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THE SOCIAL SURPLUS
If a person, family or group of people produce more than they
consume and can do so without damaging the environment, they
are producing a social surplus. When I was a child, people
spoke a lot about this. They used the word "sacrifice."
They would say that a good Christian should be willing to
sacrifice some present gain for future benefit. This could
benefit everybody. At one time this must have been common
practice among many religions and cultures.
Before modern machinery, creating a social surplus was a slow
business. Today, with modern knowledge and machinery, it is
possible to create a tremendous social surplus, at least for
the time being. Modern knowledge has relieved a lot of
drudgery and misery. It has brought joys and comforts.
However, something has gone wrong. The environment has been
damaged. The great power that people have over nature has
not been wisely exercised.
