The Case of Business Civilizations.

The article defends business culture in the United States, in light of the James Truslow Adams remark that business could stifle creative activity in American civilization. Criticism of big business focuses on its influence on individual character and consumer behavior via advertising in mass media and its disregard for the cultural consequences of business decisions. Topics include the views of Max Lerner, Thomas Griffith, and T. V. Smith concerning business, creative function of capitalism in wealth accumulation, and the profit motive.