The industrial revolution was not just a transformation in the economy, but a social shift in values.

The
philosophy of the revolution puts economic activities above social ones. This wasn’t happening because
of man inherent trait of acquiring materialistic gains but this was possible because of changing values
among the general population whose customary way of life was drastically changed due to the industrial
revolution. Economists justified these changes with promises of a golden future. I believe that this
justification is an extension of man’s obsession with future. This love for the future led onto justify the
dehumanized way in which the industrial revolution was carried out. Hence, further highlighting, the
theme of “end justifying the means”. However, I argue that the end, that is a better way of life or a so-
called higher standard of living was just a fantasy and these changes were imposed upon the general
population.

What the people desired was a continuation in the way the led their lives, and improvement by
assigning independence to small farmers and craftsmen. Instead, the revolution wiped out the existence
of these desires and instead threw them into the current capitalistic society. It transforms the value of
production for use to production for the sake of economic activity/gain. The capitalistic mode of
production has been carried out for decades now and the industrialists are trapped in the feedback loop
whereas the people are trapped in their fantasies. Because of the wiping out of these desires, there is a
broken link in the knowledge of the current masses who can no longer differentiate their own personal
desires and between the desires of the market.