Capitalism Quote by Albert Einstein
““Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: On the Concentration of Capital, 1945
Economic power concentrates among few, creating an oligarchy that undermines democratic control and citizen autonomy.
In simple terms: Wealth concentrates, limiting democracy.
Seek reforms to balance economic influence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy making
- voting
- media consumption
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms can ensure fair political influence?
- How can citizens access unbiased information?
The argument assumes all capitalists act uniformly.