Is Money the Root of All Evil? (Essay Sample)

Is Money the Root of All Evil?
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Is money the root of all evil?
It is a well-known maxim that money is the basis of every evil. According to Collins (2010, p.86) the expression appeared in English circa 1100 A.D; it is clearly one of those permanent maxims, having been around for more than 2000 years and still going strong. Nonetheless, is this statement accurate? Is money really the root of all evil? It sounds farfetched that a medium of exchange can be blamed for all the evil around us.
Gambles (2000, p.35) posits that it would be more precise to say that the basis of evil is man’s yearning for status and prominence, either a voracity to increase one’s standing in the community, or the jealousy to maintain it. Since money is the most observable measure of a person’s status in the society, it becomes easy to confuse the two. The impression that without money evil would cease to exist is obnoxious since money is only a representation of real wealth.
One can mention many evil deeds which have been perpetrated by people who only wanted to attain a certain status and which money was never a motive at all. For instance, figure skater Tracy Harding machinated to have Mercy Davis, a competitor, attacked so she wouldn’t compete in the 2008 Olympics (Collins, 2008, p.87). Although it’s factual that there is some monetary benefits involved when one wins an Olympic medal, but most Olympic athletes are motivated purely by the desire of being the champion, and the status that comes along with it. Then there is September 11th terrorist attack on Americans which left many people dead and a lot of property destroyed. This diabolical act was motivated by hate and radical and misguided religious beliefs which promised the terrorists prominence in heaven (Collins, 2008, p.88). It had nothing to do with money.
Idealists can only speculate as to why human beings cannot live in a world where everybody is equal, and consequently where there is no jealousy or greed caused by status differences. For instance, the objective of communism is to have an economic system whereby no one would be richer or poorer than the other, where everybody would have equal wealth. The predicament is that such a system is impossible; man’s yearning to rise ahead of other men is inherent and too strong for him to resist. Also, people do not compete over money alone, and since everyone is not equal in regard to ability, intelligence and other characteristics. Consequently, some people will always outshine others. Those who fall behind are bound to get jealous, and that’s when evil starts simmering in them.
In conclusion, desire for a lot of money and the status that comes with ...