Selfish commerce makes Christmas possible. (Photo by Peter Hilton, Creative Commons)

Selfish commerce makes Christmas possible. If it were not for greedy industrialists, the products we buy that make our lives easier, faster and more fun would not exist. If it weren’t for marketing, we would be unaware these products existed. Without retailers, shopping for that perfect gift would be much more work. Without cars and planes it would not be as cheap and easy to visit family on Christmas. The traditions of Christmas could not exist without commercialism.

The commercialism that makes the tradition of gifts possible however is not antithetical to the spirit of giving. It actually has its roots in the same moral principle.

On Christmas, we give presents to our friends and loved ones. Friendship, an offering of one’s personality in exchange for another’s can be thought of as a trade of spiritual goods. By spiritual, I mean pertaining to the needs of one’s mind.

Friends make our lives better. Good friends are not charity cases whom we must go out of our way to help. We want to help them, we feel good about seeing them happy because we know that they make us happy in return. We would not call someone a friend if their presence generally made us sad or bored. In this way, love and friendship are selfish enterprises.

Love is a trade of spiritual goods. If Christmas is really about love for our family and friends, it is by definition a holiday of commercialism.

Material and spiritual trade are not in opposition. Whoville still celebrated Christmas even when the Grinch stole all of their presents. The material goods were gone, but they were only an expression of the spiritual commerce that the Whos already engaged in. At the end of the story, the Grinch participated in the material celebrations because he learned that their purpose was to enhance spiritual values, not to replace them.

The giving of gifts can and should be a way for us to selfishly express love for our friends and family. Just as Santa only gives to children who are nice, we should only give in recognition of positive impact that others make on our lives.

Many complain that the Christmas season is the most stressful time of the year. This is not due to commercialism, but rather, its moral opposite. Some feel obligated to throw the compulsory family party they are not prepared for, or buy presents for people they don’t know what to get.

The spirit of giving should not be one of obligation, but of personal pleasure. Buy your buddy a baseball glove or a football so you can play catch with him. Get your loved ones something that will remind them of your friendship. The question should not be “did I spend enough money on this person?” (Did I sacrifice enough for them?) But rather, “did I get him or her something that will enhance our friendship and make us happier?”

Christmas should be more commercial. The more material goods for sale, the greater capacity we have to thank those whom we trade spiritual goods with.

It is the selfish trade of spiritual and material goods that should be the basis of how we interact with one another. On Christmas, we celebrate peace on earth and good will toward men. This is the recognition that in a society of traders, in a society of commercialism, the spiritual and material goods produced by others make our lives better.

James Ellias is a Physics major and the president of USC's Objectivist Club.

Reach Contributor James Ellias here.