The Evolution of Capitalism

This chapter reviews the ways that capitalism has both enhanced and detracted from well being. It offers an evolutionary account of capitalism and sketches its implications for evolving an economic and political system that more effectively contributes to human well being. Three of the most important and well-documented harms of the capitalist system are the marketing of harmful substances, the successful advocacy of some sectors of the capitalist system to achieve and maintain public policies that benefit some at the expense of the well-being of the rest of society, and the environmental degradation associated with the productive capacities of capitalism. From the perspective of the contextual behavioral science movement, the chapter concerns with predicting and influencing corporate practices. The contextual behavioral science community has an organization working to change the world in a positive and intentional way: the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS).