Determinism of Luck

1973 Words8 Pages
Determinism of Luck Essay Many factors interplay to frame one’s career. That is especially true for turbulent occupations, such as one of an entrepreneur in an unchartered business environment, which the automobile industry was in its infantile years. Gordon McGregor and Austin Herbert both clearly demonstrate that among these factors, luck is the dominant determinant of one’s success. Luck is from here on defined as factors which exhibit influence over one’s performance but are outside of one’s control. Gordon McGregor was luckier than Austin based on the material and social wealth he inherited from his father. Austin Herbert was unluckier than his counterpart because of the greater lack of control he exhibited when dealing with the external environment. Egalitarianism, a philosophical movement concerning the unequal distribution of natural assets, shows that McGregor was unequally advantaged by an inherited, “lucky” skill set of natural abilities of an entrepreneur. All of these three factors, cumulatively luck, have made McGregor a more successful entrepreneur than Austin Herbert. Austin Herbert and Gordon McGregor, two unequally successful entrepreneurs, demonstrate with their careers that success is in greater dependence on luck than on an entrepreneur’s will, with luck being defined as a lack of control, unequal distribution of natural assets, and dissimilar inheritance of material wealth. McGregor was more successful as Austin because the material and social wealth he inherited, something determined by luck, was greater than the one inherited by Austin. McGregor was born as a second son of William McGregor, a future entrepreneur. His father would found the Milner-Walker Wagon Works Company in 1897. Austin was also born as a second son but to Giles Stevens, a farmer. In contrast to Gordon, Austin had no entrepreneurial platform to inherit. In 1902,
Open Document