Wealth Creation

To create wealth is to cause an increase in assets that are valuable for the satisfaction of human needs and wants. Wealth creation, a fundamental activity for the progress of society’s welfare, is usually measured in terms of money and units of currency to facilitate communication and decision making about the many forms of valuable assets. However, monetizing the information context of wealth creation has been criticized for overemphasizing profit and underemphasizing social progress. This entry addresses wealth creation from the perspectives of economic rationality, the role of government, and philosophical principles of equilibrium, justice, and religious injunction.