Introduction

Enlightenment authors discovered that there are two basic ways of increasing social wealth. One is by keeping the production costs low through a low level of producers’ consumption. The other is based on the opposite approach: improving the quality of the production process thanks to increasing consumption by the producers. The first way produces high profits but keeps society poor and social relationships harsh and backward. The second way increases consumption, thus skill and education, then the productivity of all society. This is why Enlightenment authors established a positive connection between economic development, general welfare and civilization.