The history and context of journalism lecture and seminar 10- Jonathan Swift and Adam Smith

In 1729 Jonathan Swift wrote ‘A modest proposal’ and in 1776 Adam Smith wrote ‘The wealth of nations’ both were educated philosophers and write about the economy and the ways in which control of it by the government was not a good and instead free trade would be more beneficial.

A modest proposal is written with a serious tone and uses facts and figures to support the proposed idea which Swift puts across. The proposal itself mocks and criticises British rule and the attitude of the government who took the view that beggars are poor and it is their fault. Swift writes in a satirical style; meaning that he takes the complete opposite view to that of what he actually believes to mock opposition ideas. A modest proposal may not have been understood by people who had to previously read Swift’s work who would have believed that he was being serious, and that this proposal would actually world. He states that his biggest critics say that his proposal is ‘a little bordering on cruelty’. This is a typical view, in Swift’s opinion, of a wealthier person who has no care for the poor person but to be served by them.

Swift uses examples by his ‘American friend’ to say how to proposal may work. This is to highlight how the proposal is actually not to be believed, as American people at the time were not to be believed as a result of the unbelievable tales and stories which were making their way out of America.

Swift’s argument is that his proposal which would be seen as insane is no closer to curing the problem of starvation amongst the poor than any other solution that the government or anyone else has come up with. It also shows how poor people serve the rich and yet nothing is done about their starvation.

The proposal involves the rich eating the poor peoples’ babies which they cannot provide for is similar to that of the production of crops or animals to feed to richer people who can afford to buy food, rather than letting the children go to waste.

This proposal of cannibalism would have been firmly rejected by empiricists who believe in the right to life, founded by John Locke, and therefore whether the children are starving or not this would be seen as going against the right of the child and therefore not accepted.

Adam Smith in the Wealth of nations proposes the way to make a nation wealthy, allowing a free market rather than an economy ruled by the government. Smith, seen as the grandfather of economics, shows his proposal to create this free market, with the interconnecting of tows and the country through cooperation and making uncultivated land cultivated.

Smiths’ view of morality is similar to that of Swift as he cares about slaves and slave labour, however his biggest concern is that it is not economically effective and therefore cares about them in this sense.  He is also more concerned with self interest and that the main objectives in life are to maximise pleasure and to minimise pain, he does not agree with the Christian morality view at the time, of giving to others and minimising the pleasure of the individual.