Gettin' Through Hard Times Together

This book explains how to achieve true prosperity through people working together to change the moral economy of their society. True prosperity is achieved when the spiritual and material aspects of human life are operating coherently and in balance. The moral economy is those exchanges of spirit that occur when individuals meet each other on the street or at work, or get together in their homes, parks, malls, and neighborhoods. It is the exchange, not just of money or goods, but of values, such as justice, love and trust, or conversely, greed and personal advantage. All economies have a moral dimension to them. Author, William Barnes, argues that the moral economy of a materialist society, especially its modern consumerist form, is composed of values and principles that promote actions and attitudes that are selfish, self-serving and self-centered. It is a me-first economy of values. This is supposed to generate wealth, security and well-being, and for a time it does, but over time it does just the opposite, except for a fortunate few. The moral economy he envisions works through three core principles: sharing, service, and self-sacrifice. It is an economy of you-before-me. Individuals sharing their material wealth, serving others, and sacrificing personal interests for a common or collective good are a powerful catalyst to establish true prosperity.