John Ruskin
Unto This Last (1860) is John Ruskin’s critique of classical economics and industrial capitalism. He argues that true wealth is not the accumulation of money but the well-being, moral health, and dignity of people. Ruskin rejects the idea that self-interest alone leads to social good, insisting instead that economic life must be guided by justice, cooperation, and compassion. The book calls for fair wages, meaningful labor, and social responsibility, emphasizing that a society’s prosperity should be measured by how it treats its weakest members.
