It is the measure that Jeremy Bentham offered,
“The Greatest Good For The Greatest Number”,
Has been pilloried by countless churches And politicians
For the last 180 years.
Its detractors propose it is communist doctrine,
And will inevitably lead to the fall of man.
It may work well in heaven
But among frail mortals it must fail.
Perhaps they are right.
Asking a superior person to share
The bounty of his achievement
With those of greater needs is not fair.
Irrespective of the initial distribution
Surely the more clever thinker,
Will endow the larger number with his efforts
Thereby lifting all.
It is possible to imagine
The loss of progress engendered
When the gifted creator abandons
His trial for want of appreciation (or compensation).
What great loss is inherent or inevitable
When the man singularly profits
From his good fortune or cleverness?
Does not society gain from the next great machine?
I find the answer to be a resounding “maybe”.
If your effort is primarily founded on material profit
Then it is merely the luck of the draw
That decides whether the result is greater freedom or enslavement.
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