Bernard Mandeville Bernard Mandeville, also known as Bernard de Mandeville, was an Anglo Dutch philosopher, political economist, satirist, writer, and physician whose work challenged traditional ideas about morality and society. Born on 15 November 1670 in Rotterdam, Ntherlands, he was educated at Universiteit Leiden and later spent most of his life in England, where he wrote primarily in English. Mandeville became widely known for The fable of the bees, a work that explored how private self interest could unintentionally produce public benefit. His thinking introduced influential ideas such as the unknowing cooperation of individuals, the foundations of the modern free market, and the importance of the division of labour. Through satire and philosophical argument, he questioned idealized notions of virtue, suggesting that social order often depends on motives considered morally flawed. His writings examined the relationship between ethics, economics, and human behavior with provocative realism. Mandeville married Ruth Elizabeth Laurence in 1699 and lived in England until his death on 21 January 1733 in the London Borough of Hackney, leaving a lasting impact on economic and moral philosophy. Read More Read Less