These can be combined in a single, simple sentence that appears as banal to professional economists as it is considered evil by others. Self-serving actions taken by individuals in a competitive market provide benefits that spill over to the entire community. Markets require a set of certain supporting institutions such as property rights and extensive individual freedoms protected by an independent judiciary under a rule of law. Under these arrangements, free people can pursue their life purposes within the context of the market. Once accustomed to the interactions of the market, people tend to develop a greater regard for and sense of trust for strangers which itself represents a form of investment in personal and corporate reputation.
Transactions based upon trust are more inclusive than are purely personal relationships.
In many ways, markets serve as a 'civilising' agent. Markets inspire the development of a contract culture where the spirit of compromise becomes part of human interaction. In such a setting, equals are treated as equals just as unequals must also be treated as equals before the law. Governments or large corporations should not receive special treatment in the courts over individual citizens while domestic interests should not override those of foreign claimants. In this sense, markets are a necessary underpinning for democracy's success rather than a sufficient one.