Economic Reductionism

For all the controversy over the differences between basic capitalism and communism, the adherents of each economic system can openly display the same reductionistic tendencies.  This does not reflect on the philosophical legitimacy or illegitimacy of either ideology, as motivations, words, and behaviors have no connection to the truth of a concept.  Nevertheless, since some of the same dangers can tempt certain followers of both systems, it is worth addressing the errors of reductionism in the economic realm, for a damaging idea is far more harmful when more people embrace it.

One can find various examples of reductionism that have gained acceptance by certain communities in Western culture--some fallaciously attempt to describe human behavior or nature as if it always reduces down to one particular thing, such as sexuality, the nervous system, or social conditioning.  Since the economic aspects of life are of immediate concern to many people, it is not abnormal when humans are sometimes mistakenly treated only as a means of economic output or as recipients of material gain.

Capitalists and communists alike can exaggerate the importance of money, albeit in somewhat differing ways.  The former might view money as the ultimate symbol of human achievement and importance, while the latter might view money as the solution to every injustice and human problem (money can do nothing to solve epistemological or spiritual problems, for instance).  Ironically, neither of the two economic frameworks inherently have these tenets.  There is no part of mere capitalism or communism that ignores other dimensions of human existence.

It is ultimately possible for subscribers to practically any economic idea to treat economic potential as the defining feature of humankind, and, although this is an erroneous stance, it does not confirm or refute the veracity of any of the systems in question.  Professing allegiance to either a free market or the communal sharing of property will not stop irrational people from falling into economic reductionism, but it would also be irrational for an observer to react by straw manning the ideas hijacked by the reductionists.  Capitalism and communism are often simply accepted or dismissed based upon the actions of those who identify with them, after all--a sign of intellectual deficiency that needs to be confronted.