---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Capitalism saved the world, and there is…"
description: "\"Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical theory now, moving up from the level of individuals to countries: countries that trade more a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg"
---

#  Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical…

![“Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical theory now, moving up from the level of individuals to countries: countries that trade more and have more open economies are less likely to fight wars and less likely to have genocides.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg)

> “Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical theory now, moving up from the level of individuals to countries: countries that trade more and have more open economies are less likely to fight wars and less likely to have genocides.”

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Open, and economies reduce conflict and genocide risk among nations.

**In simple terms:** Trade and openness lower war and genocide chances.

Key Takeaway

Promote open trade and cooperation.

Themes

peace economics globalization conflict human rights

Mood

optimistic analytical

Type

policy academic

When to use this quote

- international policy
- development aid
- education
- media narratives

Key Concepts

liberalism trade theory peace studies

Questions to Reflect On

- What policies best translate openness into peace?
- Are there exceptions to this trend?

A Different Perspective

Correlation does not prove causation; other factors matter.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalism Saved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-saved-1699667/) [Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries/) [Countries Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-trade-1632356/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economies/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuals/) [Less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less/) [Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/level/) [Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open/) [Open Economies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-economies-981144/) [Saved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saved/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Heretical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-heretical-2891120/)

## Related quotes

> [Mexico is the only country in the world that has a trade agreement with United States and Canada, and at the same time has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/mexico-is-the-only-country-in-the-world-that-has-a-trade-agreement/)

[Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/)

> [Britain is one of the world's most open economies. More dependent on trade than any other major country. Our success depends on our competitiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/britain-is-one-of-the-world-s-most-open-economies-more-dependent-on/)

[Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/)

> [The New Deal saved capitalism - saved it from the big-time capitalists - though many of the big-timers didn't see it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/the-new-deal-saved-capitalism-saved-it-from-the-big-time-capitalists/)

[Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/)

> ['Capitalism' is a dirty word for many intellectuals, but there are a number of studies showing that open economies and free trade are negatively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/capitalism-is-a-dirty-word-for-many-intellectuals-but-there-are-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Yes to trade, but trade that ensures that these other countries that trade with us aren't engaging in child labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/yes-to-trade-but-trade-that-ensures-that-these-other-countries-that/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Countries trade with each other - or to be more precise people buy and sell from each other across frontiers - because that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/countries-trade-with-each-other-or-to-be-more-precise-people-buy-and/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [Look at a map of the world: the countries which do not trade much, or which trade only in oil and gas, tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/look-at-a-map-of-the-world-the-countries-which-do-not-trade-much-or/)

[Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/)

> [That means we get other countries to play by our rules. You add up all the countries that we have trade agreements with, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/that-means-we-get-other-countries-to-play-by-our-rules-you-add-up-all/)

[Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/)

> [There is one rule for the G-7 (richest countries) and another for the South. The G-7 now preaches open economies and liberalization, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-seabrook/there-is-one-rule-for-the-g-7-richest-countries-and-another-for-the/)

[Jeremy Seabrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-seabrook/)

> [Trade and investment are good for innovation - open economies allow new ideas and technologies to diffuse more quickly from wherever they are created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/trade-and-investment-are-good-for-innovation-open-economies-allow-new/)

[Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/)

> [While never the darling of pure free traders, measures to combat dumping, subsidies, and injurious import surges have always been deemed essential by open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lighthizer/while-never-the-darling-of-pure-free-traders-measures-to-combat/)

[Robert Lighthizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lighthizer/)

> [Participatory democracies. Open economies. Web-based communication. All American innovations to the great conundrums of the globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murphy/participatory-democracies-open-economies-web-based-communication-all/)

[Chris Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murphy/)

> [Latin America's economies are organized in a way that concentrates wealth in a few hands but then leaves it untaxed, depriving governments of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-dresser/latin-america-s-economies-are-organized-in-a-way-that-concentrates/)

[Denise Dresser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-dresser/)

> [It used to be that companies with industrial economies of scale created business success. Now, success will come from the information economies of scale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/it-used-to-be-that-companies-with-industrial-economies-of-scale/)

[Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/)

> [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

## More by Steven Pinker

> [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-many-political-writers-have-pointed-out-commitment-to-political/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Since violence is largely a male pastime, cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/since-violence-is-largely-a-male-pastime-cultures-that-empower-women/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

[Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

## More Capitalism quotes

> [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/)

[Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/)

> [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/)

[F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/)

> [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/capitalism-communism-it-s-all-garbage/)

[Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/)

> [There are no two countries with the same style of economic mechanism, with the same capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/there-are-no-two-countries-with-the-same-style-of-economic-mechanism/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/)

[Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/)

> [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/)

[Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/)

> [“Scholars have long debated whether capital markets lead to appropriate levels of saving and investment for future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-weimer/scholars-have-long-debated-whether-capital-markets-lead-to/)

[David L. Weimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-weimer/)

> [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 3,832 Capitalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical theory now, moving up from the level of individuals to countries: countries that trade more and have more open economies are less likely to fight wars and less likely to have genocides.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steven Pinker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is-even-a-heretical-theory-now/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Capitalism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is-even-a-heretical-theory-now/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/steven-pinker-526_capitalism_capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is_2722267.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Capitalism saved the world, and there is even a heretical theory now, moving up from the level of…” — Steven Pinker",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steven Pinker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Capitalism saved the world, and there...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is-even-a-heretical-theory-now/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/capitalism-saved-the-world-and-there-is-even-a-heretical-theory-now/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
