Samantha Wesinger
5 December 2013
Final Project – Part 4
Mohsin Hamid, the author of How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, takes us on a
life long journey of a boy. Yet, that boy is you. Hamid brings to life the image of you on
a crazy experience throughout the book. By using the second person point of view, he
addresses you, the reader, as the character. From this, you are able to recreate the story in
your mind as if it were your own. Each chapter started off as a sassy and sarcastic selfhelp section on how to become rich in Asia. As you come to find out, by the end of the
book, getting rich isn’t of the upmost importance. How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia
demonstrates how to not live your life. It is necessary for one to live by good morals and
values. Life isn’t about money and materialistic things yet true happiness.
The story is much more than just a book. It relates to many on an individual and
personal basis in which you may not even know it. It took me discussing the text to
realize how many underlying factors play a role within the story. Many different
philosophers, ethics and moral situations are described in Hamid’s novel.
Aristotle, a old and wise philosophers believes, “all knowledge and every pursuit
aims at some good, what it is that we say political science aims at and what is the highest
of all goods achievable by action. Verbally there is very general agreement; for both the
general…happiness, and identify living well and doing well with being happy.” (W.D.
Ross) The title of How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia comes off as misleading. Yet,
who would want to read a novel called How to be Happy in Asia? What both Aristotle
and Hamid are trying to explain is that individual strives for happiness. Although we all
may have different perspectives as to what happiness truly is, everybody is searching for
it. “You” in the book, go through many different experiences. From moving to the city,
bouncing from job to job, trying to establish a career, growing a family, having
materialistic things – all of these were based around you searching for happiness. All of
these decisions and choices were expected to bring you happiness. That is why you made
them. Your goal from the start was to get rich and be successful. But when a pretty girl
enters the book, you become infatuated. Throughout each chapter you’re hanging on to
find out when you will see her again. Then you come to see that money is of little
importance. Money isn’t really what is bringing you happiness. The pretty girl is bringing
you happiness. Though it took you a little while to realize, your choices shifted to involve
the pretty girl. From this, it is clear to see how much the book relates to Aristotle. All the
choices you made were aimed towards happiness.
Though much of the book revolves around you, there are many other characters
that are involved in your life. The people that you surround yourself with are a reflection
of who you are and play a part in the decisions that you make. It is of the upmost
importance to surround yourself with virtuous and honest people. If you are to be around
non-virtuous and dishonest people it can cause you to cheat and make poor choices.
Throughout How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia you went through many ups and
downs. Though this is some that may experience in their life, it resulted in you making
poor decisions at times. In the beginning of the book you would lie and steal though the
pretty girl negatively influenced you. After your connection was lost, you married and
had a son; you were taking steps in the right direction. Both your wife and son caused
you to want to become a better person for them. When you had money to your name, it
caused you to act in a negative manor. You thought it was okay to do anything to get
your way. It took you losing everything you had to realize how to be virtuous. This
caused you to lose your wife, as well as your friends. When it comes to making choices
about your own happiness, to remain virtuous, other individuals should be taken into
consideration. This relates to philosopher Mill’s view on pleasure. When it comes to us
making choices and decision, we should take steps to minimize the opportunity of
displeasing others. He states that “Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost
all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of
moral obligation to prefer it…a greater amount of discontent, and would not resign it for
any quantity of the other pleasure which their nature is capable of, we are justified in
ascribing to the preferred enjoyment a superiority in quality, so far outweighing quantity
as to render it, in comparison, of small account.” (Mill) Our pleasures are measured in
two levels of higher and lower. In a majority of situations we encounter, we choose the
option in which gives us greater pleasure. From doing this, you ignored others and caused
them suffering to get you ahead. It is wrong for one to do so. Whether it is a family
member, a friend, or even a stranger others should be consider in your morals and
decisions of pleasure.
In Hamid’s book, it is important to take into consideration that the story is taken
place in Asia. From that, who are we to judge? “In a sense, we all live in radically
different worlds. Each person has a different set of beliefs and experiences, a particular
perspective that colors all of his or her perceptions.” (Pojman) We all have different ways
of experiences and ethical considerations based on the fact we are from different places.
Though we may share some outlooks and perspectives, there are other scenarios in which
we may oppose. It is important to consider Pluralism in which ‘as a universal value,
members of one culture have no right to evaluate the moral values of another.’ (Pojman)
The views of the author may differ from yours. From this, it is important to not turn away
or say what is morally right or wrong. In many cultures, I believe it is important to care
for one when they were ill. There were many different situations throughout the book in
which different people would care for those who were sick and I would consider this to
be morally right. In addition, moving you to the city for a better opportunity of life for
your family is something I’ve seen in many cultures. Those are examples of which two
different cultures/communities can share the same morals. Though, there are morals in
which were not shared. It was morally wrong for you to witness your parents having sex.
They were willing to commit sexual acts knowing their children are in the room. This
may be consider okay in one culture, while in the United States, this would not be
considered moral. Having different views and beliefs from others are of great importance,
but it is even of more importance to be able to accept and not judge others beliefs.
In conclusion, you come to see the depth of the book. How to get Filthy Rich in
Rising Asia shows the book does more than mock a self-help book. You experienced life,
moral and ethical choices. By remaining virtuous and moral, you will work towards
ethical decisions. It is not wealth that you are actually seeking. You are seeking
happiness.
Works Cited
Hamid, Mohsin. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Riverhead Books. 2013.
W.D. Ross, Aristotle. The Internet Classic Archives. Nicomachean Ethics. Massachusetts
Institute of Techonology. Web. 10 September 2013.
Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Chapter 2, What Utilitarianism Is. Utilitarianism
Resources. 1863. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.
Pojman, Louis. “Who’s to Judge?”