Pelican Books AC16 - Bernard Mandeville - The Fable of the Bees
Bernard Mandeville - The Fable of the Bees
Pelican Classics AC16, 1970
Cover: A detail from 'An Election - IV: Chairing the Member' by William Hogarth
Bernard Mandeville's political satire, The Fable of the Bees, uses the allegory of a prosperous but corrupt beehive to argue that private vices (like greed, luxury, and self-interest) are essential for public benefits (commerce, industry, and a thriving society).
A shocking idea in his time that challenged the belief that virtue alone built nations and influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith. He satirized hypocrisy by showing that a virtuous, honest society collapses, while the "vicious" one flourishes, revealing the complex interplay between individual desires and social prosperity.
Pelican Books AC16 - Bernard Mandeville - The Fable of the Bees
Bernard Mandeville - The Fable of the Bees
Pelican Classics AC16, 1970
Cover: A detail from 'An Election - IV: Chairing the Member' by William Hogarth
Bernard Mandeville's political satire, The Fable of the Bees, uses the allegory of a prosperous but corrupt beehive to argue that private vices (like greed, luxury, and self-interest) are essential for public benefits (commerce, industry, and a thriving society).
A shocking idea in his time that challenged the belief that virtue alone built nations and influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith. He satirized hypocrisy by showing that a virtuous, honest society collapses, while the "vicious" one flourishes, revealing the complex interplay between individual desires and social prosperity.