"Nature ... has not only forced man into society by a diversity of wants that the reciprocal aid of each other can supply, but she has implanted in him a system of social affections, which, though not necessary to his existence, are essential to his happiness. There is no period in life when this love for society ceases to act. It begins and ends with our being." (Quoting Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man in A Paradise Built In Hell, Rebecca Solnit, 2009; page 64.)
Here is a simple statement of the distinction between the realm of scarcity, that which is necessary for existence, and the realm of abundance, that which is necessary for happiness.
"Capitalism's fundamental premise is scarcity, while a lot of tribal and gift economies operate on a basis of abundance. Their generosity is both an economic and an ethical premise." (A Paradise Built In Hell, Rebecca Solnit, 2009; page 89).
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