Commercialism
Commercialism refers to anything done in an attitude that emphasizes the tangible profit or success, specifically the methods and aims.
Or in other words "The spirit of commerce and business."
History of Commercialism
Commercialism has its origins from the very start of communication in prehistoric times. Trading was the main facility of prehistoric people, who bartered what they had for goods and services from each other. Later currency was invented to represent these goods and services. The basic need for currency is obvious. For example, if a man who makes pots for a living needs a new house, he must hire someone to build it for him. But he cannot make an equivalent number of pots to equal this service done to him, and even if he could the house builder might not want the pots. Currency solved this problem by assigning an arbitrary value to something so goods and services can in a way be effectively collected and stored for later use, or split among several service/goods providers.
Today commercialism is a complex system of companies that try to sell a product to consumers. The idea is that the given companies will do anything to please the consumer in order to intice them to buy the product that the company is selling. It is, in essence, a term to describe the "soul" of capitalism. Please refer to capitalism for more information.
Communism & Socialism
Communism, an embodiment of Socialism, is one example of a type of society that is in contrast to capitalism, and thus commercialism. This contrast came to a recent, and almost confrontational, peak during the Cold War.
See also
