The Worldly Revolution
The "Economic Revolution" mentioned by Robert Heilbronner in his book, The Worldly Philosophers, describes the transitional stages of the European economic system, from uniformed feudalism to diversified capitalism. In addition, with the vital birth of capitalism, revolutionary ideas and concepts were being introduced to further explain its intrinsic properties. These eventually paved the way for further clarification and understanding of modern economic studies and practices. Professor Heilbronner places extensive emphasis on the discussions of physical resources and the factors of production, such as land, labor, and capital to highlight the transitional stages from feudalism to capitalism. Nevertheless, in modern economics, the shift in focus rests upon the idea of maximizing profits/revenues by knowing how to properly allocate resources among research & development, care and satisfy employees, and balance the financial "cook book".
In Zodiak: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy, the primary objective is to generate a great deal of profits while minimizing effective costs for the shareholders. However, this idea would have been considered blasphemous prior to the "Economic Revolution", Heilbronner writes, "The idea of ?making a living' had not yet come into being. Economic life and social life were one and the same thing. Work was not yet a means to an end ? the end being money and the things it buys. Work was end in itself, encompassing, of course, money and commodities, but engaged in as a part of a tradition, as a natural way of life" (Heilbroner, 1999, p. 26). Therefore, it is apparent that the concept of an economic gain ? profit as viewed in light of the time ? is regarded as a "heinous crime: ...