ABSTRACT
Wealth without work and the entitlement it brings are largely responsible for what has been called the disposable society or the throwaway society. Many huge fortunes have been acquired without working for them, via inheritances, investments, outright crime, corruption, or plain good luck. When Gandhi warns against pleasure without conscience, he is advising us to appreciate the evils that may have gone into the production of our enjoyment. It is a useful habit that few Americans seem to have ever developed. Gandhi reminds us that all knowledge can be a dangerous thing if not deployed with principle, morality, and character. This is an admonition to use knowledge for good, not for harm or manipulation. Commerce without morality means conducting business without regard to what is right and wrong, making profits by any means possible regardless of who gets hurt in the process.
