Oscar Wilde:"They know the price of everything and the value of nothing." How does this apply to Spirit of...

Question

Oscar Wilde once said of his fellow-Englishmen: "They know the price of everything and the value of nothing." How does this characterization apply to people possessed by Weber's "Spirit of Capitalism."

Answer 1

Well.. this is how i see it.. Price is something that one pays in money or quantifyable things. Value is something that goes beyond quantifying. It is not only what you pay for it physically (in terms of money or quatyfyable things), but involves emotional and psychological impact. And the value of the same thing can vary from person to person.



The price of an old and tattered rag doll might not even be a few cents. But to a girl who loves it, and plays with it everyday, there may not be anything more "valuable" than that doll.



Weber defines spirit of capitalism as the ideas and habits that favour the rational pursuit of economic gain. When you are talking of pure economic gains, there is no value involved. A person possessed by the "Spirit of Capitalism" would be concerned with only the economic gains of any situation, and would be blind to other considerations. Further, emotions and values have nothing to do with rationale.



So i guess someone possessed by the spirit of capitalism would know the price of everything, and at the same time be blind to their value.

Answer 2

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RE:

Oscar Wilde:"They know the price of everything and the value of nothing." How does this apply to Spirit of...

Oscar Wilde once said of his fellow-Englishmen: "They know the price of everything and the value of nothing." How does this characterization apply to people possessed by Weber's "Spirit of Capitalism."

Answer 3

not sure



its a brilliant quote



"we all be in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

Oscar Wilde too