Bernard Mandeville

Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733) was a Dutch-born English philosopher and satirist. His poem and essays argued that private vices can generate public benefits through social and economic interaction.

The Fable of the Bees: A poem and prose essays by Mandeville arguing that private vices can sustain public prosperity. This is the work in which Mandeville develops his best-known paradox.
Dutch Republic: A federal republic in the Low Countries that existed from 1588 to 1795. Mandeville was born in the Dutch Republic before settling in England.
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury: An English philosopher who argued that humans possess natural moral sentiments and social affections. Mandeville’s account of self-interest directly contested Shaftesbury’s optimistic moral psychology.
Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy: Adam Smith’s account of moral judgment, sympathy, and conduct in social life. Smith’s moral theory offers a prominent response to Mandeville’s claims about virtue and self-interest.
Private Vices, Public Benefits: The claim that self-interested or morally disapproved conduct can produce socially beneficial outcomes. The phrase condenses the argument that made Mandeville notorious.
Glorious Revolution: The 1688–1689 replacement of James II by William III and Mary II in England. Its political and commercial aftermath shaped the English society Mandeville observed.
Francis Hutcheson: An Irish philosopher who developed a moral theory centered on benevolence and a moral sense. Hutcheson criticized Mandeville’s denial that private virtue naturally supports public good.
Invisible Hand: A metaphor for unintended social coordination arising from individual actions within an economic system. The metaphor is often compared with Mandeville’s account of unintended public benefits.
Luxury: The consumption of goods and services beyond basic needs, often associated with comfort, display, or refinement. Mandeville treated luxury spending as a source of employment and economic activity.
Augustan Literature: English writing from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, marked by satire and classical imitation. Mandeville’s verse and social satire belong to this literary milieu.

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EgoismRelated: His paradox links self-interested motives with socially useful outcomes.