THE GENIUS OF MONEY.

Hi fellows, on our path to pledge the writing 340 class, last week we decided to pull ourselves together, and share a reading experience: JOHN BLOOMS, The Genius of Money.

Please, find below my attempt to recap chapter 4 and 15 for common benefit.

Chapter 15: 

The chapter analyzes the development of money into american culture. The writer explain the development going across two major “debates”, Hamilton vs Jefferson and Emerson vs Hoffmann. 

At the beginning, the book analyzes the contrast between the rising concept of private ownership and an economy based on to a natural resources sharing method to develop wealth. Jefferson argued for a land based economy.

Hamilton vision of trade provided the needs of money, his vision was that everything would have been able to be valued and monetized.  His vision gave start to the money paradigm shift: not anymore a physical concept but a virtual and electronic one.

Emerson vs Hoffmann on the other ends debated on a moral tone side.  Emerson clergy protestant saw money as measure of human wealth, as natural resources, but he questioned the right of ownership of this wealth.

On the other hand Hoffman sponsors more a common benefit and sense of community philosophy. She saw money as a cause of disintegration of inner and outer experience. The authors, in general, both called for a moral consideration of money and its possible consequences. 

Chapter 4:

According to a research outlined in the chapter, when decision making involves money and financial issues consequences, people tend to act in an anti-social manner. The research shows how Money, being now at the core of our senses, might unconsciously influence our social skills. Money makes people feel less dependent on others and helps to keep distant from new acquaintances. When money counts, people ignore the human need for relationships. There is a driving force that makes wealth gap expanding so drastically: as much as the individual keeps him/her self distant from the social nature, the more he/she has to accumulate resources to meet his/her needs. Money and self-interest are so inextricable that fairness has turned into a matter of priority especially for wealthy people. Money has become something crucial to live. Indeed, It is a determinant factor also for our social experience. Money's influence have several clears impacts on cultural, political and economic decisions. To affect social transformation, we need to become conscious of the implicit power of influence money on each of us, make it explicit and clear to finally align it with our deeper values.