The Relationship between Society and Money

The Merchant of Venice stands as a testament against the historical inequities present in the seemingly natural existence of currency. Money necessitates lack, for money functions foremost as a means of resource distribution (including the human resource of labor). Human beings in the pursuit of overcoming the suffering produced by scarcity argue over money rather than over the direct causes of their suffering, assuming all problem arises from a lack thereof. The train of thought leads me to wonder whether money has in fact yielded more problems than it has managed to solve, if, in fact, it has as a sole product of it's existence managed to solve any. For many of the contributions which we attribute to the profit motive could arguably have arose through the sheer inherent curiosity present in fabric of every human being. I wouldn't be able to identify a single inventor driven by the pursuit of money without first labeling him a businessman.

Then, having fully embraced money as the corner stone of civilization we ridicule and ostracize those who have mastered the art of gathering it most effectively. If in any context so many rules and regulations must be created as to bandage a wounded creature, to control and restrict those who understand the system the best from inflicting harm upon others, then perhaps the time has come to reassess the legitimacy of that creation.

It is in this capacity that we see Shylock treated in the Merchant of Venice, as a master of a trade demeaned for his expertise. Expertise if we recognize that Shylock did only that which comes natural given the greater cultural context. It is a natural human drive to excel at the things we do, and to not suffer. Given no threat to the contrary, a banker would have no reason not to impose ludicrous rates for they are both products of the aforementioned. And any opposition displayed to the contrary would arise due purely as a result of the disadvantage that it causes the individual being lent the money and not as a result of any wrong doing on the part of the banker in question.