The fable of the bees, or, Private vices, publick benefitsVolumes 1 & 2

It used to be that everyone read the "notorious" Bernard Mandeville (1670-1733).

He was a great satirist and came to have a profound impact on economics, ethics and social philosophy. "The Fable of the Bees" begins with a poem and continues with a number of essays and dialogues.

It is all tied together by the startling and original idea that "private vices" (self-interest) lead to "publick benefits" (the development and operation of society).