Greed

Greed is the excessive desire to accumulate wealth, power, or status beyond that which is comfortably needed. The concept of greed always carries a negative connotation and differs from the more modest pursuit of material possessions. It is the selfish aspect of greed that is considered harmful, especially when it comes at the expense of the community at large. Early Christian religious leaders condemned this selfishness and listed greed as one of the seven deadly sins. In the modern era, greed is less stigmatized and is even celebrated in some contexts; however, in others, it is still viewed by many as socially unacceptable. From a psychological standpoint, researchers see greed as a part of the human survival instinct and a response to the realization that humans are mortal beings. At the same time, greed also creates a conflict between those individual needs and the collective good of the larger social group.

Background

Early hunter-gatherer societies were nomadic groups that migrated from place to place in search of food or as the climate dictated. Survival depended upon finding a source of food and protecting it from animals or other humans who also wanted the food to ensure their own survival. The idea of material possessions was non-existent because the nomadic lifestyles of the early humans simply did not allow the accumulation of what could be called wealth. That changed when humans developed agriculture and began settling in permanent communities. Rather than all members of a group participating in collective survival activities, individuals were able to specialize in roles within the community. Some, especially those who controlled the food supply or were able to make tools or weapons, were able to gain more wealth and social status.

In time, the idea of trying to accumulate excessive wealth came to be seen as harmful to the overall community in some cultures. The ancient Greeks called this concept pleonexia, which means “the desire for more at the expense of another.” The idea of pleonexia applied not only to individuals, but to the actions of a city-state and included the pursuit of riches, land, political power, and influence over others. Greek scholars viewed this form of greed as the prime reason for the decline in Greek society from the fifth to the second centuries BCE. They reasoned that the obsession with personal gain tore apart the elements that kept their society together.

Overview

Early Christian concepts of greed were sometimes contradictory between the honest pursuit of success and the condemnation of the wealthy. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Later on in the New Testament book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” As a result, the general philosophy of the era was that some accumulation of wealth was acceptable as long as the person was generous to the community. A Christian parable from the second century CE portrays the members of the Church as stones that fit together perfectly to build a tower. Wealthy individuals are seen as rough stones that must first be smoothed by removing their excess wealth before they can fit into the tower.

In the fourth century, a monk named Evagrius Ponticus compiled a list of eight thoughts he believed were inherently evil. Among them was avarice, a term meaning insatiable greed and the desire to hoard wealth. Ponticus’s list was modified by later Christian scholars and in 590, Pope Gregory I further classified them as the seven deadly sins. These sins—pride, envy, anger, sadness, greed, gluttony, and lust—were considered the most serious threats to spiritual salvation. Medieval theologians believed those guilty of living a life of greed would be punished in hell by being boiled in oil for eternity. In the early fourteenth century, Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote an allegorical tale of a journey through hell as part of his Divine Comedy. He portrayed those guilty of greed as being forced to push heavy weights against each other with their chests. The punishment was symbolic of the obsessive desire for wealth they exhibited during their lifetimes.

Negative attitudes toward the desire to accumulate excessive wealth continued throughout the medieval period. Royalty, nobles, lords, and merchants were not necessarily seen as evil as long as they remained generous and did not violate the expectations of society. Those who flaunted their wealth or displayed excessive greed were often reviled and, in some cases, the victims of repercussions from the community. This way of thinking began to change in some regards by the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The pursuit of wealth and material gain began to be celebrated, especially in capitalistic societies, where it was viewed as a symbol of success. This view was not universally shared, however. Others questioned a society that embraces millionaires and billionaires while many people live in poverty. They also pointed out how greed in the business world, primarily in the financial markets, could negatively impact the economy and hurt the average consumer.

On a psychological level, researchers claim that modern attitudes toward greed come from the human need of self-preservation and the instinct to ensure individual survival. Accumulating wealth is one way of assuring that one will have the means to survive. Because humans are also the only species that knows that death is one day inevitable, people sometimes compensate by trying to live life to the fullest. For many, this includes amassing material possessions. At the same time, greed as a desire for success can also damage the built-in sense of community in human societies. It can lead to disagreements, anger, and an increase in social conflict. Unbridled greed can also result in criminal acts such as financial improprieties, theft, and deception. In a larger context, the desire for wealth can push businesses to damage the environment or disregard the needs of their employees or the public.

Bibliography

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Burton, Neel. “Is Greed Good?” Psychology Today, 23 June 2024, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201410/is-greed-good. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Cline, Austin. “A Critical Look at the 7 Deadly Sins.” Learn Religions, 25 June 2019, www.learnreligions.com/punishing-the-seven-deadly-sins-4123091. Accessed 9 Sept. 2019.

Newhauser, Richard. The Early History of Greed. Cambridge UP, 2000.

Poley, Jared. The Devil’s Riches: A Modern History of Greed. Berghahn Books, 2016.

Sulkowicz, Kerry J. “Greed in the Business World.” Boswell Group, Fall 2014, boswellgroup.com/thought‗leadership/greed-in-the-business-world/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2019.

Taflinger, Richard F. “The Sociological Basis of Greed.” Washington State University, 1996, public.wsu.edu/~taflinge/socgreed.html. Accessed 9 Sept. 2019.