingly in numerous spots you need to pay for water. Despite the fact that it can likewise be said that ‘Money can’t give joy’s yet would you be able to be content with no Money? Since Money is a major piece of our life, at any rate you need Money to be content.

The significance of Money is expanding step by step, in light of the fact that our living has gotten over the top expensive. The significance of Money has expanded for a huge scope in the fields of creation, utilization, trade, circulation, public income and so on It assumes a vital part in deciding pay, work, continues partnership, general value level and so on On the off chance that we take a gander at the present-day situation, there is no uncertainty that he, who has a lot of riches, is viewed as more cultivated on the planet. Consequently, we can say that Money is vital in each part of life.

Importance of Money

Money is a fundamental thing throughout everyday life. In any case, it can’t accept things like time, love and genuine consideration. It can just satisfy the outer requirements of an individual and not the interior necessities like love. These days, everything has gotten costly yet getting them is vital to carry on with basic life. In the event that we don’t have money, nobody can envision the reality of how our circumstances will be.

The demise of an individual is sure because of the absence of Money and on the off chance that he endures, he experiences to confront numerous difficulties. Abundance empowers us to purchase every one of the essential things and helps us for the duration of our life. In the event that we comprehend the significance of Money throughout everyday life, we won’t ever go through Money with no reason or abuse. We can’t look at Money and love, in light of the fact that to carry on with a fruitful life we need both Money and love.

In this cutthroat world, to bring in Money by finding a decent line of work, everybody needs to concentrate well with advanced education from a notable school or college. An individual needs to bring in more money to satisfy the prerequisite of the relative multitude of individuals in the family, particularly for the individual who is the lone worker in the family.

An individual necessities Money to address the issues of all his relatives to eat, wear, and live. The rich have an uncommon personality and notoriety in the general public, be that as it may, the needy individuals spend their lives just getting two suppers per day. Every one of these progressions and contrasts are because of Money as it were.

In any place where there is a shortage of money in the house, there are a lot of struggles. There are squabbles among a couple. Neither does anybody regard each other in the case of bringing in Money. Neighbors and family members likewise peer downward on the destitute individual. He begins cutting her reasoning that the individual never requests Money from her. With this, nobody needs to get to know a destitute individual in the present time.

Money can neither purchase nor stop time nor purchase genuine romance and care together. Yet at the same time it is needed by all, so life can be taken in the correct way. Despite the fact that Money can’t give time and love, it certainly gives us bliss, certainty, fulfillment, physical and mental harmony. Because of which we can carry on with life effectively and each troublesome issue can be settled.

Advantage from Money

You can carry on with a conscious life: An individual is regarded just when he is monetarily prosperous. Something else, in the present society, the bankrupt individual has no regard.

Unadulterated and nutritious food can be eaten: The individuals who have abundance can appreciate an assortment of heavenly and nutritious dinners. What’s more, they can shield themselves from sicknesses.

Your assurance should be possible: In the present society, burglary, theft have expanded a great deal and rich individuals can give security to themselves because of Money.

The credit is repayable: Obligation taken from an individual rich individual can reimburse the credit without any problem.

The happiness regarding material delights can be achieved: With an adequate measure of riches, all material solaces can be appreciated like taking a decent house, great garments, vehicles and different things.

FAQ’s on Money Essay

Question 1. What is the requirement for money?

Answer: The main capacity of cash is to fill in as a mechanism of trade. As a mechanism of trade, cash addresses every one of the troubles of the deal. There is no need for a twofold fortuitous event of needs in a cash economy.

Question 2. What are the benefits of money?

Answer: Having money with you gives you a respectful life, you can have a healthy and nutritious life, you can pay your loans, have a luxurious life, etc.

Question 3. How can we earn money?

Answer: There are a number of ways to earn money such as;

You can be an employee in a company
You can start your own business
You can be an entrepreneur
You can use social media channels to provide your service

EnglishGrammarSoft

Essay on Money: How money is important in our life? (1000 Words)

Money is a wonderful invention of man. It is the power that helps people in earning and spending. Its importance can be understood by knowing how it solves the problems of human beings. We should know how to spend money properly and how we can save money for future use. In this essay, we’ll talk about the importance of money.

Money is a wonderful invention of man

The value of money is based on the following functions:

Medium of exchange – Money is a medium that facilitates the exchange of goods and services. It can be used to purchase groceries, pay your student fees or even buy concert tickets.
Store of value – Money allows you to store purchasing power over time so that you can use it later when required. For example, if you earn $400 today but do not need all of this money in one go, you would rather keep it for later use as ordering pizza with friends next weekend or buying tickets for movies.
Unit of account – Money provides an agreed standard for measuring how much something costs, such as $6 for breakfast sandwich from McDonalds or $800 for a new laptop computer.

When barter system was prevalent, human relations deteriorated to a great extent

When barter system was prevalent, human relations deteriorated to a great extent. The reason for this is that in a barter system there is no currency or money. Therefore, when a person has a surplus of goods and services he can exchange them with others but if his requirements are more than what he has then he faces a problem.

The existence of money paved way for good and improved living standard

The first currency that was widely used was gold and silver. Gold coins were used as a medium of exchange, while silver coins were used as a store of value. Gold and silver are extremely scarce resources, so they were chosen over other materials because their scarcity made them scarce resources with high value.

The introduction of money has made our lives easier than before. We can now purchase goods and services without having to wait for someone to give us what we need. People can also save up their money for future use when the need arises without having to worry about keeping track of everything they have spent on each item or service rendered to them.

Does money matter in life?

In order to understand how money works in our lives today, we must first know what it is and how it functions. Money is any object or record that is generally accepted in payment for goods and services; serves as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value; and is generally accepted as final payment for goods (Federal Reserve Bank). Money can be categorized into three main types: commodity money (gold), representative money (fiat currency), verification system (digital currency).

Some people think that money is a very important thing in their lives because they can use it to buy what they want, but some people think that money isn’t so important. For example, some people have lots of money and they can buy anything they want with their money; however, other people don’t have much money and have no choice but to work hard every day just to earn enough for themselves and their family.

Regardless as to which side you are on, there is no denying that a person’s life experiences are often dependent on their financial situation. Money does not always guarantee happiness or security; however, having enough cash flow certainly makes daily life easier for most individuals.

Why money is important in our life?

Money is the medium of exchange. We, humans use money to buy things and services from others. Without it, we cannot live a comfortable life as we need food, clothes and shelter. If you have no money you will be miserable because all these things are very necessary for our survival in this world.

The following points will help you better understand why money is important in our lives:

Money helps us to buy food and clothes etc., which means without enough amount of money one can’t survive properly;
Money helps us to buy various services like transportation, medical care etc.;
Money also helps us build our houses and other buildings such as schools or colleges;

The power of money

The power of money is beyond imagination. It can buy anything you want, but only if you have enough of it. Money can buy happiness, education and even health. It can also make us feel secure when we have a lot of it saved up in the bank or kept under our mattress! If we have enough money then no one will ever be able to hurt us because they will know that they cannot take away what is rightfully ours.

Money has many benefits; it allows us to live comfortably without worrying about where our next meal will come from or how we are going to pay for college tuition fees for our childrens’ education. With more than enough money at hand, life becomes much easier as well as enjoyable because there is nothing stopping us from doing what makes us happy such as travelling abroad or buying new clothes whenever we need them (as opposed to waiting until payday).

Some evils are also associated with money

Money can be a source of happiness and joy or it can also be a source of evil. Money is not everything and therefore, we should not put too much emphasis on it. Money has its own merits as well as demerits.

The main merit of having money is that it helps you live a comfortable life by providing you with all the resources necessary for living comfortably like food, shelter, clothing and education etcetera.

The main demerit associated with having money is that people who have more than required amount of wealth become greedy and start doing illegal activities to earn more money which later becomes their source of evil as well as discomfort in lives.

Money is a powerful tool which can be used for bringing good or bad to the society. If we use it in a right way then it will help us to improve our lives and make us more comfortable but if we misuse it then all of us are going to suffer. So, money is important in life because with this currency we can purchase things that we want and also give charity as well.

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Money or Power, Which Is More Important/Better? Answered

Post author: Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC
Post published: January 18, 2022
Post category: Scholarly Articles

Money or Power, Which Is More Important/Better?: Money is a commodity that is acknowledged as a means of a trade by the general public. It is the means of exchange for prices and values; as money, it travels anonymously from person to person and nation to country, promoting commerce; and it is the primary measure of wealth.

The capacity to get what you desire is known as power. Because what you desire is frequently restricted by others, using power frequently entails changing or influencing what others think, believe, or do. It’s at the heart of a lot of mind-altering procedures. Money is nothing more than paper on its own. Money is just as valuable as the value people place on it. A million bucks today might not even buy you a sack of potatoes over a year. So, you may believe that you should invest, and you would be correct to some extent. But only because investment provides you with something money does not: power.

The beauty of power is that it doesn’t require money, to begin with. We also deal in time, which is probably more important than money. What we invest our time in — what we dedicate our lives to — is the only thing that can offer us power. The only thing that makes you matter, then, is power.

Which Is More Influential, Money or Power

The distinction between living a life that will be remembered and living a life that will be forgotten is power. The explanation for this is straightforward: The ability to effect change is the finest definition of power. Change is a constant in life. Only a few persons are remembered.

Recommended: Money or Love, Which is More Important? Answered

Table of Contents

Importance of money

1. Money gives you the ability to choose what you want to do with your life : Money is significant because it allows you to do anything you want, whenever you want, and anywhere you want. This is also referred to as “ FU Money ,” which indicates you’ve reached a stage where you can walk away from a job you despise and are no longer financially dependent on anybody.

Do you have any interests that you’d want to pursue? Have you ever wanted to start your own business? Money allows you to explore such regions and take some risks.

2. You can make decisions with money : The capacity to make choices and have options is one of the most pleasant feelings in the world. It’s annoying to be stuck in a situation where you need money or financial aid, so taking that out of your life is a tremendous relief.

You have control over what you want to do and what you don’t want to do when you have money.

Also see: Best countries to do business in africa

3. Money is the only thing that can keep a person’s finances in order : One of the most powerful emotions you can have is knowing you don’t have to worry about money. Individuals and families deal with financial stress daily, and it can be quite taxing.

4. More Life Experiences Can Be Attained with Money : Because life is brief and passes quickly, you should want to take advantage of everything that it has to offer while you are here. It’s a waste of money to hoard money and never experience anything; after all, you can’t carry your money with you to the cemetery! While this may not present a pleasant picture, it is entirely accurate.

When you have money, you have more opportunities to get more out of life, to explore the globe, to try new things, and to break out of your bubble. This can also contribute to general happiness by allowing you to experience more of what life has to offer.

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5. Money might assist you in providing more for your family : While passing down riches to your children might be beneficial, there is a fine line between establishing good values and a work ethic in your children beyond simply handing them money. Money, on the other hand, is important since it allows you to give a better school, healthcare, and generally start in life for your family.

Many youngsters are spoilt as a result of this, which leads to unreasonable financial expectations as they grow older. However, teaching kids about money and not lavishing them with every conceivable luxury without requiring them to work hard will be critical.

Also see: Differences between micro and macro economics

Importance of power

1. Power is required to effect change : Changes can be accomplished in the absence of authority, but it will take a lot of fight and effort to make even a minor change. When power is in one’s hands, it’s much easier to make, fix, break, and bring about changes.

What is more important to you status power or money?

2. When we have power, it is much easier to assist others in their endeavors : Their incredible efforts may result in some incredible beneficial consequences, and we will be a part of it. A powerless assisting hand does not have the same impact as a forceful assisting hand. To serve others, you must have power.

We all want to help our society, community, or nation, but because we lack sufficient authority, we are frequently unable to effect desired changes, have a significant influence, or assist others in the manner we desire. Power enables us to provide important services to everyone.

Also see: Countries with the best judicial system in the world

3. Protection is provided via power : We can protect ourselves, our property, and those we truly care about. We can establish appropriate limits. As a result, by utilizing the power, we may readily shield ourselves from harm and minimize the risk of injury.

4. Power instills a great deal of self-assurance : We can stand up, say what we think, question if we are unsure, ask for more if we believe we deserve it, seek more if we desire it, and so on. Power enables us to stand out for ourselves and others, and since it is in our hands, our voices are heard and our requests are honored.

5. Power aids in the development of mass power : It aids in the gathering of people, and as we all know, togetherness always leads to spectacular results. We may enlist additional help and form bonds that will nourish and strengthen us on our trip. If we wish to be nurtured by others, we must first gain strength, which will allow us to develop powerful ties.

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6. The battle is lessened when you have more power : A helpless individual may come to regret his undone business in the end. Despite his talent and potential, he was unable to realize his ambitions due to a lack of finances, widespread support, and opportunity. However, the power permits all kinds of assistance, and the only thing we need is true ability; if we have that, we can achieve all of our goals without much difficulty.

7. We can think large when we have a lot of power : We can feel empathy and compassion for others in the same manner that we used to feel for ourselves. We may enlist additional help and form bonds that will nourish and strengthen us on our trip. If we wish to be nurtured by others, we must first gain strength, which will allow us to develop powerful ties.

These emotions are no longer limited to us. We can reach out to millions of people, empathize with them, and assist them in whatever manner we can. We are no longer limited to realizing our own goals; instead, we must ensure that we fulfill the dreams of others whose eyes are willingly dreaming but lack the means to make them a reality.

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Money or Power, Which Is More Important/Better?

When you have money, the fact that you can assist them in some manner by giving them your money pulls people to you. You only have that kind of power over them. One of two things happens once you pay them the money, which you should do eventually or they’ll lose interest: They either say yes and buy whatever they wanted, then come back and keep sucking until you give them more, or they buy it, then forget about you and move on.

You aren’t going to give them money unless they do something valuable for you, which usually requires authority. We all know that money equals power, which is why there is a discussion. However, money comes with power, and the only difference is that money must be given up in exchange for the power that is typically only temporary. Power is here to stay, and it can obtain everything it desires and never runs out.

Power also takes longer to vanish than money. Until the day you die, you are strong. Even if you’re an elderly strong politician, you may still wield a lot of power. If you’re a wealthy old man, you do have some clout. However, most people are aware that you are soon to become useless to them since the money is no longer yours the moment you die—even if you aren’t in dire straits. Until you die, power is still significant. If you’re dying, but you used to be a senator or whatever, you could certainly get paid to attend a fundraiser to promote it.

Money is nothing more than a path to power/freedom, and anyone who believes otherwise is deafeningly naive. Also, don’t act as though power and freedom are mutually exclusive. When you have a lot of power, you can accomplish almost whatever you desire.

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The amount of influence you can wield is exactly proportionate to your financial wealth. Money can purchase power, influence people, change behavior, and bring all of your goals to fruition with the flip of a coin. Power comes with a lot of responsibility, and it may lead to riots if people aren’t happy with your actions. All you need is enough money if you want to see that massive mountain in front of you demolished and converted into a desert. There’s nothing else. If you pay enough money, a lot of people will gladly shred that mountain into little pieces for you. So, money is a form of power.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.

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Knowledge is Power Essay

Essay on Knowledge is Power

Knowledge means understanding of something such as facts, information, description and skills. It is the source of power to man and this distinguishes him from other creatures of the universe. Though man is physically weaker than many animals, for he cannot see as far as an eagle, nor carry heavy loads as some animals. Nevertheless he is the most powerful creature on earth. This power basically comes to him from knowledge not from physical strength. ‘Knowledge is power’ means that a man has education and a complete control on his life by using the strength of knowledge.

The ability to acquire knowledge, preserve and pass it on to the future generation makes man powerful. It enables him to control the forces of nature and use them for his benefit. This power of knowledge, if used wisely can bring happiness to mankind. Knowledge leads to wisdom, respect and consequently power.

Why is Knowledge Powerful?

Knowledge does not always come with power. Knowledge is the state of awareness or understanding and learning of specific information about something and it is gained from experience or study. This means a person has the resources to express his views dynamically and make intelligent decisions based on his every day situations, awareness and understanding.

This doesn’t make a man powerful. A man is said to be powerful when he uses his knowledge to mobilize in the right direction. When a man has the ability or capacity to act or perform effectively with his knowledge then he gains Power.

Benefits of Knowledge

Knowledge is important to shape our personality and perfect our behavior and dealings with people.

Knowledge hones thinking skills. Knowledge is necessary in order to be able to formulate an opinion or develop a line of thought.

A person gets the power to analyze and assert situations by his knowledge.

With knowledge, a man can master the techniques of adjusting and accommodating with changes in the surroundings and life situations.

Knowledge helps a man to face adversities and stay balanced.

It is a key to removing the darkness of ignorance.

Knowledge helps in enhancing more options in the professional career of the individuals.

Knowledge helps in boosting confidence in individuals.

Education and knowledge together can provide better governance to the country.

A nation can have true democracy when the citizens of the country are knowledgeable about both social and economic conditions.

Prospective of Knowledge

Education is a key to success and this statement holds true as being knowledgeable can lead to a successful life. Knowledge will never diminish like any physical entities. In fact, the evolution of civilization in our society has happened due to the increase in the knowledge base of humans. Progress in the medical field has been made possible by developing rational thinking through the use of knowledge. Knowledge is the foremost tool of empowerment. It is the key to success in life. Knowledge, along with the power to think and analyze, differentiate men from animals. Knowledge teaches us to be humble and compassionate. People with very humble backgrounds have risen to power and wealth, on the strength of knowledge and skill. Only this can maintain harmony in the society.

Writing the Knowledge is Power Essay

Writing the Knowledge is Power Essay can be quite easy. Before you start the essay, collect all the details about the proverb to understand its meaning. This way, you can curate a meaningful essay with all the right facts and relevant points. Moreover, you should know the correct format for writing an essay. You can refer to the Knowledge is Power Essay available on Vedantu’s website to understand the format and learn more about the topic. Here are some tips to follow while writing your own essay on Knowledge is Power:

Gather all the information you can from textbooks to the Internet about knowledge before you begin the essay.

Once you have collected all the details, start your essay with an insightful introduction to the topic to give the readers an idea of what they will be learning from the essay.

While writing the main body, do not go off-topic and write irrelevant points. Everything you write should be entirely focused on the topic i.e. Knowledge is Power.

Add a good conclusion at the end to summarize the entire essay and give your final statement about the topic i.e. Knowledge is Power.

Once you have completed the essay, proofread it to find mistakes and rectify them immediately.

If you have time, revise the essay and check whether you can add more powerful points to make your writing more effective.

Points to be included in the Knowledge is Power Essay

Before you start writing your Knowledge is Power Essay, you should have a clear understanding of what points to include. This will save a lot of your time and help you finish the essay in much less time. You can gather all the information regarding the topic i.e. Knowledge is Power, and then start writing. Here are the points that you can add in the essay:

In the introduction, write mainly about that specific proverb, i.e. Knowledge is Power, to give your reader an idea of what you are reading.

When you come to the main body, add relevant points and explain your opinions on the topic. For example, you can write about why knowledge is considered powerful or the benefits of knowledge.

Try adding quotes related to the topic in your essay to make it more impactful. You can use these quotes before your opening statement or support the information in the main body.

While writing your conclusion, add a broad statement that summarizes the essay. Do not add any new ideas or information in the conclusion. You only have to sum up the entire Knowledge is Power Essay at this stage.

FAQs on Knowledge is Power Essay

1. How Do You Define Knowledge?

Knowledge means understanding of facts, information, description and skills. It refers to awareness of something gained by education or experience. Here are the three different types of knowledge:

Explicit Knowledge: It refers to the type of knowledge that can be easily documented, stored, curated, and accessed. For example, information available in textbooks, the internet, etc.

Implicit Knowledge: The practical application of explicit knowledge is known as implicit knowledge. For example, how to drive a car or how to swim.

Tacit Knowledge: Any knowledge gained from personal experiences and context is known as tacit knowledge. For example, body language, leadership, humour, etc.

2. Why is Knowledge Considered Powerful?

Knowledge is powerful because a man can mobilize his life into the right direction. Knowledge can be both creator and destructive of our society. Through knowledge only, one can differentiate between right and wrong and make an informed decision. It also helps you plan your future and takes you on the path to success. With more knowledge, you will be able to overcome your weaknesses and gain more self-confidence. It encourages a positive attitude towards life and keeps you motivated to survive and thrive in the real world.

3. Mention Two Benefits Of Knowledge.

Knowledge is something that you gain throughout your life. It comes with an infinite number of benefits and keeps you on the right track. Knowledge encourages you to act morally and help others in any way possible. Moreover, it boosts your confidence to face any difficulty without being dependent on others. The two benefits of knowledge are:

Knowledge shapes our personality and behavior with others.

Knowledge with proper education can provide better governance to a nation.

4. Why is Less Knowledge Dangerous?

Less knowledge or half knowledge is very dangerous as it leads a man to a benighted condition for the rest of his life. He will never be able to excel in any field to the fullest. Less knowledge can mislead a person into making wrong decisions that have a negative impact on his/her life. Usually, people with less knowledge are only aware of the major aspects of a subject. They do not focus on the minor aspects, which gives them an unbalanced view of that particular subject.

5. From where can I get the Knowledge is Power Essay?

You can get the Knowledge is Power Essay from Vedantu’s official website and mobile app. Vedantu provides you with the Knowledge is Power Essay without charging you anything. You can just visit our website and search for the essay to get access to it. Moreover, we offer a huge variety of study material for the English language to help students get better at the subject. You will find various topics of grammar, letter writing, speech writing, and much more only on Vedantu.com. Use all this study material to improve your writing skills and gain more knowledge about the English language.

Book Review: Memoirist Lilly Dancyger’s penetrating essays explore the power of female friendships

The Associated Press

May 6, 2024, 10:51 AM

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Who means more to you — your friends or your lovers? In a vivid, thoughtful and nuanced collection of essays, Lilly Dancyger explores the powerful role that female friendships played in her chaotic upbringing marked by her parents’ heroin use and her father’s untimely death when she was only 12.

“First Love: Essays on Friendship” begins with a beautiful paean to her cousin Sabina, who was raped and murdered at age 20 on her way home from a club. As little kids, their older relatives used to call them Snow White and Rose Red after the Grimm’s fairy tale, “two sisters who are not rivals or foils, but simply love each other.”

That simple, uncomplicated love would become the template for a series of subsequent relationships with girls and women that helped her survive her self-destructive adolescence and provided unconditional support as she scrambled to create a new identity as a “hypercompetent” writer, teacher and editor. “It’s true that I’ve never been satisfied with friendships that stay on the surface. That my friends are my family, my truest beloveds, each relationship a world of its own,” she writes in the title essay “First Love.”

The collection stands out not just for its elegant, unadorned writing but also for the way she effortlessly pivots between personal history and spot-on cultural criticism that both comments on and critiques the way that girls and women have been portrayed — and have portrayed themselves — in the media, including on online platforms like Tumblr and Instagram.

For instance, she examines the 1994 Peter Jackson film, “Heavenly Creatures,” based on the true story of two teenage girls who bludgeoned to death one of their mothers. And in the essay “Sad Girls,” about the suicide of a close friend, she analyzes the allure of self-destructive figures like Sylvia Plath and Janis Joplin to a certain type of teen, including herself, who wallows in sadness and wants to make sure “the world knew we were in pain.”

In the last essay, “On Murder Memoirs,” Dancyger considers the runaway popularity of true crime stories as she tries to explain her decision not to attend the trial of the man charged with killing her cousin — even though she was trained as a journalist and wrote a well-regarded book about her late father that relied on investigative reporting. “When I finally sat down to write about Sabina, the story that came out was not about murder at all,” she says. “It was a love story.”

Readers can be thankful that it did.

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

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Book Review: Memoirist Lilly Dancyger’s penetrating essays explore the power of female friendships

In 2021 Lilly Dancyger’s first book, “Negative Space,” was praised for its unflinching portrait of her father’s heroin addiction

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Three Rhode Island power players just launched a political nonprofit

The group’s goal is to “influence policy makers and constituents to work for progressive change in housing, education, labor, and health care, particularly women’s health care,” according to incorporation papers.

We’re still a few months away from Rhode Island’s elections taking center stage, but three of the best-known insiders in the state have just launched a new nonprofit “social welfare” organization that they believe will play a big role in local politics for years to come.

Kate Coyne-McCoy, a former executive director of the state Democratic Party, George Zainyeh, who was chief of staff to former governor Lincoln Chafee and is now one of the most influential lobbyists on Smith Hill, and Patti Doyle, a top communications pro for just about everyone, formed Better RI NOW on April 8.

The group’s plans are still vague, but its goal is to “influence policy makers and constituents to work for progressive change in housing, education, labor, and health care, particularly women’s health care,” according to incorporation papers.

Asked to expand on the group’s goals, Doyle said the group plans to raise money, but won’t directly endorse candidates for office. She said “we can let voters know which candidates stand for issues important to them.”

”The three of us have been active in public policy for a while, we witness the ongoing national dialogue, and just want to be additive to a local conversation on a variety of key issues,” Doyle said.

Stepping back: Coyne-McCoy, Zainyeh, Doyle aren’t necessarily household names to the average Rhode Islander, but they’re a powerful trifecta in political circles. Doyle said the group plans to focus on the congressional delegation and statewide offices.

US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and US Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo are all on the ballot this year, although all three are heavy favorites to be reelected (especially in a presidential election year). It’s more intriguing to think about the role Better RI NOW might play in 2026 in Rhode Island.

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @danmcgowan .

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COMMENTS

Money controls our lives. It's time to rethink our relationship with
To me, it seems that the more interconnected the world becomes, the more power is held over individuals and nations by economics, money and flows of finance. In so many human crises, money plays a part - it is treated as both the problem and the solution. In the Gospels, the name Jesus gives to this force is Mammon.
How Money Changes the Way You Think and Feel
How Money Changes the Way You Think and Feel. Research is uncovering how wealth impacts our sense of morality, our relationships with others, and our mental health. The term "affluenza"—a portmanteau of affluence and influenza, defined as a "painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste ...
Essay on Money (3000 words): The Power and Perils of Money
Money is a fundamental aspect of modern society, serving as the lifeblood of economies and a cornerstone of daily life. Money holds immense significance in our lives, from facilitating transactions to influencing social dynamics. In this essay, we delve into the multifaceted nature of money, exploring its origins, functions, and profound impact ...
Money Is the Greatest Power: An Essay
Conclusion. Money power is defined as, "Money is one of the primary collective powers developed by humanity for social accomplishment. Like language, money is an instrument to promote productive, cooperative human social relationships. Money is one of the greatest inventions of all time".
12 Powerful Essays on Money [ Importance, Value, Power ]-2024
By Student essays April 2, 2021. Money is really an important role player in our lives. But, we need to accept, money is not everything. Though money has the power, you can enjoy and afford every material luxury of life. But that is short lived. Money can't bring real happiness, peace, certainty, power and freedom.
Essays About Money: Top 5 Examples And 6 Prompts
5 Top Examples On Essay About Money. 1. Essay on Money by Prasanna. "Imagine the world without money. We will eventually come to a point where we will be asking questions like "what's the point of life". Hope and goals are some of the important things that will keep a man going in life.
Importance of Money Essay
100 Words Essay On Importance Of Money. Money is a critical factor in our lives as it helps us to meet our basic needs and desires. It provides us with a sense of security and helps us to plan for the future. Money enables us to buy food, shelter, and clothing, and to access healthcare and education. Additionally, it provides us with the means ...
The Role of Money in Social Life: Morality and Power in the World of
by Ariel Wilkis* "Perhaps behind the coin is God." — Jorge Luis Borges, The Zahir (1949) My book The Moral Power of Money: Morality and Economy in the Life of the Poor (Stanford University Press, 2017) offers a new focus for interpreting the multiple power relations that configure the world of the poor. It analyzes heterogeneous money exchanges among the urban poor in Buenos Aires and ...
Philosophy of Money and Finance
Philosophy of Money and Finance. First published Fri Nov 2, 2018; substantive revision Fri Mar 10, 2023. Finance and philosophy may seem to be worlds apart. But they share at least one common ancestor: Thales of Miletus. Thales is typically regarded as the first philosopher, but he was also a financial innovator.
Essay on Money for Students and Children
Black Money. Black money is the money that people earn with corruption. For your information corruption involves the misuse of the power of high posts. For instance, it involves taking bribes, extra money for free services, etc. Corruption is the main cause of the lack of proper growth of the country. Moreover, money that people having ...
Essay On Money: 100, 250 Words Samples
Essay on Money in 100 Words. El dinero or money is used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. It facilitates trade, allowing for the smooth exchange of goods and services, while also enabling efficient allocation of resources and encouraging economic growth. As a unit of account, it provides a standardized measure of ...
Money is power
In economic terms, money is the ultimate power, because, as Clower (2) forcefully stated, 'money buys goods'. In a market economy you can get everything if you pay the price - and have the money. If you do not have the ultimate liquidity, in other words, the amount of money (means of payment), you must ask for credit.
Essay on Money
500+ Words Essay on Money. Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts which also acts as a standard of deferred payments. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value. The money supply of a country consists of ...
Money and Power
Like any other power resource, money is used with varying degrees of skill. Money is only one of many base values that can be used to exercise purchasing power. In some situations. the following resources can serve almost as well: (1) an honest face, (2) personal acquaintance with the seller, (3) reputation for.
Does More Money Really Make Us More Happy?
ProStock-Studio/Getty Images. Summary. Although some studies show that wealthier people tend to be happier, prioritizing money over time can actually have the opposite effect. But even having just ...
Importance and Benefits of Money Essay in English
June 1, 2023 by Laxmi. Money Essay: Money is a vital wellspring of everyday routine to experience a solid and satisfying life, despite the fact that it can not measure up to adore and mind. Both have their own significance and benefit. We are giving articles on Money to partake in a paper composing contest in basic and basic words here.
Money Is Power
Money is not the only thing that makes me happy, but money gives me the power to do the things in my life that make me happy. I believe that money is one of the most powerful things a person can have. And I know that a lot of people for different reasons criticize people who believe money is one of the most important things in life.
Essay on Money: How money is important in our life? (1000 Words)
1.3k. Money is a wonderful invention of man. It is the power that helps people in earning and spending. Its importance can be understood by knowing how it solves the problems of human beings. We should know how to spend money properly and how we can save money for future use. In this essay, we'll talk about the importance of money.
Money or Power, Which Is More Important/Better? Answered
Importance of power. 1. Power is required to effect change: Changes can be accomplished in the absence of authority, but it will take a lot of fight and effort to make even a minor change. When power is in one's hands, it's much easier to make, fix, break, and bring about changes.
Literature Essay of The theme of money in The Merchant of Venice
'Money is power.' In a carefully planned essay of 350-400 words (1½-2 pages) in length, discuss to what extent the quote is relevant to the play. In the play, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, the statement 'Money is power' is very relevant. This essay will explore to what extent this quote is relevant in the play.
Money is Power (Chapter 2)
The laissez-faire attitude of mainstream economics stands in contrast to popular wisdom. "Money is Power" goes the saying. Those who have a lot of money tend to have commensurate power. Type. Chapter. Information. Economists and the Powerful. Convenient Theories, Distorted Facts, Ample Rewards. , pp. 47 - 106.
Money Essay : The Power Of Money In Everyday Life
Money Essay : The Power Of Money In Everyday Life. Decent Essays. 1041 Words; 5 Pages; ... The power of money can easily be abused and it is very important to make sure that a person is well informed on ways to save and spend money wisely. Having an electronic banking card is great, if one is ever in a difficult situation it is easily ...
Knowledge is Power Essay
Essay on Knowledge is Power. Knowledge means understanding of something such as facts, information, description and skills. It is the source of power to man and this distinguishes him from other creatures of the universe. Though man is physically weaker than many animals, for he cannot see as far as an eagle, nor carry heavy loads as some animals.
Book Review: Memoirist Lilly Dancyger's penetrating essays ...
In a vivid, thoughtful and nuanced collection of essays, Lilly Dancyger explores the powerful role that female friendships played in her chaotic upbringing marked by her parents' heroin use and ...
Book Review: Memoirist Lilly Dancyger's penetrating essays explore the
In the last essay, "On Murder Memoirs," Dancyger considers the runaway popularity of true crime stories as she tries to explain her decision not to attend the trial of the man charged with ...
Three Rhode Island power players just launched a political nonprofit
Asked to expand on the group's goals, Doyle said the group plans to raise money, but won't directly endorse candidates for office. She said "we can let voters know which candidates stand for ...

Money controls our lives. It's time to rethink our relationship with the almighty dollar

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Philosophy of Money and Finance

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