Not just Receiving but Resourcing

In the beginning humankind survived by being both producer and consumer. Be it slaying animals for their meat and skins, felling trees for shelter, spinning wool for clothes, those who made, used. But over the centuries there evolved a separation of roles: a few, powerful and rich consumed, many produced. By the mid-eighteenth century political, social and technological advances had brought about in Britain the first customer revolution. The Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith, chronicled the three prongs of this revolution in his book The Wealth of Nations. First, he defined ‘wealth’ as comprising the goods which everyone consumes, and not simply as gold and other treasures. Second, he identified market forces which balance supply and demand not only in economic terms but with reference to psychological and moral influences. Finally, he described the advantages of the division of labour; more and higher quality goods would be available for consumption if each person, individually and collectively, concentrated their energy on producing what they do best.