Vice Makes the World Go Round: Mandeville Smith and the Lie of Virtue (Paperback)

We have been taught to believe that virtue makes the world go round. That honesty altruism and morality are the true foundations of our societies. That progress is born from good intentions and that prosperity is the reward of righteous behavior. But what if this is only a comforting illusion? What if what we condemn is in fact what sustains us? In this thought-provoking essay Richard Bertrand confronts two foundational visions of our economic and social thinking. On one side Bernard Mandeville author of The Fable of the Bees who dared to propose a shocking idea: private vices create public benefits. On the other Adam Smith the father of modern economics who sought to reconcile self-interest with moral order through the famous concept of the invisible hand. Through a sharp accessible and uncompromising analysis this book explores a fundamental tension that has shaped our societies for over three centuries: do we thrive because of virtue... or because of vice? From mass consumption to social media from luxury industries to the pursuit of recognition and through economic crises and environmental contradictions the author reveals that the real engines of our world are often far removed from the values we claim to uphold. This is not just a book of questions. It challenges disturbs and forces us to see differently what we thought we understood. Can a truly virtuous society exist without sacrificing prosperity? Is vice a flaw to eliminate... or a force to understand? Are we ready to face what truly drives our world? Blending clarity with provocation this essay offers a powerful and unsettling perspective on our reality. One thing is certain: after reading it you will never see the world the same way again. Because ultimately the real question may not be what is right... but what actually works.