The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits (eBook)

Bernard Mandeville, a philosopher, political economist, and satirist, was born in 1670 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He relocated to England, where he practiced as a physician and gained notoriety with his publication 'The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits' in 1714. Mandeville's magnum opus featured the poem 'The Grumbling Hive,' which he had published earlier in 1705, serving as an allegory that controversially argued for the paradox that a society's economic prosperity was fueled by individual self-interest and vices. His work gave impetus to discussions on morality, economic theory, and the interplay between individual actions and collective welfare. Mandeville's ideas ran counter to the prevailing moral philosophies of his day, indirectly challenging thinkers like Locke and Rousseau by suggesting that actions deemed as vice, such as greed and vanity, could lead to beneficial outcomes for society, thus laying the groundwork for what would become the field of classical economics. His writings sparked fervent debates about the role of morality in economics and greatly influenced later economists, including Adam Smith. Mandeville's provocative thesis that private vices yield public benefits made him one of the most discussed authors of his time. Though his ideas were initially received with repugnance due to their cynicism towards human virtues, they have since received scholarly attention for their early exploration of the unintended consequences of self-interested behavior. Mandeville passed away in 1733, leaving behind a legacy that continues to provoke thought concerning the complexities of vice and virtue in the fabric of society.