In the 18th century, Bernard Mandeville discovered an inconvenient fact: Human vices drive much of social welfare

Bernard Mandeville's assertion that human vices, such as greed and vanity, contribute significantly to social welfare challenges traditional moral views, as discussed in his work "The Fable of the Bees." The author of the article argues that these vices can stimulate economic activity and social progress, suggesting that immoral behavior may yield positive societal outcomes, a claim attributed to Mandeville's historical perspective.