In chapter 3, “Returns of Giving”, by George F. Glider, the author goes into great detail the importance and impact giving after receiving is. It is not only a sign of respect to give, but it also helps grow your economy and societies as a whole. Glider later goes on the show the value and power money has, due to its value across the world.
Starting off in chapter 3, Glider illustrates capitalism as giving and not receiving. Capitalism is not derived from greed and consuming, but giving, which defines the roles of the capitalist in the most developed and most underdeveloped country. In most societies, it is respectful to give gifts, offering, presents or ritual exchanges. Giving and receiving is a sign of respect. The author goes on to state
“Such gifts ae either exchanged immediately for equivalent gifts, or received by the beneficiaries on the condition that on a subsequent occasion they will return the gesture with other gifts whose value often exceeds the first, but which bring about in their turn a right to receive later new gifts which themselves surpass the magnificent of those previously given” (Glider, 2012, p. 28).
It makes sense, but I never understood why you must give a gift after receiving one, as if the giver did not give on their own terms. However, it is a sign of respect to give once you have received. The author compares two types of societies, those who give once they have received a gift, and those who do not give after receiving. The United States of instance is not a society who gives after receiving which leads to impersonal marketplace, alienation, conflict, and poverty which results in a society full of savages. This is because there is no sign of respect, just greediness. In those societies, it is “required” to give a bigger gift than what you received, the only thing is that they did not have time to anticipate how grand the gift they were receiving was. Meaning, you better work hard to have a high valued gift ready. This process
“illustrates a capitalist tendency to assemble and distribute wealth” (Glider, 2012, p. 30).
This brings up the question, how can societies become rich? The gift giving is one answer. If both societies did not feel like they were getting a good deal, the giving and receiving would not have taken place.
In other words, producers sell their goods to consumers who value the goods more than the producer, or the producer would not have sold the product (Glider, 2012, p.31).
Another example would come from specialization, as where someone who specializes in apple orchards would trade their extra apples for more necessary things to continue to grow apples. In other words, one must have a surplus to give so they can later receive. The whole economic market can be based solely on the process of exchange. The author makes an interesting point in that it is not the first gift or the diversified products, but rather the second grander gift and the surplus of products. This is what makes a market grow and the economy flourish.
“The anthropological evidence suggests that capitalism begins with the gift and continues with competitions of giving” (Glider, 2012, p. 31).
With the competition of giving a higher valued gift, this process creates new wealth, new products, new inventions, new ideas etc. In addition, giving a gift cannot be the same for everyone. Societies must do research on other societies and see their way of living. For example, you would not want to give a colony in the desert crops due to their environment of heat and dryness. The best gift is something the receiver could benefit from. For instance, a society in China would benefit greatly from rice or livestock. Societies will continue to grow if the gift is valued more by the receiver than the giver. This creates a since of caring as they must focus more on others’ needs rather than their own. The author eventually transitions from gifts to money. Gifts can only get you so far, but money cant get you anything from around the world. It was a currency valued by every society around the world. Instead of grander gifts, it was more money and more property.
Gilder, G. F. (2012). Chapter Three: The Returns of Giving. In Wealth and poverty (pp. 27–49). essay, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
