--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The moral spectacle of capitalism still…" description: "\"The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that the market determine value even in the politi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg" --- # The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does… ![“The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that the market determine value even in the political, intellectual, and artistic spheres.” quote by William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg) > “The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that the market determine value even in the political, intellectual, and artistic spheres.” [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Capitalism’s claim to determine value in all realms is morally troubling and often ignores non‑market values. **In simple terms:** Market‑driven value judgments can be ethically problematic. Key Takeaway Critically assess market influence on culture and politics. Themes ethics capitalism culture Mood critical reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy debates - cultural criticism - academic curricula Key Concepts value theory political economy artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - When does market valuation enhance societal welfare? - Can market logic coexist with artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Market mechanisms can efficiently allocate resources despite ethical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-capitalism/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Insistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insistence/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country presents a sublime moral spectacle to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-polk/peace-plenty-and-contentment-reign-throughout-our-borders-and-our/) [James K. Polk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-polk/) > [“American capitalism replaced some of the old colonial capitalisms in the countries that began their independent life. But it knows that this is transitory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/american-capitalism-replaced-some-of-the-old-colonial-capitalisms-in/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [The advantage of the free market system is that people invest their capital, they create jobs by investing their capital, and hopefully they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stivers/the-advantage-of-the-free-market-system-is-that-people-invest-their/) [Steve Stivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stivers/) > [It's a sad day for American Capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over central park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-moran/it-s-a-sad-day-for-american-capitalism-when-a-man-can-t-fly-a-midget/) [Jim Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-moran/) > [We work harder and we earn less. Income inequality is at the highest point in over a century. While American capitalism never guaranteed success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/we-work-harder-and-we-earn-less-income-inequality-is-at-the-highest/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [Sharia has become an increasingly significant force in American capitalism, thanks to the embrace by Wall Street and the U.S. government of so-called Sharia-Compliant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gaffney/sharia-has-become-an-increasingly-significant-force-in-american/) [Frank Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gaffney/) > [The lifeblood of the economy is that the banking community is a circulatory system for American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/the-lifeblood-of-the-economy-is-that-the-banking-community-is-a/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [I think the most important factor in getting out of the recession actually is just the regenerative capacity of - of American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-think-the-most-important-factor-in-getting-out-of-the-recession/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [American capitalism has been both overpraised and overindicted. It is neither the Plumed Knight nor the monstrous Robber Baron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/american-capitalism-has-been-both-overpraised-and-overindicted-it-is/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [Buffett's uncommon urge to chronicle made him a unique character in American life, not only a great capitalist but the Great Explainer of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-lowenstein/buffett-s-uncommon-urge-to-chronicle-made-him-a-unique-character-in/) [Roger Lowenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-lowenstein/) > [ Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it a shocking and terrifying event \[9/11\], particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-a-shocking-and-terrifying-event-9/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [“The overall U.S. homeownership rate increased from 64 percent in 1994 to a peak in 2004 with an all-time high of 69.2 percent. Real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilad-atzmon/the-overall-u-s-homeownership-rate-increased-from-64-percent-in-1994/) [Gilad Atzmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilad-atzmon/) > [If you're going to dedicate your career to ranting about the excesses of American capitalism, you probably shouldn't weigh 450 pounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/if-you-re-going-to-dedicate-your-career-to-ranting-about-the-excesses/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [The West, in the form of American capitalism, is seen as having won, but people are beginning to offer alternatives again, sometimes in retrograde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/the-west-in-the-form-of-american-capitalism-is-seen-as-having-won-but/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) ## More by William Pfaff > [The accounts that history presents have to be paid. Past has to be reconciled with present in the life of a nation. History is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-accounts-that-history-presents-have-to-be-paid-past-has-to-be/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [But Americans are different from everyone else in the world - except the Canadians, and Americans are more different from the Canadians than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/but-americans-are-different-from-everyone-else-in-the-world-except/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [The achievement of nationhood is a product not only of time and circumstance but usually of war and suffering as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-achievement-of-nationhood-is-a-product-not-only-of-time-and/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [For four hundred years European civilization has dominated the world - for better or for worse. It is convenient, and flattering, for Americans to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/for-four-hundred-years-european-civilization-has-dominated-the-world/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [We Americans really seem to be the only truly non-socialist economy on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/we-americans-really-seem-to-be-the-only-truly-non-socialist-economy/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [America's problem is how to free itself from the grip of it's exhausted ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/america-s-problem-is-how-to-free-itself-from-the-grip-of-it-s/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [Our culture is teleological-it presumes purposive development and a conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/our-culture-is-teleological-it-presumes-purposive-development-and-a/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [“The accounts that history presents have to be paid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-accounts-that-history-presents-have-to-be-paid/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [It is one of the perceptual defects of Western government and press to assign Western-style motives to what people do in non-Western societies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/it-is-one-of-the-perceptual-defects-of-western-government-and-press/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [Europeans believe in democracy - or, at least, in republican government - but they have considered the alternatives, and continue to do so, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/europeans-believe-in-democracy-or-at-least-in-republican-government/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [The problems of elites is an old one for which Americans have found no solid answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-problems-of-elites-is-an-old-one-for-which-americans-have-found/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [Foreign policy deals across time as well as space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/foreign-policy-deals-across-time-as-well-as-space/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [The truth is that history constantly presents new problems in the guise of old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-truth-is-that-history-constantly-presents-new-problems-in-the/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [The center holds; passion falls away. That is what happened ideologically in Western Europe over recent years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-center-holds-passion-falls-away-that-is-what-happened/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) [Explore all 15 William Pfaff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) ## More American capitalism quotes > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) > [The West, in the form of American capitalism, is seen as having won, but people are beginning to offer alternatives again, sometimes in retrograde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/the-west-in-the-form-of-american-capitalism-is-seen-as-having-won-but/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [If you're going to dedicate your career to ranting about the excesses of American capitalism, you probably shouldn't weigh 450 pounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/if-you-re-going-to-dedicate-your-career-to-ranting-about-the-excesses/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [“The overall U.S. homeownership rate increased from 64 percent in 1994 to a peak in 2004 with an all-time high of 69.2 percent. Real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilad-atzmon/the-overall-u-s-homeownership-rate-increased-from-64-percent-in-1994/) [Gilad Atzmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilad-atzmon/) > [ Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it a shocking and terrifying event \[9/11\], particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-a-shocking-and-terrifying-event-9/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Buffett's uncommon urge to chronicle made him a unique character in American life, not only a great capitalist but the Great Explainer of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-lowenstein/buffett-s-uncommon-urge-to-chronicle-made-him-a-unique-character-in/) [Roger Lowenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-lowenstein/) > [American capitalism has been both overpraised and overindicted. It is neither the Plumed Knight nor the monstrous Robber Baron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/american-capitalism-has-been-both-overpraised-and-overindicted-it-is/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [I think the most important factor in getting out of the recession actually is just the regenerative capacity of - of American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-think-the-most-important-factor-in-getting-out-of-the-recession/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The lifeblood of the economy is that the banking community is a circulatory system for American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/the-lifeblood-of-the-economy-is-that-the-banking-community-is-a/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [Sharia has become an increasingly significant force in American capitalism, thanks to the embrace by Wall Street and the U.S. government of so-called Sharia-Compliant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gaffney/sharia-has-become-an-increasingly-significant-force-in-american/) [Frank Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gaffney/) > [We work harder and we earn less. Income inequality is at the highest point in over a century. While American capitalism never guaranteed success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/we-work-harder-and-we-earn-less-income-inequality-is-at-the-highest/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [It's a sad day for American Capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over central park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-moran/it-s-a-sad-day-for-american-capitalism-when-a-man-can-t-fly-a-midget/) [Jim Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-moran/) > [The advantage of the free market system is that people invest their capital, they create jobs by investing their capital, and hopefully they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stivers/the-advantage-of-the-free-market-system-is-that-people-invest-their/) [Steve Stivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stivers/) > [“American capitalism replaced some of the old colonial capitalisms in the countries that began their independent life. But it knows that this is transitory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/american-capitalism-replaced-some-of-the-old-colonial-capitalisms-in/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [“Most every charge you level at American capitalism applies with equal force to communism, with this nice difference, that the Reds make no pretense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/most-every-charge-you-level-at-american-capitalism-applies-with-equal/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) [Browse all 30 American capitalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-capitalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that the market determine value even in the political, intellectual, and artistic spheres.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Pfaff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still-offends-as-does-american/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American capitalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still-offends-as-does-american/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1be/william-pfaff-33342_american-capitalism_the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still_364493.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that…” — William Pfaff", "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": "William Pfaff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The moral spectacle of capitalism still...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still-offends-as-does-american/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still-offends-as-does-american/#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 } } ] } ```