| There is sense in which the core essence of capitalism is derivable from the entropic laws of nature. Consider an active entity with a finite lifetime (e.g. child, factory). A production function can be defined as the net balance of flows in/out of the entity. This could be resources, energy, money. As time progresses after t=0 (pregnancy, project plan), the production curve starts off negative (even a self-employed craftsman has to buy tools), perhaps it dips more negative (debt, nurture/education). Eventually the curve slopes upward and crosses the breakeven point. Growth slows, the curve reaches a maximum positive value, then falls asymptotically toward zero, maybe going a little negative, before being truncated (death, scrap - even funerals and demolition cost money). The net contribution is the area under the curve. Resources have to be invested before there can be any benefit. The fact of any final net positive contribution is uncertain at the outset. |